Liberty in drillalerted. 269 ask, fhall we not pray or hear and the like ? for they pray by the power of the fpirit, and that (peaks in them with groans which are unutterable and beyond all expref¡ion of words. We readofTome of the Heathen perfecuting Emperors, that in a way of cruelty would confirain the Chriftians, though they were under tortures and torments,yet they fhould not cry norcomplain ; ifthey did, they would torture them the more : but it is not fo in the tortures and torments of the foul, they cannot but they muff cry out, and complain, and leek deliverance; when the foul is in bitternefi it cannot but cry. And farther, though they have done thefe things, as do- ing them by neceffity, yet thole that are truly delivered by Jefus Chrift that only Deliverer, they do not efteem the do- ing ofthefe things their deliverance,or them their Deliverer ; wherein lies the mifery of the molt of the foes of men, that if their confciences begin to (mite them, and fin begins to appear,and hell looks them in the face ; fayes the foul, l muff now look out for a remedy , 1 muff do fomething to quench thisfire, and to allay this burning ; and then what do they they then think to reform their lives, and they will go pray and hear or join themfèlves into this and that fellow/hip, andChurch-gathering, and there they will conform to the ufe of Ordinances, and it may be, get into the belt reformed fellow fhip (as they conceive) and neareft the rule of Chrift, . and here they refs, here they are quiet and all is well, and wrath ispaffand they are delivered Alas, alas poor fouls :. In this very thing they have turned afide from the true De- liverer and. miff their Deliverance ; Bat the true way toDe- liverance is, to f and in thy mifery, and abide condemned in thy felftill Chrift himfelf take pitty of thee, and then Chrift himfelf would pray in thee, and he would carry thee out to reading and hearing, and praying afterafpiritual manner ;. for while thefe works are thine own, and thou feekeftfor to deliver thy fèlf, thou art fo much the more in bonage; for thefe duties, if done rightly, are the work of the Deliverer, and the fruit of thy deliverance, and not the caufe of thy De- liverance,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=