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Thirdly, this burthen of fin, felt in the work of Cap.8. humiliation, mortifies thofe inward lufts, puls down the ftrength of them, which are fo ready to rife againft, and withdraw the heart from the truths, and ways of God.

Fourthly, this foul knows how dear comfort is, if 4. it hath any comfort, it coft dear before it was got, and therefore it will not eafily be parted withal.

Fiftly, where confcience by this is throughly wounded, and deeply ftruck, it cannot cafily gather any fuch film upon it, as not to remain tender, but it foon feels the evil, yea it is fenfible of the danger of the leaft fin.

Sixthly, if ever God hath manifefted any love in Chrift unto it, the fouls love to God and Christ must needs be exceeding great.

Fourthly, be careful to preferve your inward peace, your peace with God, and your own confcience: If vapours be not got into the earth, and ftir not there, they are not all the ftorms and tempefts abroad that can make an earthquake; but if vapours be within, and work there, an earthquake is caused: fo where there is peace within, all troubles and oppofitions without, cannot shake the heart; but if there be no peace within, every little thing troubles the spirit: terrours without, and terrours within, both are very hard, Be not thou a terrour to me, O Lord,lays Feremy, chap. 17. 17. for thou art my hope in the day of evil. I care not though all the world be a terrour to me, fo be it thou beeft not a terrour; if I have peace with thee, it is enough, what ever evil befal me: Oh therefore maintain, and keep this peace above all, it is no matter whether you have peace or no with the world,

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Cap. 8.

world, fo be it you have the peace of the Gospel in your hearts: it is one fpecial part of that fpiritual armory we read of, Ephef. 6. to be hod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace: that is, that bleffed peace of the Gospel, which is a ftrong preparation to endure any troubles or afflictions that Chriftians meet withal; the reafon of that phrafe to be fhod, is this, because we are to go amongst briars and thorns, in our way to Heaven; we are to meet with many hard things we are to pass through,therefore we had need be well fhod; if a man be not fo, he will be as one that goes upon fharp flints bare-foot, or a mongst thorns, or bufhes, fo that the blood tricles down his feet every step he takes, furely fuch a man cannot hold out long; thus it is with the foul that is not fenced with the Gospel of peace: Be careful in nothing, let not your fpirits be divided (for fo is the word) Phil. 4. 6, 7. And the peace of God which paffeth all understanding, fhall keep your guess hearts and mindes,the word is, fhall guard your hearts: afflictions and troubles are as enemies, compaffing us about, but the peace of God guards our hearts from the evil of them this enables Gods children, though not in the letter, yet in fome fort to tread upon the Adder and Afp, to shake off Vipers, Rom.5.1, and receive no hurt. Having peace with God,we glory in tribulations; we are not onely patient under them, but we glory in them; How were the spirits of those bleffed Martyrs,we read,and hear fo much of,ftrengthened with this bleffed peace of the Gospel?

Take heed therefore, that you never maintain peace with any fin. Great peace have they that love thy Law, and nothing fhall offend them,Pfal.119.165.

Oh,

Oh, how many of you have broke your peace with Cap.8. God! at least the comfort of it is exceedingly darkned: you would fain have outward ease, and peace, but you have neglected the comforts of this peace, and that is the reafon you have no ftrength, to fuffer any thing for the truth, Nehem. 8.10. The joy of the Lord is your strength, that joy that comes from this inward peace, but where this is not, there is nothing to fweeten forrows, and therefore they must needs be very bitter. That time therefore that God gives you yet respite from afflictions, let it be spent in making up your peace more with God then ever, and getting clearer evidence, and fenfe of his love. If ever you knew what peace with God meant,I appeal unto you, when at any time, the fenfe of it hath enlarged your hearts with joy; whether then, have you not found your felves willing to fuffer any thing for God? you could then go through fire, and water, your fpirits could triumph with the Apoftle, I am perfwaded that neither life, nor death, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things prefent,nor things to come, fhal ever be able to feperate me from the love of God in Chrift Fefus.

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nefs of

Fifthly, labour to fee more into the fulness of all 5. good in God the Lord told Abraham, that he was The fulGod all-fufficient, as the onely means to ftrengthen God difhim, against whatsoever evils he was like to meet covered. withal. Labour to have the infight into Gods fulness, in these three particulars.

First, look at all the excellency, beauty, comfort, and good in the creature, and know that it is all in him, in a most eminent and glorious maner. There is no good in the effect, but the causes together have it in them now God is the firft caufe, and so all

causes

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Cap.8. have the glory of all his own way? We in the general acknowledge God fhould have glory from all that we are or have, but we would have him have it our way, fo as may stand with our cafe,with our liberties, peace,and ends: but God must have the honor of all, that way that is good in his own eye.

8.

And againe, if all we have be for God, then when he is honored by any thing we do enjoy, it hath its end and perfection: a comfort is then the most perfect comfort,when God hath the glory of it, when it is refigned to him, either in a way of fervice, or fuffering, as he calls for it.

And lastly, if our comforts be enjoyed for God, then our hearts are not let out to any of them, further then leads us to God; and if fo, then when God calls for the parting with them,in a fuffering way,the enjoyment of them cannot lead to God any further, but would draw off the fpirit from God, and therefore fuch a heart is willing now to part with them, it is not grievous to it to leave them, because the excellency of them is not now in the enjoyment of them, but in the parting with them.

Eighthly, be often renewing your refignations of all unto God, and your covenant with him, to be at his difpofe, that fo when any trouble comes at any time, this refignation of heart, and renewal of covenant, may be fresh upon your fpirits: the foul will be ready to suffer much, if it be called to it, when an actual refignation, and renewing of covenant hath been a little before, and the power of it is now fresh upon the heart fometimes immediately after a day of folemn humiliation, where this hath been, the foul thinks then it could do or fuffer any thing; but in a

little time, except this be renewed again, the heart Cap.8. grows droffie, and cleaves to prefent things, and mingles it felf with them: the often renewing of this, keeps the heart very loose from the creature; a thing that hangs loose from another, may foon be taken off from it, but if it cleaves to it, it is not taken off without difficulty,it oftner rends in the taking off: thus it is when the heart cleaves to any creature-content. Ninthly lay up provifion against an evil day: There is a threefold provifion we should treasure up to prepare us for our afflictions;

First, treafure up the confolations of God that he affords upon occafion,that at any time you feel in the performance of duties, in the exercises of graces, in the ufe of Ordinances.

Secondly, treasure up the experiences of Gods ways towards you, and his gracious dealings with you in former ftraights.

Thirdly,treafure up foul-fupporting,foul-quickning, foul-reviving, foul-comforting promifes, and that of feveral kindes, futable to several afflictions, for thou knoweft not what kinde of afflictions thou mayeft meet with.

Tenthly, labor much to ftrengthen every grace, it is ftrong grace that is fuffering grace: aftrong wing will flye against the wind: as it is faid of the horse, Fob 33. because he hath ftrength, he mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted, neither turneth he back for the fword, ver.22. A candle will hold light in the house, but if we go abroad in the air, there is need of a torch,there must be a ftronger light there, weak grace may ferve turn to uphold us now, but in time of afflictions it had need be ftrong, a little grace will

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How to be Prepared for any af

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