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Show t. ,it fecures. us againll .our fears, concerning the tnlltf1ivt -Spou{r, The Church of God. The Church (Brethren ) is the bot<fo ofChrijf ; he buildcd it, and he is no foolifh builder, to build &i'l houfc upon the Sand, which {hould fall by th~ wathing of the M'aves,and the beating of the winds upon it. No,he built it upon a Rock, the wlnds may !;low, and the waves may bear, and a . parr of the houfe may fall, but the main of it th•ll not fall, becaufc it is founded upon a Rock. N•y, Chrijf i1 in the ho11{e, therefore it cannot faii,Pfal,f6·S- God is in tbt midj! ofher,tbmfore/ht fha.D . not be mpved; Gad JhaU htlp btr and that right-early. 'The Heathen mayrage,the'Kingd<>mJ may be m.wrd;but the lord ofHofls is with _her, and tht God of Jacob ir htr refuge. The enemies, if they ,..iO,may g• ra11nd ab011t btr; they ·may count hir toJPerJ, and ttU btr h•J-Jrk.,l;butGod will be her Goa/or evrr •nd ever, thdsin the clefts ofrhe Rock. Secondly, Lo bert the focurity •f evtry p•rticular Dovt ofCbrift, tvery trulj belitvi11g Soul; there is not one of them, but is in the . clejts of the Rocks; 1 Pet. r. 5· 1hey are i<!Pt by tbt fJirPrr of Gotl tbrottgh fai.t.b HMtoSdlvattoll, Two things I would obferve to you. ' r. That the Saints fecurity liu not in themfolvu. The Doves fecurity is not in its 0wn flrength, but it is in the Rock where it ncflleth; it is not becaufe the Dove is invincible, but bccaufe the Rock within which the is, is impenetrable, that the is not torn apieces by the Birds of prey. We tha11 be kept and that to Salvation, but it is through tht po'lf!tr of God; in Chrifl is our fircngth 'found, Sa111p{on was but like another man "'ithout biJiock', but while his locks were not cut olf, no gateJ could keep him in, no rPith1, no cord1 could bind him. Saint Paul that could do alit hings through Cbrijt that flrengthened him, was weak as wat<r, net futlicient to think one good thought~ yea Ptter himfdf was no ·chingtxtra hancpttram; without this Rock, Chrifllookt but ofl' him a little, and a Maid in the High-PriejiJ HaU was too hard for him. 'lhmfore bt that jtand1 mn(l tail! bttd left be faU.If th~ Dove keeps ckfo to tbe Ro:l;,the is well enough; but her fecurity is in the Rock, not in her own wings. It is throttgb faith, we are kept as well as by the power of God to S1lvation. The po'lf!rr of God is that which keeps us ; but our faith mull lly to that power of God. ) • 1heir feeurity i1 terlain, If. 3 3. 1 6. The &efence is the mHnitioH of Rock; ; bread fhaU br givm bi111, biJ'b14yJ · jhal btflm. His flare is certain, no ad verfaries from without thai! hurt him,any more than an enemy tha11 hurt him; that is within the munition ofa Rock: Do you ask how he thai I live? i10w he fhall be maintained?rhe Prophet tells you lireadjhall be given him.l' give I<Htd thrm etmtallifr ( faith Chrifi ) and th,ey jhaU never ptri{h'; ntitlur fJi ,y any m•n pluck thrm out of my band, my fatbtr which ga••r them me i1 greattr th.an all, "' malt i1 ablt to pi,.,~ the"' out of my·· FathtrJ band, I~nd my Fatber are onr, Joh. 1 o. 28, 29, 30. Sec there the Dove in the ckfr- of an impregnable Rock, the iheep in the hand of a fullicier.r Shepherd: F eaT"11ot tl>rrelorr; 0 thou Dove· ofChrifi, neither b• fai~t-btart~d. T-his Dotbine fpeakerh to you that are of a fearful heart; laying, bejlrang,fear 11ot your God·. n>iU come and [ave y ou·; here God fpeaktng to you as in If. 4 I. I o. ft•r. tbou nnt for I am 'lf!iffl tht't ; be not difmayed j<JT I am tby God. ; c..,,y jlrengthen thee, IwiU help tlm,yra I .,;Q.zephold thre with the ha11a afmy .. Rigbttoujnejt. I would not therefore have Chrifliaos · fecure, linfully fe~ure, letting down their wat,h, n~glecting their . prelling after Hohnefs ;. but I would hav~ them brlitvingf;• !<:cure, keep their eye upon the Rock, keep clofe unto the .Rock, walk ~rictly · ~ith God, and·fear not the temptations of the world, by. ItS flattenes or frowns, nor of the ll~th, nor of the Devil. 'Tis but infirmity for the Dove to qJuke that is in the Rock. 'Tis but'' fi'nful infirmity for you to be. afraid that any thing thtll feparate you from Chrifi, If. 4r. 14.fear .,.;, tbouworm 7acob, andy•n mtH · of Ifr•tl ( faith God,) I,..;Q1,tfp thee,faith the Lord, aHd tby re-· J'!"'" tbt holy ant· of Ifrad, I will conclude with that of S•int Paul, a Language which every true Child of God may be brought tofpeak, (and the Lord bring us to it,) ·Rom. 8, 35.36,37,' ;8, 39· Whafh,/lfoparate urfram thr Lo11e cfCbri!f l fh;rU trt'bulati• IH, or diftreji! ~ perftcutiall, or Familte, or n•k,:dnej1, or peril, or·· 3"ord l AI z111 wr11te11, fur thyfok._t.•re 'lf!e kjlled aU· the dJy-long, n>e - "" accaHntrd al fheep for tbr jt:z.,gb,m. Nay, ill aN thrfo thi11gr .,,. ·•rt mort tban eo~qurror1, thro•gh him •th•t lovtd ut. For I am, ... - f,.,~ded, that Hezth:r Deatb, nor I:;ift, nor Augel1, nor principahtiu, . Nor po"''"• nor th111g1 prefont,·tllor thing1 t• came · nor brightb no~·dtptb, nor ·a'!} atbrr creatllre, jh11l frp~r;,t IU' fro', tht·lovl .of Goa .Hieb ir-in Jefur Chrijhur.Lord... ' / |