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Show 10'l No,XVJII. 1../"V'..) Att .Ar p p E N 'D I X to Vo1.. L Be affured, my Friends, where·ever the ~ord hath beJot!en~d~~estoa~~~ him, :lnd where·ever Sin i~ become exhcepd~ng finfu;ht; World is begun to Soul. the Devil'sGKdinf.dom WJb :_ktn, t~eeR;~~:p~ion of that Soul. Hearken be Judged, and o ts at or 01 1 ft , ur firft Parents their bleifed p~:;~~~~ ~.~~c~~;b~~esf~F~B~:i~~~~ k%\~\~r~\~~~fu~l~~et~;r~if~ ~W;nhf:~!~~~~i~~~ aa:: ~~:re~Wth anob~e:bfee:p~~i~~u~~~· ri~End~?:fC~ yQu ha·ve begun well, yet ye Wt /etr'E · fo flrong tb6y are not to b~ tbe 'temptations nrej~ ma~y, an ~ Je er"e::e~:r to profefs fuch high Things, ov~rcome/Y,~6~;l:a of ~~~~1~ ~~[: wfN b~t bfing Reproach to the Way, ~d tb )to ·t f. A . that 'tis Curiojiry and Spiritual PriJJ:, atul Concelt .. ~~~cP0J0: ;o:tjo 6c~~~ghr be/lu rban o;hcr-s, .wkhh the ~k.e ;ug~~~of{~ on "u'r ofe to fta~er your Refolutions, and well -en yo_lll: an · . · i ! D~\'il mn a lar, and a Deltroyer: to()k not t.o b1m; but keep to Jef~! ho hath cal ed you. Keep but your bye ro H1m, ot whom the Bra~ ; fer em in the Wildcrnefs was a Figure, and he fh:lll cu~e you of all I:~re re: of all Wourld;tand Stingings of Serp~nts and Scorprons, &c. that m~y aatt~ncl you in the Wi!Jcrneft-Tr~vai/, "?hich is the.H~ur of ~~ft Jem_ptafion. God is exalting him, in you, a ?a?tour; t~erebiS be~~~ el e W: vif /f) dejlroy Sino yea-, ftronger is be tbnt lS ,, y(ju, I "" e I at IS t.n 1 Je rr .. He is able to hinJ tbe flrong Man, and cafl !Jim o~t; ct.o bu.t be~eQidtru: ~r~ him and cleave- to him. Remember there wero tY!l Sp_ru o , t o e rllar'br \f bt f:l{fe Inu!Jigenct that Cantt~m waS" a pleafant Land, but t~l WRJ · p {fJJe ~ but the Faithful ~nter'd and il'lhcrited. Keep therefore 1n the jt '6t~ou,;Lif~ of Jefus, and walk i~ ~is ~gly Lighr, and you fhall be pte· fer~•ea 1hrou b aU Exercifes nnd DijjicNltter ~nto tho Eternal C~naon, the 1 d of R.eff. Neither wonder at thefe Thtngs, that Temptnltom atund .::;, tJr tbat the Ltwd trpt1 ttnd proveth you, it. is the ~ay of all that are J e .to God for evenJefus was tempted arid rrycd, and 1s therefore become ~~~ Caprai~ becau{i he overca~ne. . N~ither be ye <>aft down, becaufc th~ Lord fometimes feemeth to htde h1s Face from _you, sh.:n you fael not-al ways that toy and Refrerhmenr, that you fomeumes enJoy. I know what lV"ork 1he F.nemy maketh of tbefe Wit!!!lra~ing! of. the Lord. Perhaps he will infinlY.tte, TJtat God 1Jath Jefe~ted you m hu f!ifp/et!f•re, that yoN tm~ft never cxpcll to Jce him, rbat be f1Jz0 never ctJmc agarn :· And by thcfc and t~e like Srraragems he will eildea.vour to !hake your Fattli and H~pe, and dtfi~ fl: you with Fear, and to beget great Jealoufies an~ t?oubts m you~ and by Impatience a'Od Infidelity,. fruftrate ~our ge~od Begmnmgs. But though l'aviJ faid of Old, in the Btfrref~ of lus Soul, On1 V.y foaU I [.r by tbl E~tnd of Saul, yet he overcame htm, and h:~d the Crown. Yea, the Lord Jefus hirnfelf cryed out in the Agony of the Cro!S, My G•J, My G•d, why bafltbou forfall.en me! Ne.verthelefs. he glorioufly Trium_Ph'd ove: all, an.d lea Captivity ca~ive, for the .Toy tha~ was ~t before h1m: Whtch Joy ll before you; ft ts the Mark of the Puce. of your ~~~at and Holy Calhng. W4ereforc faint not; neither murmur, tf your Spmtu~l lf!Qfu feems t_o witharo.w ~while from yop. Do not you makt Images m bu Abfuue, .nel• ther wax W:wton; but poffd; your·Souls in holy Fear and Patience, waiting wftl1 Holy Reverence and Diligence for his Appearance,. who is your vi8orious Leader. Ailthefe Things are for your Good, that Prcud Flejh may be debafed, and that the Soul may be redeemed. Wherefore bear the Hand of the Lord; whom ·he loveth, he chaltneth; his Anger lafteth not for ever, but his Mercies enaurc for ever. Shrink not from the pure: Operations of his holy 'W.ord, Jet it divide afunaer between the Soul and Spirtt, thf Joynu_anJ. )llarrow ;, you; fuffer you-r Right Hands to be cut off, and your Rtght Eyes to be pluck'd out, that ao oll'end, let not the Pain fcare you. 0 bear the pure Searchings of ibis Heavenly Word! Yeal. if your Minds beftay'd in it, you will .find it ro be a Word of Patience, W·hich will keep you; f~1~ VoL. I. all Virtue is in it. Ke~p it, and be ftill' It is good, faid one of 01~, th•t a Aianjho11id both hope, and qll:ietly wait for tht Sa!vtttion of God. Tea, it ir good fer tt .Man that be bear the Tonk in hir Youth (this is your Youth) and Juch afl oflt fittetb alone, and luepetb Silence, bciaufe be batb born it upon him. Ah bleffed are they that bear ~his Holy Yoak, who are co'me to. this Silence, who dye daily; that not they, but Cllrift may Live and Rule in them; therefore hear hinl, and take up his Crofs, and follow him. Follow him, keep him Company, he hath beaten t~e Path, and trod the Way, ftart not afide at his Cup, neither fhun his Baptifm: Go ~ith him to Caiaphtt~, to Pilau, and to the Crofs; dye with him to the World, and you ihall rife with him unto Life Eternal. Honour, Glory and Immortality are at the End of this Holy Race! 0 rhat you may run ir with Chearfulnefs and Per· fevcrance! But this is not the utmoft Stratagem of the Enemy; he hath yet a more plaufible, and a more dangerous Device, wherewith to deftroy the holy Senfe that God hath quickened, where he feeth thefe Temptations refifted, and that he cannot hinder a Religious Work in the Soul, by any of his Baits taken from the Things that are feen; and that is, bis drtir.oing you in~ to lmaginationr of GtJd, and Chrijl, and Religion; and into Religious Duties, not in God"s Way or Time; nor with Chriit's Spirit . . Here he is tranformed into the Appearance of an Angel of Light, and would feem Rtligiom now, a Saint; yea, a Lender into Religion, fo that he may but keep him out of his Office, wbofe Rigbt it is to Teach, Prepare, Enable, :ind lead his Children with his holy Power and Spirit. Yea, if he can but keep the Creature's Will alive, he knoweth there is a ground for him to work upon, a Place that he can enter, and in which his Seed will grow. 1f this Will of Man be ftanding, he knoweth that the Will of God cannot be done on Earth, as it is done in Heaven. 0 this Will is God's Enemy, yea, the Soul's Enemy; and all Will·worjhip arifeth hence: Yea, it is the Off-fpting of the Serpent and of the Will of Man ; and it can never pleafe God. Let aU beware of this; God is a Spirh, and he will be worfhipped in his own Spi~ rit, in his own Life. The Worlbip of God ftandeth in the WiO of God 1 >nd ls not brought forth of the Will of the Flelh, or of the Will of Man. Remember that the Wotd came not to Efau, the Firfl-birtb, the Hunter, that frayed not at Home; but to· Jacob, the plain Man, be tbat dwelt in Tents; to him came the Word of the Lord, that dwelt in a jlill and f]Nitt Habitation. For in the true filence is God's Word heard, into which tbe Hunting Nature of Efau, the Firft-Birtb, can never come. It can never flandftill, and therefore it can never fee the Salyation of God. Againft this Nature watch, and know Jacob, tbat inherits the Birth-Right; the EleEHorl of God (though now 11 Worm) ro wrefl!e and preiMil. The. Worm ]acobJ..)s lfrae/ a Prince, to whom belong the Statutes and the Ordinances. -l'he Word &tJme to Jacob, and tbe Staturer to Ifrael: Here is Dominion, Govern• rnent, Exaltation : This is the Lot of Worm Jacob. Wait therefore, till the Angel move upcn tht Waters, before you ftep one Step. .Are yeFollow• ers of the Lamb, that hath vifited you, the Captain of your Salvation? Run not in your own Wills, W::tit for his Word of Command, do nothing of your own Heads and Contrivings,fet do all with Diligence that he requir· eth. Remember what became of them of Old, that offered f~t!Je Fire; Oftay till a Coal from his holy Altar touch your Hearts and your Lips.Jefus told his Mother at the Marriage in Gantt in Galdee, His Hour war not !et c~me: He rej~ed the Will in her, and ibid, till his Time was come, that IS,. h1s Father's Time, in wboft Handr are the Times and Seaf~m: Whoffi Wtll he came to do, and not his Own : Leaving us therein a bleffed Example, tha: we fhould a!fo f ollow his Step_s. t~:n is, not to attempt to per~orm eve~ T~tngs of God tn our own Wills, nor out of God's Seafon and Ttme, Whtch IS the heft: For in his Seafons, be ir with m 1 but in oor own Sea· fons and. Wills he roithdrawetb hiinje!f from 111. And this is the Caufe, that the Nauon's Worfhippers have little Senfe of God in their Hearts, and th~t D d 2 thetr ~C>~ No.xvnr. ~ |
