Andrâ—wâ— in Norwâ—â—â— HOâ—â—â— 13. 14. O death I will â—â— thy plagues O grave I will be thy destraction THis Chapter easily divideth it self into three parts 1. A grievous Reprehension to v. 10. 2. A sad Comination from the 10. to the 14. verse 3. A seasonable Consolation from the beginning of the verse where my Text is coâ—châ— to the end of the Chapter My Text begins the last part of the Chapter The sense of which is ambiguously controverted by Expositors Some will have it to be a promise meerly relating to the deliverance of the Jews out of Captivity in which sense some concâ—ive the same phrase almost taken Isai 25. 8. But it is plain from the Apostles Commentary 2 Cor. 15. 55. that it is not to be restrained to that sense The Hebrews opinion is altogether for it But Christian Interpreters gâ—ided by the Apostle generally render it a prediction of the deliverance of the Elect from Sin Death and Hell by the Lord Jesus Christ Some Controversie there is yet amongst them about the direct sense some amongst which is Calvin and Oecolampadius will have it to be a spiritual promise but conditional as if the sensâ— were this If they had repented and turned unto me I had delivered them even from the gates of Death But Jerom with others make it an absolute promise of a Redemption from from Sin and Death by Christ and will make the words to be the speech of Christ promising Redemption to his Elect. Joyn both together and the sense is perfectly this Christ doth here promise Redemption to his Elect under the type of the deliverance of the Children of Israel ouâ— of Babylon The deliverance of the Children of Israel out of Babylon was â—ypical That 's promised here viz. That after a certain time he would redeem them out of the power of the Babylonish Captivity where they should lye as buried for a while But the Antitype was the Elect of God â—o whom Christ promiseth a Redemption from Death and the Grave I I the Lord Jesus Christ Jehovah the second Person in the Trinity Will Ransom Redeem It signifies to deliver out of some bondage by vertue of a price paid by another for his friend I will pay the debt due to my Fathers Justice and Wrath and buy them out of their natural slavery Them The Elect in a spiritual sense the Jews in a plain sense as the words are a promise of a deliverance out of the Babylonish Captivity From the hand of the Grave that is the power of the Gravâ— To be in ones hand is to be in their power therefore our Translation readeth it power Of the Grave The Baâ—ylonish Grave if you look upon the promise as meerly respecting them 1. Sin 2. Death and 3. Hell are all here understood So the Apostle applies it 1. Cor. 15. Thus Christ hath fulfilled it for his Saints I will redeem thâ—m from death It is but a repetition of whâ—t was promised before The word is doubled for it is certain O death Christ speaks O death Spiritual Temporal Eternal I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction I Jesus Christ will be by my coming and dying and rising again will be in time 't is yet but a little while but I will come and tread upon thy neck thy plagues Jerom and Ambrose read â—t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy contention I will engage in the quarrel betwixt thee and my elected ones Death had a quarrel against all the children of Adam by vertue of that original word In the day that thou â—atest thereof thou shalt surely dye Others read it Plagues or Destruction The difference ariseth from the neâ—rness of kin that is betwixt the Heb. words signifying Contention and the Hebrâ—w word signifying Plagues The Greeks read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Victory I will be thy Coâ—â—ueror Others read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Punishment just Punishment c. I will be thy â—inâ— with Justice O grave I will be thy destruction Thy sting thy cutting off Here Christ saith I will be The Apostle triumpheth as of the thing done 2 Cor. 15. 55. O death where 's thy sting c. Christ having then dyed conquered death risen and ascâ—nded You have now the sense If you look on the whole Verse you have in it these three parts 1. A redemption promised in which you may note 1. The Redeemâ—â— I Christ. 2. The Act I will redeem 3. The Redeemed Them 4. The time I will 5. The slavery Death the Grave 2. The manner of this redemption 1. By himself I being â—â—aths â—uine 2. With a price paid I will redeem 3. The confirmation of it Repeâ—â—â—ance shall be hiâ— from miâ—â— eyes I cannot change or eat my words I have said it and it shall be done My Text contains the second part where you have Christ threatning death to be its plagues and the grave to be its destruction The Doctrine is shortly this Doct. Christ for his Believers is become deaths plague and the graves destruction There is no change in the Doctrine from the very words of the Text only what Christ here spake in the future tense I will I have put in the preterperfect tense as the Apostle Christ prophesied his coming by Hosea we preach the prophesie fulfilled Two things would here for Explication be enquired into 1. What death Christ is a plague to 2. How Christ became the plague of death and the destruction of the grave to his people The distinction of death is ordinarily known 1. Spiritual which is the souls death in sin We were all of us dead in sins 2. Temporal which is the separation of the soul from the body 3. The third is Eternal The death of body and soul for ever The first consists in the separation of the soul from God The second in the separation of the body from the soul The third in the separation of both body and soul from the presence of God for ever If it be askt concerning which of these Christ speaks and to which of these Christ is a plague and destruction I shortly answer to all First he is a plague to the Spiritual Death a destruction to that grave Ephes 2. 1 5. You hath be quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins By reason of Adams fall all the elect became dead in sins and children of wrath by nature as well as others Christ coming quickens the dead soul with his enlivening Grace Ezek. 16. 6. I said unto thee while thou wert in thy blood live yea I said unto thee while thou wert in thy blood live O death Spiritual Death he hath been he is he will dayly be thy plague Secondly He is a plague to Temporal Death Indeed it is the last enemy that shall be put under the Conquerors feet before he resigneth up the Kingdom to his Father First He is a plague to it for he hath delivered us out of the power of it he hath made the door
stand meerly by the latch When Adam had his mittimus made to the Gaol of the Grave Death turns the lock bolts up the door when he had gotten him but once in his custody never intending to part with the prisoner more Christ seeing the Gaoler so confident in his Tyranny Well saith he let him be good of his office for I will ransom them froÌ„ tho power of the grave I will make Death know he is but to keep his prisoner till further order Indeed this was decretally done before the beginning of the world by Christs Word given to his Father and Christ ever and anon in the time of the Jews let his elected ones know there was an evasion out of the grave by the resurrection of several persons but the time of Christs actual and full becoming the plague of death and the destruction of the grave was when he dyed and rose and led captivity captive Thus Christ is the plague of Death and the destruction of the grave for all men and women in the world but to his Elect only for good there is an escape-way out of the deepest grave already and at the last day there shall be an actual freedom Secondly He is to Beleevers the plague of this Death and the destruction of this Grave by taking away the cause of fear of this death out of all their hearts they can stand upon the top of the grave and sing O Death where is thy stiâ—g O Hell where is thy victory The Elect â—ad it noâ— been for Christ for â—eaâ— of death had all their life time been subjeâ—t to bondage Heb. 2. 15. â—â—rasmuch therefore as the children were partakers of flesh and blood he also took part with them v. 1â— that â—e might dâ—liver them The Saints of God can stand over the grave and say Surely the bitterness of death is past though they cannot say the time oâ— death is past 3dly Christ to his Elect is the plague of Death temporal â—n that he hath taken away the final evil of it and hath made that which would have been theiâ— maâ—â—eâ— for â—â—ine and evil to be their desire and servant for good Death thought to have been goâ—ler of the bodies of Gods Saints till the day of judgment and then Hell should have had them delivered up God says No their bodies shall be in thy custody but thou shalt deliver them up refined to Glory to Eternal Rest to be with me for ever So that now it is the voyce of Gods child I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And in this we groan earnestly being burthened not for that we would be unclothed but clothed upon that mortality may be swallowed up of life Death is ease now to the Saints of God the hard stones are but pillows of doun The grave from a place of terror is turned into a retiring house from the busie sweating world O death Christ is thy plague O grave â—e is thy destruction Thirdly Christ is the plague and destruction of Eternal Death they shall never taste of that Beleevers are past from death to life He that is the Amen that was dead and is alive yea alive for ever more he hath the keyes of Hell and Death Rev. 1. 18. Christ is the Angel that came down from heaven Râ—v 20. 1. that hath the key of the bottomless pit and he that hath a part in the first resurrection on him the second death hath no power Rev. 2. 11. Overcoming Saints shall not be hurt by the second death Now this is our victory that overcometh the world even our faith Beleevers are Conquerors in and through Christ and Christ hath conquered hell for them for the lake which burns with fire and brimstone is the second death Rev. 21. 8. Christ now hath saved them from this this hath no power over them O death he is thy plague O grave he is thy destruction Thus I have opened the first and shewed you what Death what Grave Christ is a plague to Now let me shew you in the next place How Christ is the plague of death the grave of destruction To this I shall answer in three or four particulars briefly 1. By his enlivening Spirit 2. By his dying Love 3. By his rising Power 4. By his ascending and reigning Glory First By his enlivening power Thus he is the plague of spiritual death he comes and sees the soul that he hath chosen dead in â—respasses and sins it neither speaks nor hears nor sees nor moves spiritually it is more cold then the frozen earth Christ breathes into it the breath of life The Son quickeneth whom Joh 5 21. Iohn 6. 63 he will Christ doth it meritoriously The Spirit doth it instrumentally Joh. 6. 63. It is the Spirit that quickeneth He maketh the dead soul to begin to hear the voyce of the Son of God and live to begin to relish heavenly things and savor things which are above to stand upon its legs and walk a little in the ways of godliness Secondly By his dying Love Christs death was that which destroyed death He was the first of those that rose from the dead by power from himself to live for ever Christ dying shewed the grave his power Christs dying was the plague of death 1. In his own example He brake through the bolâ—ed door of the Grave though the stone was rolled and sealed He was he that was dead and is alive yea that lives for evermore O Death he was thy plague in himself he was â— Pâ—t 3 18 dead and is alive thy lock could not keep him 2. In the merit of it Christs death in the merit of it was the plague of death and the destruction of the grave The sting of death is sin saith the Apostle Christ dying satisfiâ—d his Fathâ—rs Wrath and Justice So that though death lives for a while yet he lives without a sting it can do no member of Christ hurt and it shall not live long neither for though it be the last enâ—my that shall be destroyed yet it shall dye too 1 Cor. 15. 26. Christs death was the graves destruction it destroyed sins life which is the spiritual death for Christ having dyed sin is dead too Rom. 6. 6. Our old man is cruciâ—ied wiâ—â— him that the body of sin might from henceforth be dâ—stroyed that henceâ—orth we should not serve sin Vers 9 10. In thâ—â— he dyed he dyed once unto sin Vers 11. Likewise râ—ckon you your selves to be dead indeed unto sin By Christs dâ—ath temporal death is destroyed in the power of it for he himself led captivity captive In the fear or it Fâ—rasmuch as â—â—e children were partakers of flesh and blood â—e also himself took part with them that through death â—e â—ight destroy him that had the power of dâ—â—th â—ven the devil And deliver them that through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Heb. 2. 13 14. In the bitterness of it for now we know
that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. O death Christ dying hath been thy death And so for eternal death for he hath by his death satisfied so satisfied his Fathers Wrath that now the second death shall have no power over us â—ly Christ is the plague of death by his rising power The power of Christs Resurrection is great upon death Therefore the Apostle tells us Rom. 6. 4. That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of his Father even so also Col. 3. 1. we should walk in newness of life being first planted into the likeness of his death then of his resurrection Vers 5. Christ rising in himself was the plague of temporal death Dying he was a servant to it Rising he became the Conquâ—ror over it Being the first fruits of them that sleep in the grave 1 Corinth 15. 20. And rising he became the plague of death for his people His Resurrection was but a type and a prophesie that those that that sleep in the dust shall have a morning to awake in this the Apostle fully proves in the former part of his 15. Chap. of the first Epistle to the Corinthians it is a pillar upon which all the Saints of God ought to build their faith in the Article of the resurrection of the body And from that premise an undenyable argument may be brought to confirm ouâ— Faith in the resurrection of the body as the Apostle disputes there yea and his resurrection was the plague of eternal death for by his resurrection the love declared in his death bâ—came victorious and his death mâ—â—â—orious it would have aâ—gued that the dâ—bt had not been payd to infinite Jusâ—ice if the prisoner had not been seâ—â—t liberty by the resurrection of his body Now who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyâ—d yea rather that risen is again Rom. 8. 34. But the freeing of the prisoâ—er argues the ransom is payd and Justice satisfied Fourthly Christ by his aâ—câ—nding and living in Glory is become the plague of death Spiritual death is thus destroyed as soon as it begins to â—reep upon the Saints of God Christ sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for them Rom. 8. 34. And now we know that if we sin we have an Advocate with the Father even Christ the Righteous 1 Joh. 2. 1. Thus Temporal death was destroyed for it appeared by this That he did not come out of the grave with deaths leave upon condition to return a prisoner again Rev. 1. 18. He lives that was dead and is alive for evermore He rose no Eph. 4. 8. more to go down to the prison again thus Eternal Death is destroyed too For In that we know our Redeemer lives we know we shall see him with these eyes and live with him in Glory Therefore the Psalmist putteth them together He hath ascended up on high and led Captivity all kind of Captivity Captive In that he is ascended to his Father and our Father our God and his God We know Ioh. 20. 17 Ioh. 14. 3. he is not amissus but praemissus not lost but gone before to prepare a place for us and that he will one day come again and receive us to himself that where he is there we may be also Lastly He will yet be the plague and destruction of death and the grave by his freeing and acquitting power at the great day when he shall come to judg the quick and dead when he shall come in his Glory and shall sound the Trumpet to a Resurrection Gather my Saints together those that have made a Covenant with 1 Cor. 15. 16 me by Sacrifice Then shall there not the least smell of the death of sin remain about the bodies or souls of his Servants then the prison of the grave shall fly open and be shut no more for ever all the bars and locks of the grave shall fly off and death it self shall be destroyed and all bodies have a liberavit then shall the Robes of Righteousness be put on the souls and bodies of his Saints and the Crown of Glory shall be put upon their heads even the Crown of Everlasting Life then shall all the redeemed ones of the Lord be actually declared before all the world to be free for ever not only from the first but the second death and the Saints that have been buried in Christs Death and quickened by his Resurrection shall for ever live with him in Glory and sing for ever O death where 's thy sting O hell where 's thy victory Thus Christ is the plague of Death and the destruction of the Grave I have done with the Doctrinal part and am come to Application First It shall serve for Instruction secondly for Consolation and lastly for Exhortation First For Instruction It may instruct us how wonderfully beholden every Saint of God is to the Lord Jesus Christ. 1. Do but consider what he hath done for thee He hath delivered thee Is that all No he hath redeemed thee it argues a price paid for thee to deliver thee from sin the grave and hell Weâ—t not thou all mired with sin under the power and command of sin a slave to thy base lusts and corruptions dead in trespasses and sins Who hath quickened thee Who hath said to thee in thy blood live Was it not hâ— that hath here said O death I will be thy death Who shall deliver me from this body of death saith the Apostle O wâ—etched man that I am c. Rom. 7. 24 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ oâ—â— Lord. O death he is thy death 2. Thou art redeemed from the power of the grave and from the bitterness of it Who hath done this Was it not he again that took flesh and became partaker with us of it that through death he might destroy him that had the power of it and deliver them that all their life time through fear were subject to bondage 3. Who hath saved thee from the second death from hell and eternal torments but thy Saviour who hath put this song into thy mouth O hell where 's thy victory Bâ—t consider again how Jesus Christ hath done this by his own dying Christ dyed in the flesh that thou mayst not dye in thy sins himself tasted the bitterness of the cup that he might leave it sweet to all his children Is not thy heart won with his love Christian Dost thou see him encounter thy three great enemies the first the second the third death for so I may call them Dost thou see him dying in the fight and conquering by his dying pains O my Soul thou art drawn with strong cords of love run after him Secondly From hence we may learn of what use and comfort every Act of Christ is and may be to believers His death his rising his ascension
nothing of what he did was too little nor any thing too much there could have wanted nothing and there was nothing redundant if he had not dyed he had not merited deliverance from Spiritual Death if he had not risen he had not conquered Natural Death if he had not ascended he had not led all Captivity Captive Let every action of Christ comfort thee who did all that he did for thee Thirdly From hence we may be instructed why so many are afraid of death Temporal Death I mean The cause may be double either a want of Christ or a want of Faith 1. Wicked vilâ— wretches they are afraid to dye Oh that that cup might ever pass from them they know not how to think of that day and parting hour and truly no great marvel death with its sting in it will fear the stoutest man in the world For a poor wretch to be ready to dye and cry out Now goes out my poor soul to answer for all my oaths and blasphemies for all my Sabbath breaking and profaness now must I take my leave of all comforts friends wife children all adieu for ever If death be not kil'd it self it kills the heart of the stoutest the poor wretch cannot see that Christ hath redeemed him from the power of the grave 2. Gods own dear children may fear death through a want of faith not applying with such a confidence as they ought the merits and vertue of Christs death to their souls Those now that the Lord hath given a perswasion to that they have an Interest in Jesus Christ those dye without fear they know their Redeemer lives and this was the happiness of this precious Saint of God that he hath now taken from us She had comforted her self against the fear of Death that she could say O death where 's thy sting Therefore in a book she had composed and written for her own use to Her book â—s annexed to this Sermon comfort her against the fear of Death She makes it her work to prove her interest in Christ and did it by several marks which made her dye without giving death an ill word or countenance death came but he had lost his sting Christ had been its plague A second Use may be of Consolation to comfort the children of God against the fear of death Lift up your heads O ye righteous be glad ye upright in heart All your enemies are trodden under foot fear not sin death nor hell Death hath lost its sting Hell hath lost its victory 1. Fear not spiritual death Sin shall no longer have dominion over your mortal bodies for Christ hath died to free you from the guilt of it and to deliver you from the power of it It may live it shall not reign it may fight against it shall not conquer you 2. Fear not temporal death Consider the Wasp hath lost its sting What hurt can it do thy soul It is not thy ruine Christian It is thy perfection Luke 13 32. I do cures saith Christ to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected Thou art not perfected here Christian there is a crown of glory that the Father will set on thy hâ—ad with the black hand of death Who fears the Serpent that hath lost its teeth the Bee that hath lost its sting O death Christ hath been thy death Though thou mightst be afraid to take up death when it was a Serpent yet see its turned into a rod. What is thy life Christian is it not full of frowns are not all thy days almost tears and sorrow Doth not the wicked world look a squint upon the Saints of God is not suffering an hereditary disease that runs in the blood of Mighty Jesus that every Saint is born to inherit the Cross and through Golgotha to take his way to glory what should wed thee to the world Christian not thy desire of life and sure it cannot be thy fear of death Death hath nothing formidable in it Say to it Christ is dead O death where is thy sting then Much less can they fear eternal death for they are passed from death to life and the second death hath no power over them I have but a word more and that is of Exhortation First To all to get an interest in Jesus Christ Thus prepare your selves for the day of dissolution It is a statute in the Records of Heaven That all men should once die and afterwards come to judgment Death is a bitter cup to those that know nothing to sweeten it Learn here to get a part in the Lord Jesus Christ a title to him an interest in him He hath taken out the sting of death he hath been its plagâ—e but not for all see therefore for thy interest in him Hic labor hoc opus est Christians here is your work you spend else your time for nothing and your labor for that which will not profit Work out your salvation give all diligence to make your calling and election sure This is your land-work Saints and while it is done you will never be prepared to go to Sea to set sail for eternity he will never be satisfied with time and days that hath not some grounds to hope for eternity O that you would labor to make this work your work You spend your days in labor and sorrow and when you die you will lie down in sorrow Believe it you that spend your strength for that which will not profit you will see the day when your souls will be troubled for the hours lost in dressing vanity in the following the lusts of the eye and of the flesh O make this your work to get a portion in Christ and believe him who though he knows but little knows that you will finde it a difficult work a work that will be enough for the time and for the strength you have to spend If you have Christ you are well if not you die a slave to death and will be a gally-slave to Satan in Hell for ever O that you would be wise and consider your latter end before you come down wonderfully This was the work and constant work of this precious Siâ—â—er of ours whom God hath now taken from the evil to come It was her practice to hasten over the business of her family as a thing to be done yet not her great work and then to apply her self to the great work of making her calling and election sure In which her pains were as unweariable as others are in vanity That she hath lest behinde her several Books written which are as the Câ—ronicle and Annuals of her life collecting those promises on which her soul rested framing the objections of her own spirit and seeking out satisfaction from Gods Word If in any thing she doubted she â—nquired at the lips of them that should preserve knowledg and pens down their answers observes Gods ways with her self and her own frame towards him and from all gathers up a posie of such evidences of saving Grace as she could finde in her soul to comfort her in her latter hour And if any asks what profited this labor I could onely have wished that such persons had been as I was a witness to her dying happiness to have seen with what a peace of Spirit what a fulness of assurance what hope what joy she entertained her last affliction the messenger of death There they should have seen this promise made good the grave destroyed the Saint delivered hell troden under foot death desired conquered despised this song sung O death where is thy fling O hell where is thy victory Be exhorted O ye that have a portion in Christ be exhorted to tred under foot your conquered enemy What is there in death that is terrible or bitter to those that have a portion in the Lord Jesus Christ Why are you afraid to be made perfect there is no taste of hell in the cup. The prison doors shall not be lockt the bolts are broken off the bitterness of death is past O desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Love the winding-sheet that wrapt up your Saviour the stones and gravel of the grave have nothing in them that is hard or harsh Christ hath been the plague of death and the destruction of the grave I heard a voyce from henceforth saying Blessed are they that die in the Lord yea saith the Spirit for they rest from their labors Lastly From this Text may those that mourn for the dead in the Lord be comforted Hast thou lost a believing friend Weep not for her weep for thy self Not that she is gone but that thou art here Death hath our friend in his hands but not in his power It is Christ that hath said I will redeâ—m you from the power of the grave Is not Christ dead is not he risen again and ascended hath he not led captivity captive why mournest thou then for a Saints freedom is there any thing of bitterness in the cup that thy and her Father hath given her to drink Triumph because she triumpheth rejoyce because all tears are now wiped from her eyes shew a faith in Christs death Resurrection Ascension conquest over Sin Death and Hell The work of Righteousness is peace and the â—ffect of her Righteousness quietness peace and assurance for ever FINIS
desire it more then my appointed food thou Lord sure I trust will be prevailed with Seeing the unjust Judg was so through importunity shall not the just and righteous yea merciful God be prevailed withall when importuned for that which he promiseth to give Yes surely he will most certainly make good even that promise to thee my soul in particular Do but trust in him and press him with his own Word nay more it 's a part of that new Covenant that God hath made with his servants that he will take away the heart of stone that is all that hinders Grace and he will give them a new heart and put his Laws in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be his people Jer. 31. 33. and Ezâ—ek 36. 25 26 27. And that he will put his Spirit within us and cause us to walk in his statutes beleeve so and it shall be so to thee Be encouraged and wrestle still for thou shalt obtain in the end Hath God said it Build thou on it Only go on in use of his means limit not the holy one he is a free Agent he may work when and how he pleaseth he delights to hear his children beg and cry oft to him and remember how prevalent prayer in Faith hath been with God how great things it hath obtained of God for particular Servants of God as that of Peters delivery by the prayers of the Church Acts 12. when condemned to dye the next morning and no way or means that he knew â—t to escape And so for Nations too Doth the Lord then say seek my face Oh let my heart Answer Lord thy face I do I will still seek and wait till thou Answer Another Evidence of Grace is Thy earnest desire to serve the Lord in sincerity with an upright heart above the desire of Life it self so far as thou canst search and knowest ought by thy self this must needs be an infallible sign of true Grace for nothing but truth of Grace can possibly desire this Another sign of true Grace is Thou fearest at some times that thou hast no true Faith or at least that it is decaying dying with thee when as no true Grace either stands at a stay or decays which makes thee full of discouragements and disquietness of spirit fearing thy estate is not good but what ever change is in thee O my Soul of seeming decay in Grace or increase of corruption yet thou canst not but be sure in the main for wher there is a sense of sins evil and a groaning under it a high Valuation of Christ and Grace and longing after it with a self-emptiness a desire and purpose to hang on Christ as thou darest not deny but 〈◊〉 in some measure in thee there is ground of comfort and therefore apply it to thy self else thou wrongest thy self and the spirit also Thou fearest falling into sin let it make thee more watchful and trust more and more carefully in Christ the view of thy wants should not discourage thee but abase thee in thine own esteem quicken thee to use the means and press thee to go to Christ and rest on him who can and will help all that thus repair to him Therefore fear not falling off for God hath promised to put his Fear into the hearts of his that they shall not depart from him Jer. 32. 40. Apply that promise to thy self by Faith Having once true Grace it can never be lost why therefore O my Soul art thou so cast down and why art thou so disquieted within me Trust stil in God for I will or shall yet give him thanks he is my present help and my God Psalm 42. 5 11 verses Or art thou thus disquieted because thou art often foiled by sins that thou resolvest against Oâ— consider thou hast an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ who is thy Reconciliation he sitteth at the right hand of God and there he plead thy cause for thee Or is it because thou art still full of fears that thy Grace is not true Thou didst once beleeve it was true and that upon good ground Therefore question not that ground-work now that were to go about to rip up or undo all that work of Grace that God hath wrought in thee Why then is it O my Soul because of those inward corruptions within thee that rebel against the Law and Will of God and such effects of them as thou canst not be rid off with whatsoever care and caution thou canst use Or such sins slips and oversights as thou art unwillingly overtaken withall or dost inconsiderately slip into For thou dost not allow thy self in any known sin For this remember what was once my Cozen Gatakers Answer hereunto to wit consider S. Paul his case read but what he saith of himself Rom. 7. from vers 15. to vers 24. That which I do I allow not for what I would haâ— do I not but what I hate that do I. If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the Law that it is good Now then it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not For the good that I would that do I not but the evill which I hate that do I. I find then a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man but I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into Captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members And if you can say more of your self then he there doth of himself I much marvel if not you may conclude your estate to be no worse then his was God indeed hears the prayers of his but yet he doth not presently give in kind the thing prayed for The Apostle Paul was heard when he prayed to be rid wholly of some corruption and temptation that he was anoyed and often foiled with 2 Cor. 12. 7 8. Lest I should be exalted above measure through the Abundance of the Rovelations there was given to me a throne in the flesh the massenger of Satan to buffet me For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me Remember Gods Answer to him vers 9. My Grace is sufficient for thee So shall it be my Soul to thee if thou rest on his Word it shall be so But mark he was not presently freed from it but upheld in it Or is it out of the sense of thy want and great need of more Grace Oh let not that discourage thee indeed thou hast the more need to go to Christ by Faith who is the Fountain and Spring of all he hath enough and so fetch vertue and strength from him beleeve