To me 'tis lawful evermore SECT. III. Mysteries about the faint's work and warfare, their fins, jorrows and joys. THE work is T great I'm call'd unto a, Yet nothing's left for me to do b: g Lev. xix. 18. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord. Eph. v. 29. For ne man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherish. eth it, even as the Lord the church. John xii. 25. He that loveth his life, shall lose it; and he that loseththis life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal. Job. xlii. 6. Where fore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. b Col. iii. 3. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Gal. vi. 14. But God forbid that I should glory, fave in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. i John xvi. 22. And ye now therefore have forrow; but I will fee you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 2 Theff. ii. 16. Now our Lord Jefus Chrift himself, and God the Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting confolation, and good hepe through grace, &c. k Pfalm xxx. 7. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. Ifa. xlix. 13, 14. Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into finging, O mountains; for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. a Phil. ii. 12. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always Hence for my work heav'n has prepar'd Yet wash mine hands in innocence h. obeyed, not as in my prefence only, but now much more in my abfence; work out your own falvation with fear and trembling. b Phil ii. 13. For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Lev. xx. 7, 8. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you c Rom. vi. 23. For the wages of fin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Chap. xi. 6. And if by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwife grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwife work is no more work. d Pfalm xix- 11. Moreover, by them (the judgments of the Lord] is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward., Pfalm Iviii. 11. Verily there is a re. ward for the righteous; verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. e Rom. vii. 4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Gal. ii. 19. For 1 through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. - ft John i. 8. If we say that we have no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Chap. iii. 9. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin; for his feed remaineth in him: and he cannot fin, because he is born of God. g Rom vii. 18. 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. h Pfalm xxvi. 6. I will wash mine hands in innocency; fo will I compass thine altar, O Lord. 1 H My Father's anger burns like fire i, Triumphing is my constant trade n, i 1 Kings xi. 9. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Ifrael, which had appeared unto him twice. k Ifa. xxvii. 4. Fury is not in me. Chap. liv 9, 10. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth: so have I fworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, faith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee. Hab i. 13. Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil, and canft not look on iniquity. Jer. xliv. 4 Howbeit, I fent unto you all my fervants the prophets, rising early, and sending them, saying, O do not this abominable thing that I hate. m Matth. iii. 17. And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved fon, in whom I am well pleased. Rom. V. 10. When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. n 2 Cor. ii. 14. Now thanks be unto God which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. o Rom. vii. 23. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into cap. tivity to the law of fin, which is in my members." p Rom. vii. 23. See letter o. 1 Tim. vi. 12. Fight the good fight of faith, &c. Gal. v. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; fo that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 9 Rom. VI. Therefore being justified by faith, we have My foes afsaulting conquer me, I'm still at ease, and still oppreft; peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Ifa. liv. 10. See letter k. Rom. vii. 23. See letter o. Chap. viii. 37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. S1 Cor. xv. 57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Chrift. 5 2 Cor. iv. 8. We are troubled on every fide, yet not diftressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair. John xvi. 33. These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Heb. iv. 3. For we which have believed, do enter into rest. t. Zech. xiv. 6, 7. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark. But it shall be one day, which shall be known to the Lord, not day nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. Mic. vii. 8. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arife; when I fit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. u John viii. 36. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Acts xx. 23. The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me. v 2 Cor. vi. 9. - As dying, and behold we live. Col. iii. 3. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Cimist in God. w Matth. xviii. 11. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. Pfalm cxix. 176. I have gone aftray like a lost sheep, seek thy servant. Phil. iii. 9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteoufness which is of God by faith. 1 Sin for my good does work and win x; Yet 'tis not good for me to fin y. I'm heal'd ev'n when my plagues abound b, x Rom. viii. 28. And we know that all things work toge ther for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Chap. xi. 11. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid; but rather through their fall falvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealoufy. y Pfalm lxxxix. 31, 32. If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their tranfgreffion with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. z Pfalm cxix. 67. Before 1 was afflicted, I went aftray: but now have I kept thy word. v. 11. It is good for me that I have been aflicted: that I might learn thy statutes. James i. 2. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations. a Matth. x. 39. He that loseth his life for my fake, shall find it. Mark x. 29, 30. And Jesus answered and faid, Verily I fay unto you, There is no man that left house, or brethren, or fisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my fake and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundred-fold now in this time, houses and brethren, and fif ters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. 6 Rom. vii. 4, 25. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death! I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. cviz. with mercy. Job xlii. 5, 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee, Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes, Ezek. xvi. 63. That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, faith the Lord God. |