I seek myself incessantly, e
Yet daily do myself deny.f
To me 't is lawful evermore
Myself to love and to abhor. g

In this vain world I live, yet see
I'm dead to it, and it to me. h
My joy is endless, i yet at best
Does hardly for a moment last.j

of thy name.

John xx. 28. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord, and my God.

e James iv. 3. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Jer. xlv. 2, 5. Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch: And seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not; for behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest. f Matt. xvi. 24. See letter c.

g Lev. xix. 18. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord. Eph. v. 29. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church. John xii. 25. He that loveth his life, shall lose it: and he that loseth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal. Job xlii. 6. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

h 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 save in

SECTION III.

MYSTERIES ABOUT THE SAINTS' WORK AND WARFARE, THEIR SINS, SORROWS, AND JOYS.

THE work is great I'm called unto, a

Yet nothing's left for me to do: b

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 sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 2 Thess. ii. 16. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God the Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, &c.

j Psalm xxx. 7. Lord, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. Isa. xlix. 13, 14. Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, 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 obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence; work out your own salvation 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.

Hence for my work Heav'n has prepar'd
No wages, c yet a great reward. d

To works, but not to working dead; e
From sin, but not from sinning freed, f
I clear myself from no offence, g

Yet wash my hands in innocence. h

c Rom. vi. 23. For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Chap. xi. 6. And if by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

d Psalm xix. 11. Moreover, by them [the judgments of the Lord] is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Psalm lviii. 11. Verily there is a reward 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 I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

f 1 John i. 8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Chap. iii. 9. Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin, 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 Psalm xxvi. 6. I will wash mine hands in innocency; so will I compass thine altar, O Lord.

My Father's anger burns like fire, i
Without a spark of furious ire:j
Though still my sins displeasing be, k
Yet still I know he's pleas'd with me.

Triumphing is my constant trade, m
Who yet am oft a captive led. n

i 1 Kings xi. 9. And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice.

j Isa. 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 sworn 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, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee.

k Hab. i. 13. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity. Jer. xliv. 4. Howbeit, I sent unto you all my servants the prophets rising early and sending them, saying, Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate.

7 Matt. iii. 17. And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Rom. v. 10. When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.

m 2 Cor. ii. 14. Now thanks be unto God which always causeth us to triumph in Christ.

n Rom. vii. 23. But I see another law in my members, warring

My bloody war does never cease, o
Yet I maintain a stable peace. p

My foes assaulting conquer me,

Yet ne'er obtain the victory ; q

For all my battles, lost or won,
Were gain'd before they were begun. r

I'm still at ease, and still opprest;

Have constant trouble, constant rest; s

against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

o Rom. vii. 23. See letter n. 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: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

p Rom. v. 1. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Isa. liv. 10. See letterj.

q Rom. vii. 23. See letter n. Chap. viii. 37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. r 1 Cor. xv. 57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

s 2 Cor. iv. 8. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; 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.