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righteous to be moved. When thou art ready to faint under thy burden, caft it upon me, faith the Lord, Matth. 11.28, Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden. Do then, as David did, he hears the command, fpeaking in general unto all, Pfal. 27. 8. Seek ye my face; and feeth himself concerned in it, and therefore refolves, Thy face, Lord, will feek. It is obfervable, that when Chrift commanded the blind Man to come unto him, Mar. 10. 49, Be of good comfort, fay thofe that were by-ftanders, the Mafter calls thee. Such commands, in this cafe, may fometimes be of greater use then promiles; and more effectual for the filencing of doubts, and difcouragements. For the beft are apt, when in the dark to dispute their intereft in the promifes, till they have difputed themselves out of all heart to clofe with them. But Commands, are tot to be difputed, but obeyed See Luk. 5. 5. There • 5.5. was difcouragement enough: They had. fifhed all night, and caught nothing; nevertheless, fay they, at thy word, we will let down the Net.

3. Taking it for, granted, that a fainting Soul, in obedience to the command of Chrift, is willing, if able, to come to Chrift, and to clofe with him. And if the queftion were put to him, as it was to Rebecca, Gen. 24 68, Wilt thou go with this man? He would

anfwer,

anfwer, as she did, I will go. And hearing the terms, whereon he promifeth to be ours, can, and doth yield unto them, as heartily as Laban did to Jacob's, and defire as he did, Gen. 30. 34, I would it might be, according to thy word. Then let every fainting Soul know his right, and claim it, and know his duty upon this account, and fet about it.

*

1. Know his right, and claim it. What's that Even the promises of God, as his inheritance; for thofe that yield to Chrift's terms, are received into the number of his adopted Children, Joh. 1. 12. And if Children, then Heirs, Rom. 8.17. Heirs of what? See Gal. 3.29, And if ye be Chrifts, then are ye Abraham's Seed, and Heirs according to the promife. We read that Naboth would not part with his inheritance, neither for the good will, nor ill will of King Ahab. Let Souls ready to faint, do fo in this cafe, with the Promises, which in Chrift, are their undoubted inheritance, 2 Cor. 1. 20, For all the promises of God, are in him, yea, and in him,

Amen.

2. Let Souls fubject to fainting, know their duty upon this account, and fet upon the performance of it.

(1.) They ought to acquaint themselves with the promifes. They are fo great, and precious, as the Apoftle faith, 2 Pet. 1. 4.

that

that there is not one of thofe that really clofe with Chrift, though they be of the lowest form, but may find that which is moft fuitable to their condition, in fome promise or other that is within their reach, though fome may feem to be above him. Though a little Man upon low ground cannot reach the top of the Tree, yet he may get hold on fome of the lower branches, and there may find fome fruit, which may fomewhat relieve him. As fuppofe, he cannot find comfort in that promife, Rev. 2.7, To him that overcometh, will I give to eat of the Tree of Life. No, he is afraid of being overcome, that promife is too high for him, it is above his reach; yet he may reach that, Rev.22.17, And let him that is athirst, come. And whofoever will, let him take of the Water of Life freely. If not that, Matth. 5.8, Bleed are the pure in heart, for they fhall fee God. Yet they may reach that, ver. 6, Bleffed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. And that, Job. 6. 37, All that the Father bath given

him the unto me, Jhall come unto me: and

him that cometh unto me, I will in no wife caft out. And let every fainting Soul know this, that fo far as he hath an intereft in any one promife, fo far he hath an intereft in every promife, as to that bleffing in it, which is abfolutely neceffary to falvation. For as there

is a chain of duties, Matth. 22. 37, 38, 39, 40, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God-This is the first and great Commandment, and the fecond is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy felf: On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Not this or that; but this and that too. So there is a chain of Priviledges, Rom. 8.30, Whom he did predeftinate, them he also cal led; and whom he called, them be alfo justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified. And a chain of Providences, Rom. 8. 28, All things work together for good to them that love God. So there is a chain of Promises; they are all bound together in one bundle in the Covenant. That great, and precious promife [ I will be thy God] comprehends them all. Therefore it is faid, Rev. 21.7, He that overcometh fhall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he fall be my Son.

(2.) Let them plead the Promifes, Pfal. 119.49, Remember thy word unto thy Servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. Especially that particular promife, which contains that particular bleffing, which if it were as fure in their hand, as it is in the promife, the fainting Soul thinks, it would atisfie. Thus did Jacob, Gen. 32,9,10,11, O God-which faidsft unto me, return into thy Country-Deliver me, I pray thee, from the

band

hand of my Brother. Thus every fainting Soul ought to do. The promife is that Bond, wherein God hath made himself a Debtor, if not to his Covenant-people, yet to his own truth, and faithfulness, which requires it of him, that what he hath pro mifed, be fulfilled, and therefore they ought to plead them. This is God's method; he expects to hear from them, before they can expect to hear from him, Pfal. 50. 15, Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee.

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(3.) Let them patiently wait for the fulfilling of what is promiled. If the thing be of abfolute neceffity, it fhall be given in kind. And fo it fhall be, though in it felf it be not, yet if God in his infinite wif dom fees it will be fubfervient thereunto, and will better promote it, then the want be of it will it fhall alfo certainly be made good. The Scripture fpeaks as if God had promised us nothing, but Eternal Life, I Job. 2. 2. 25, And this is th the promise that he hath promised us, even Eternal Life. But it is, because all things abfolutely neceffary unto Eternal Life are comprehended therein. Therefore wait for it, because it will furely come, Hab. 2. 3. It's true, there may be filence in Heaven, and that for a great while, to the prayer of faith; as there may be a filence very often to the pro

vocations