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church unto himself, under the time of the prophet's taking an adulterefs in vifion, doth it on these terms, Hof. iii. 3. Thou shalt abide for many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man, fo will I alfo be for thee. Now, this abiding with God intimates two things; 1ft, Oppofitions, folicitations, and temptations to the contrary. 2dly, Forbearing to make any other choice, as unto that end for which we abide with God.

ift, It argues oppofitions. To abide, to be ftable, and permanent, is to be fo against oppofitions. Many difcouragements are ready to rife up in the foul against it. It fears especially, that it shall not hold out, that it fhall be rejected at laft, that all is nought and hypocritical with it, that it fhall not be forgiven, that God indeed regards it not, and therefore it may well enough give over its hopes, which feem often at the giving up of the ghoft, will affault it. Again, oppofitions arife from corruptions and temptations unto fin, contrary to the life of faith: And thefe often proceed to a high de gree of prevalency, fo that the guilt contracted upon them is ready to caft the foul out of all expectation of mercy; I fhall one day perish by these means, faith the foul, if I am not already loft.

But now, where faith hath made this difcovery of forgiveness, the foul will abide with God against all these discouragements and oppofitions; it will not leave him, it will not give over waiting for him. So David expreffeth the matter in the inftance of himself, Pfal. lxxiii. 1, 2. But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my Steps had well nigh flipt; and v. 13. Verily I have cleanfed my heart in vain; but yet after all his conflicts, this at laft he comes unto, ver. 26. Though my heart and my flesh faileth, yet (ver. 28.) It is good for me to draw near unto God: I will yet abide with God, I will not let go his fear, nor my profeffion; although I walk weakly, lamely, unevenly, yet I will ftill follow after him. As it was with the difciples, when many, upon a ftrong temptation, went back from Chrift, and walked no more

with him, Jefus faid unto them, will ye go away also? to which Peter replies in the name of the rest of them, Lord to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life, John vi. 66, 67, 68. It is thus and thus with me, faith the foul; 1 am toffed and afflicted, and not comforted; little life, little ftrength, real guilt, many fins, and much difconfolation. What then faith God by his word, Wilt thou go away also? No, faith the foul, there is forgiveness with thee, thou hast the words of eternal life, and therefore I will abide with thee.

2dly, This abiding with God argues a forbearance of any other choice. Whilft the foul is in this conditi on, having not attained any evidences of its own fpecial interest in forgiveness; many lovers will be folliciting of it to play the harlot, by taking them into its embraces. Both felf-righteoufnefs and fin will be very importunate in this matter; the former tenders itself as exceeding ufeful to give the foul fome help, affiftance and fupportment in its condition Samuel doth not come faith Saul, and the Philistines invade me; I will venture and offer facrifice myfelt, contrary to the law.

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promise doth not come to the foul for its particular relief; it hath no evidence as to an especial interest in forgiveness. Temptation invades the mind; try thyfelf, fays it, to take relief in fomewhat of thine own providing: And this is to play the harlot from God. purpofe felf-righteoufnefs variously disguifes itself, like the wife of Jeroboam, when he went to the prophet. Sometimes it appears as duty, fometimes as figns and tokens; but its end is to get fomewhat of faith and trust of the foul to be fixed upon it. But when the foul hath indeed a difcovery of forgiveness, it will not give ear to thefe folicitations: No, faith the foul; I fee fuch a beauty, fuch an excellency, fuch a defireablenefs and fuitablenefs unto my wants and condition, in that forgiveness that is with God, that I am refolved to abide in the gospel defire and expectation of it all the days of my life; here my choice is fixed, and I will not alter. And this refolution gives glory to the grace of

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God. When the foul, without an evidence of an intereft in it, yet prefers it above that which, with many reafonings and pretences, offers itself as a prefent relief unto it; hereby is God glorified, and Chrift exalted, and the fpiritual life of the foul fecured.

Secondly, This difcovery of forgivenefs in God, with the effects of it before-mentioned, will produce a refolution of waiting on God for peace and confolation, in his own time and way. He that believeth will not make bafte, Ifa. xxviii. 16. not make hafte; to what? not to the enjoyment of the thing believed. Hafte argues precipitation and impatience; this the foul that hath this difcovery is freed from, refolving to wait the time of God's appointment, for peace and confolation. God fpeaking of the accomplishment of his promifes, fays, I the Lord will haften it, Ifa. lx. 22. Well then, if God will haften it, may we not haften to it? nay, faith he, I will haften it, but in its time. All oppofitions and impediments confidered,it fhall be haftened, but in its time, its due time, its appointed time. And this the foul is to wait for, and fo it will.

As when Jacob had feen the beauty of Rachel, and loved her, he was contented to wait feven years for the enjoyment of her to be his wife, and thought no time long, no toil too hard that he might obtain her ; fo the foul, having difcovered the beauty and excellency of forgiveness as it is with God, as it is in his gracious heart, in his eternal purpose, in the blood of Chrift, in the promise of the gofpel, is refolved to wait quietly and patiently for the time wherein God will clear up unto it, its own personal intereft therein; even one experimental embracement of it, even at the hour of death, doth well deferve the waiting, and obedience of the whole courfe of a man's life.

And this the pfalmift manifefts to have been the effect produced in his heart and fpirit; for upon this dif covery of the forgiveness in God, he refolveth both to wait upon him himself, and encourageth others fo to do.

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Thirdly, This prepares the foul for the receiving of that confolation and deliverance out of its preffures, by an evidence of a special intereft in forgivenefs, which it waiteth for.

ift, For this makes men to hearken after it; it makes the foul like the merchant who hath great riches, all his wealth in a far country, which he is endeavouring to bring home fafe unto him. If they come, he is well provided for; if they mifcarry, he is loft and undone. This makes him hearken after tidings, that they are fafe there; and, as Solomon fays, Good news, in this cafe, from a far country, is as cold water to a thirsty foul, Prov. xxv. 25. full of refreshment. Though he cannot look upon them as his own, yet abfolutely, because he hath them not in poffeffion, he is glad they are fafe there. So is it with the foul: these riches that it fo values, are, as to its apprehenfions in a far country. So is the promife, That he fhall behold the land that is very far off, Ifa. xxxiii. 17. He is glad to hear news that they are fafe; to hear forgiveness preached, and the promises infifted on, though he cannot as yet look upon them as his own.

The merchant refts not here, but he hearkneth with much folicitoufnefs after the things that fhould bring home his riches, efpecially if they have in them his all. Hence fuch fhips are called hips of defire, Job ix 26. Such a man greatly defires the fpeeding of them to their port. He confiders the wind and the weather, all the occafions and inconveniences and danger of the way; and blame him not; his all is at stake. The foul doth fo in like manner: it hearkneth after all the ways and means whereby this forgiveness may be particularly brought home unto it; is afraid of fin, and of temptation, glad to find a fresh gale of the Spirit of grace, hoping that it may bring in his return from the land of promife. This prepares the heart for a fpiritual fense of it, when it is revealed.

2dly, It fo prepares the foul, by giving it a due valuation of the grace and mercy defired. The merch

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ant-man in the gospel was not prepared to enjoy the pearl himself, until it was discovered to him to be of great price; then he knew how to purchase it, procure it, and keer it. The foul having by this acting of faith, upon the discovery of forgivenefs infifted on, come to find that the pearl hid in the field is indeed precious, is both stirred up to feek after poffeffion of it, and to give it its due. Saith fuch a foul, "How excellent, how "precious is this forgivenefs that is with God! Bleffed, yea ever bleffed are they who are made partakers of "it! What a life of joy, reft, peace, and confolation "do they lead! Had I but their evidence of an interest " in it, and the spiritual confolation that enfues thereon, "how would I defpife the world, and all the temptati"ons of Satan, and rejoice in the Lord in every condi"tion!" And this apprehenfion of grace, alfo exceedingly prepares and fits the foul, for a receiving of a bleffed fenfe of it, fo as that God may have glory thereby.

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3dly, It fits the foul by giving a right understanding of it; of its nature, its caufes, and effects. At the firft, the foul goes no farther, but to look after impunity, or freedom from punishment, any way, What shall I do to be faved? is the utmost it aims at; who fhall deliver me, how fhall I escape? And it would be contented to efcape any way; by the law, or the gofpel; all is one, fo it may efcape. But upon this discovery of forgivenefs treated of, which is made by faith of adherence unto God, a man plainly fees the nature of it, and that it is fo excellent, that it is to be defired for its own fake. Indeed when a foul is brought under trouble for fin, it knows not well what it would have. It hath an uneafinefs or difquietment that it would be freed from; a dread of fome evil condition that it would avoid. But now the foul can tell what it defires, what it aims at, as well as what it would be freed from. It would have an intereft in eternal love, have the gracious kindness of the heart of God turned towards itself; a sense of the everlasting purpose of his will fhed abroad in his heart;

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