The souls exaltation A treatiseThe soules exaltation A treatise

nay, thou art not in thine own account, nor in the account of the world, there is no regard had of thee, no value put upon thee in this nature; why? mark what the text saith, God hath chosen the foolish things, the weak things, the base things, the despised things, nay, the things that are not; to whom is Christ made wisdom? to you fools; to whom is Christ made strength? to you weak ones; to whom is Christ made honour? to you base; to whom is Christ made sanctification and redemption? to you that are not in the world: thou hast nothing, thou canst do nothing, it skills not, God the Father hath appointed it unto thee, and Christ hath brought it; therefore be cheered herein, though thou beest a fool, Christ is able to inform thee; though thou beest base, and weak, and miserable, Christ is able to succour and relieve thee, and sanctify that soul of thine, therefore be fully contented, and fully settled with strong consolation for ever: but you will confess, it is not my baseness that hinders me, but my corruptions that oppose the work of grace in my soul, and ⟨p. 88⟩that will be my bane, I know that God is able to do what is needful, and Christ is willing to do what he is able, to those that believe in him, and rest upon him, but this proud heart opposeth the work of his grace, and the operation of his Spirit, my mind is so blind, that nothing in the world takes place, my heart is still polluted, and my distempers still hang upon me, nay, sometimes my soul is weary of the good word of the Lord, that would pluck them from me, insomuch that I could almost be content to pluck out my heart, and will the Lord show mercy to me, that oppose mercy? and will the Lord make me partaker of his redemption, that resists the work of his redemption? I answer, God hath appointed Christ for this purpose, and Christ hath undertook this work; therefore if God hath appointed it, and Christ will work it, who can hinder it? thy ignorance cannot hinder the Lord Jesus Christ; if he will teach thee, he will enlighten thy blind mind, and convince that stubborn heart of thine; nay, all the corruptions under heaven cannot oppose this work of God; he hath appointed it, and he hath power to pull down a stout stomach, and be hath power to sanctify a polluted heart; corruptions are many and temptations fierce but if he will redeem, who can destroy?

nay, thou art not in thine owne account, nor in the account of the world, there is no regard had of thee, no value put upon thee in this nature; why? marke what the text saith, God hath chosen the foolish things, the weake things, the base things, the despised things, nay, the things that are not; to whom is Christ made wisdome? to you fooles; to whom is Christ made strength? to you weak ones; to whom is Christ made honour? to you base; to whom is Christ made sanctification and redemption? to you that are not in the world: thou hast nothing, thou canst doe nothing, it skils not, God the Father hath appointed it unto thee, and Christ hath brought it; therefore be cheared herein, though thou beest a foole, Christ is able to informe thee; though thou beest base, and weak, and miserable, Christ is able to succour and releeve thee, and sanctifie that soule of thine, therefore bee fully contented, and fully setled with strong consolation for ever: but you will confesse, it is not my basenesse that hinders mee, but my corruptions that oppose the worke of grace in my soule, and