Some general directions for a comfortable walking with God delivered in the lecture at…Some generall directions for a comfortable walking with God deliuered in the lecture at…

Now many and sweet are the places and promises in¹ Gods Book, which may serve as precious counter-poisons, and cordials, against this carking venom, which haunts with too often insinuations, even the most heavenly mind; but eats continually like a Canker into the carnal heart: They are such as these; I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, Heb. 13. 5. Shouldest thou fall into the fiery trial, assuredly thy merciful God would either supply thee with a supernatural and extraordinary power and patience over that most exquisite pain; or else, abate & lessen the rage of the flames for thy sake. All things work together for good, to them that love God, Rom. 8. 28. Sin, in it own nature, is the deadliest and rankest poison to the soul; and in it self, the greatest evil that is or can be; yet Gods infinite Power and Wisdom, which at first drew light out of darkness, as a skilful Apothecary deals with poison, so orders and tempers it to his, that by accident it proves medicinable: much more doth He turn to their good, crosses, disgraces, losses of earthly things; poverty, want, life, death, any thing, every thing. God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it, 1. Cor. 10. 13. It is Gods Child's peculiar, in the case of afflictions and all future troubles, to expect supportation in them, benefit by them, deliverance out of them. He that spared not his own Son, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things, Rom. 8. 32? If Jesus Christ be ours, it is infinitely absurd to fear slavishly, either ⟨p. 109⟩hurt by ill, or want of good. He is incomparably more worth then ten thousand worlds, were they all extant. If thou enjoyest then such a Jewell, what a cursed vanity is it to torture and tear thy heart with fear of any earthly loss, or of ever being prevailed against by any created power? Take yet more spiritual armour and Heroical resolution, against the assaults of this cowardly Tyrant, which doth so unworthily afflict the spirits of men, not only with imminent ills, but also with those which are not, and perhaps shall never be, nay sometimes, which cannot possibly be, out of those two sweetest Psalms, for promises of future protection, 91. and 121.