A sixth thing wherein the power of having respect to the recompense of reward appears, is in that it 1hath a great deal of power to resist any temptation of Satan, and to quench the fiery darts of Satan. In Ephes. 6. where the spiritual armour is spoken of, the helmet, the armour that is for the head, and keeps that from being hurt with any stroke, is the hope of salvation, and the hope of glory; so that whatsoever temptations of the Devil comes, by this helmet they are kept off, that they do not so much as take the judgement: As we might instance in the several temptations that the Devil hath to keep one from sufferings; as when he comes and says, Why will you undo your selves in such a way as this? Presently the hope of salvation is held up, and the soul answers, It is so far from undoing of me, that it is the only way to provide for my self; He that will save his life shall lose it, and he that will lose his life for my sake, shall save it. If the Devil comes with this temptation, Surely God does not require such things of his people, to be brought into such straits, and suffer such hard things: The soul that hath the hope of his glory, holds it up, and makes this answer; Why, seeing the Lord hath laid up such glorious things hereafter, why should I not think that God may require hard things for the present? If he comes with this temptation, Why will you go on in a singular way from others? A gracious heart upon this argument, ⟨p. 617⟩answers, I expect choice and singular mercies from God, and why should I think much to go on in a way that is singular? though others do otherwise, it may be they shall never be partakers of such singular things. If the Devil comes and say, Surely God does not love you, if he did, he would not suffer such great calamities, and sore troubles to befall you, and if it were his cause, he would assist you in it: the soul answers, Hath the Lord laid up such glorious things for me hereafter, and shall I call Gods love in question, because I am deprived of these mean things, and undergo such afflictions as these? certainly those things that God hath laid up for me shall so uphold my heart, as that I shall never call in question Gods love, though I suffer never so much here; and that is the sixth particular.
A sixth thing wherein the power of having respect to the recompence of reward appears, is in that it 1hath a great deal of power to resist any temptation of Satan, and to quench the fiery darts of Satan. In Ephes. 6. where the spiritual armor is spoken of, the helmet, the armor that is for the head, and keeps that from being hurt with any stroke, is the hope of salvation, and the hope of glory; so that whatsoever temptations of the Devil comes, by this helmet they are kept off, that they do not so much as take the judgement: As we might instance in the several temptations that the Devil hath to keep one from sufferings; as when he comes and says, Why will you undo your selves in such a way as this? Presently the hope of salvation is held up, and the soul answers, It is so far from undoing of me, that it is the onely way to provide for my self; He that will save his life shall lose it, and he that will lose his life for my sake, shall save it. If the Devil comes with this temptation, Surely God does not require such things of his people, to be brought into such straits, and suffer such hard things: The soul that hath the hope of his glory, holds it up, and makes this answer; Why, seeing the Lord hath laid up such glorious things hereafter, why should I not think that God may require hard things for the present? If he comes with this temptation, Why will you go on in a singular way from others? A gracious heart upon this argument, ⟨p. 617⟩answers, I expect choice and singular mercies from God, and why should I think much to go on in a way that is singular? though others do otherwise, it may be they shal never be partakers of such singular things. If the Devil comes and say, Surely God does not love you, if he did, he would not suffer such great calamities, and sore troubles to befal you, and if it were his cause, he would assist you in it: the soul answers, Hath the Lord laid up such glorious things for me hereafter, and shall I call Gods love in question, because I am deprived of these mean things, and undergo such afflictions as these? certainly those things that God hath laid up for me shall so uphold my heart, as that I shall never call in question Gods love, though I suffer never so much here; and that is the sixth particular.
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