A77355:502
The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel College in CambridgeThe works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge
The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel College in Cambridge; now preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth. The first volume. Viz. I. The great Gospel-mystery of the saints comfort and holiness, opened and applied from Christs priestly office. II. Satan's power to tempt; and Christs love to, and care of his people under temptation. III. Thankfulness required in every condition.The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge; now preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth. The first volume. Viz. I. The great Gospel-mysterie of the saints comfort and holinesse, opened and applyed from Christs priestly office. II. Satans power to tempt; and Christs love to, and care of his people under temptation. III. Thankfulnesse required in every condition.
London: printed for Peter Cole, 1649
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Take heed that ye never mourn for any evil, Answ. 2 no not for sin it self, so as to be unthankful for, or unmindful of former mercies. We are very apt to this; and Satan he comes and tempts, and says unto a poor soul, Are you speaking of former mercies, or blessings to be thankful for them? That is a good work for others, but as for you, you have committed such a sin, and it's your duty now to mourn for your sin committed, look you to that, to be humbled; apply your self to that work: and so when he hath gotten a mans heart fixed upon that work in opposition to thankfulness for former mercies received, the soul loses the sight of his Experience and so his faith fails in the time of temptation. Wherefore my Exhortation is, that you may avoid this blow, and this stroke, Never mourn, no not for son committed; but still be thankful for grace received, otherwaies your Experience will go out of sight, and then your faith fails ye.
Take heed that ye never mourn for any evil, Answ. 2 no not for sin it self, so as to be unthankful for, or unmindful of former mercies. We are very apt to this; and Satan he comes and tempts, and saies unto a poor soul, Are you speaking of former mercies, or blessings to be thanful for them? That is a good work for others, but as for you, you have committed such a sin, and it's your duty now to mourn for your sin committed, look you to that, to be humbled; apply your self to that work: and so when he hath gotten a mans heart fix't upon that work in opposition to thankfulness for former mercies received, the soul loses the sight of his Experience and so his faith failes in the time of temptation. Wherefore my Exhortation is, that you may avoid this blow, and this stroke, Never mourn, no not for son committed; but still be thankful for grace received, otherwaies your Experience will go out of sight, and then your faith failes ye.
Again, Answ. 3 Satan does sometimes strike at the faith of Reliance, Labours to weaken the faith of the Saints Reliance, By sundering or severing their souls from the promise. So long as a man hath the sight of the promise, and the promise is by him; a gracious heart says, I will for ever trust in God, and rely upon God in Christ, for thus and thus hath God spoken, and thus and thus saith the promise to me. But now, if the promise be gone, then a mans reliance fails. Satan therefore, in the into of temptation, labours to take away the promise; scaring the soul, or cogging the soul from the promise; this he does many ways, but sometimes he speaks out thus: What! do you meddle with the promise? the promise don't belong to you, the Threatening belongs to you; you have finned so and so, and the Threatening belongs to you, but the Promise don't belong to you: And if he can but get the soul to believe this, then his faith fails.