The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, now preacher…The vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, now preacher…

Fifthly. Who ever thou art (man or woman) that makes this Objection, and lies under this fear, That the Lord Christ doth not live in thee. Were you never persuaded of this, did you never yet think, that Christ was in you? did you never yet believe, that Christ lived in you? Yes, I confess I had such thoughts once; but oh! I have lost those thoughts, I have lost those persuasions. But when you had those thoughts, and when you had those persuasions, how came you by them? My soul was lying in a sad, dark, dead, hardened condition; my soul was ready to sink with despair: and all on a sudden, my soul was raised up within me to this persuasion, for to think that Christ was in me, and that Christ liveth in me. Well, Either these thoughts were from Satan, or from Christ, Either this persuasion of yours was from Satan, or it was from Christ: Not from Satan, for Satan doth not use to be so loving to a poor tempted soul, to bear it up when it is ready to sink under Temptation; Satan doth not use to be so loving to a poor soul, to free it from Despair: Then it was from Christ; and if it were from Jesus Christ, then Christ had a greater hand and stroke in this persuasion than thy own soul: for thou sayest, I was dead, dull, hardened, ready to sink; and I said, Mercy is gone, I shall never see the face of Christ again; and all on a sudden these persuasions were raised in me. Here Christ plainly hath a greater stroke in this persuasion than thine own soul.

Fiftly. Who ever thou art (man or woman) that makes this Objection, and lies under this fear, That the Lord Christ doth not live in thee. Were you never perswaded of this, did you never yet think, that Christ was in you? did you never yet beleeve, that Christ lived in you? Yes, I confesse I had such thoughts once; but oh! I have lost those thoughts, I have lost those perswasions. But when you had those thoughts, and when you had those perswasions, how came you by them? My soul was lying in a sad, dark, dead, hardned condition; my soul was ready to sink with despair: and all on a sudden, my soul was raised up within me to this perswasion, for to think that Christ was in me, and that Christ liveth in me. Wel, Either these thoughts were from Satan, or from Christ, Either this perswasion of yours was from Satan, or it was from Christ: Not from Satan, for Satan doth not use to be so loving to a poor tempted soul, to bear it up when it is ready to sink under Temptation; Satan doth not use to be so loving to a poor soul, to free it from Despair: Then it was from Christ; and if it were from Jesus Christ, then Christ had a greater hand and stroke in this perswasion than thy own soul: for thou sayest, I was dead, dull, hardened, ready to sink; and I said, Mercy is gone, I shall never see the face of Christ again; and all on a sudden these perswasions were raised in me. Here Christ plainly hath a greater stroke in this perswasion than thine own soul.