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about the way and manner we may be ignorant of, while we are fufficiently fure of the effects. As to these things, I must fay with the blind man, I know not: One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I fee. John ix. 25.

3. However, it was toward the clofe of January, or the beginning of February 1698, that this feafonable relief came; and fo far as I can remember, I was at feoret prayer in very great extremity, not far from defpair, when the Lord seasonably stepp'd in, and gave this merciful turn to affairs; When I faid, My foot flippeth, thy mercy held me up. Pfalm xciv. 18. And when there was none to fave, then his own arm brought falvation. 2 Cor. iv. 6. God who com'manded the light to fhine out of darkness, shined into my mind, to give the light of the knowlege of his glory in the face of Jefus Chrift.'

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4. That which yielded me this relief, was a difcovery of the Lord, as manifefted in the word. He faid to me, Thou haft destroyed thyself, but in me is thy help. Now the Lord difcovered in the manner afterwards to be mentioned, feveral things, which I fhall here take notice of. 1. He let me fee, that there are forgiveneffefs with him, that with him there is mercy, and plentious Redemption. Pfalms cxxx. 4.7. He made all his goodness pafs before me, and he proclaimed his name, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long fuffering, and abundant in goodnefs and truth, keeping mercy for thoufands, forgiving iniquity, tranfgreffion and fin, who will be gracious to whom he will be gracious, and will fhew mercy to whom he will fhew mercy.' Exod. xxxiii. 19. Exod. xxxiv. 5. This was a ftrange fight to one, who before look'd on God only as a confuming fire, Heb. xii. 29. which I could not fee and live. Exod. xxxiii. 28. 2dly, He brought me from Sinai and its thunderings, to mount Zion, and to the Mediator of the New Covenant, and to

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the blood of springling, that cleansfeth from all fin, and fpeaks better things than the blood of Abel' Heb. xii. 22, 24. He revealed Christ in his glory I now with wonder beheld his glory, as the Glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1. 14. And I was hereon made to fay, Thou art fairer than the fons of men Pfalm xlv. 2. 3dly, Hereon he let me fee,that he who had before rejected all that I could offer, was 'well pleafed in the beloved. Pfalm xl. 6, 7. Sacrifice and offering thou didft not defire, mine ears haft thou opened. Burnt offerings and fin offerings haft thou not required Then faid I, Lo I come: In the volume of the book, it is written of me: I delight to do thy will, 'O my God.' And 4thly, Hereby I was further fully fatisfied, that not only there was forgivenefs of fins, and justification by free grace, through the Redemption that is in Jefus : Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remiffion of fins that are past, through the forbearance of God: Rom. iii. 24, &c. But moreover, I faw with wonder and delight, in fome measure, how God by this means might be juft in justifying, even the ungodly who believe in Jefus. Rom. iv. 5. How was I ravish'd with delight, when made to fee, That the God in whom, a little before I thought there was no hope for me, or any finner in my cafe, if there was any fuch; notwithstanding his fpotlels purity, his deep hatred of fin, his inflexible juftice and righteoufnefs, and his untainted faithfulnefs, pledg'd in the threatnings of the law, might not only pardon, but without prejudice to his juftice, or other attributes, be just in justifying, even the ungedly! The reconciliation of those seemingly inconfiftent attributes with one another, and finners falvation quite furpriz'd, and aftonished me. And, sthly, The Lord further opened the gofpel-call to me, a d let me fee, That to me, even to me, was the word of

this falvation fent. Acts xiii. 26. All this was offered to me, and I was invited fecretly to come, and take of the water of life freely, Rev. xxii. 17. and to come in my diftrefs unto this bleffed reft. Matth xi, 28. Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and ye shall find reft for your fouls. 6thly, He, to my great fatisfaction, gave me a pleafant difcovery of his design in the whole, that it was that no flesh might glory in his fight, 1 Cor. i. 29, 31, but that he who glories, fhould have occafion only to glory in the Lord, that he might manifeft the riches of his grace, and be exalted in fhewing mercy; and that we in end might be faved, to the praife of the glory of his grace, who made us accepted in the beloved. Eph. i. 6, 7. Ifa. XXX. 18. 7thly, The Lord reveal'd to my foul, that full and fuitable provifion made in this way against the power of fin, that as there is righteousness in him, fo there is ftrength, even everlasting strength in the Lord Jehovah, Ifa. xlv, 22. to fecure against all enemies; and that in him there is sweet provifion made against the guilt of fins, that through the power of temptation, his people may be inveigled in; 1 John ii. 1, 2.Thefe things write I to you, that ye fin not: But if any man fin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our fins: And not for ours only, but alfo, for the fins of the whole world.' 8thly,. When this ftrange discovery was made of a relief, wherein full provifion was made for all the concerns of God's glory, and my falvation, in fubordination thereto; my foul was by a glorious and sweet power carried out to reft in it, as worthy of God and every way fuitable and fatisfying in my cafe. They that know his Name will put their trust in him, Pfalm ix.

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5. All thefe difcoveries were conveyed to me only by the word. It was not indeed by one particular teftimony, or promife of the word, but by the

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concurring light of a great many of the promises and teftimonies of the word feasonably fet home, and most plainly expreffing the truths above-mentioned, The promises and truths of the word, in great abundance and variety, were brought to remembrance, John xiv. 26. and the wonders contain'd in them Pfalm cxix: 18. were fet before mine eyes in the light of the word. He fent his word and healed me, Pfalm cvii. 20. This was the rod of his strength, that made me willing: Pfalm cx. 2, 3. And it was the plain word of falvation, that I found to be the power of God. Rom. i. 16. I cannot pofitively fay, That the particular places above-mentioned, were the words whereby thefe difcoveries were conveyed to my foul. But by thefe or fuch like paffages; and I believe, by many, even of those mentioned promises and truths were the difcoveries above named made to me.

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6. But it was not the word alone that conveyed the discovery for most of these paffages whereby I was reliev'd, I had formerly in my diftrefs read, and thought upon, without finding any relief in them. But now the Lord fhin'd into my mind by them. 2 Cor. iv. 6. Formerly I was only acquaint with the letter which profits not: But now the Lord's words were Spirit and life, John vi. 63. and in his light, I faw light, Pfalm xxxvi. 9. God opening mine eyes to Jee wonders out of his law. Pfalm cxix. 18. There was light in them, a burning light by them fhone into my mind, to give me not merely fome notional knowlege, but the light of the knowlege of the glory of God, in the face of Jefus Chrift. 2 Cor. iv 6. And many differences I found betwixt the difcoveries now made, and the notions I formerly entertain'd of the fame truths. 1. It fhone from heaven; Acts ix. 3,. It was not a spark kindled by my own endeavours, but it fhone fuddenly about me; it came by the word of God, a heavenly mean; it opened heaven, and discovered heavenly things, the glory of God, and it led

me up as it were to heaven. Its whole tendency was heaven-ward 2. It was a true light, John i. 9. giv ing true manifeftations of God, even the one true God, and the one Mediator between God and man; and giving a true view of my state with respect to God, not according to the foolith conceits I had formerly entertain'd, but as they are reprefented in the word. 3. It was a pleafant and Sweet light. Truly light is fweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the fun. Ecclef, xi. 7. It had a heavenly fatisfaction in God attending it. It led to a pleasure in the fountain whence it came. 4. It was a diftinct and clear light, representing not only spiritual things, but manifefting them in their glory, 2 Cor. iv. 6. and in their comely order; it put all things in their due line of fubordination to God, and gave dif tinct and sweet views of their genuine tendency. I John ii. 27. 5. It was a fatisfying light, the foul refted in the difcoveries it made, and was fatisfied, it could not doubt if it faw, or if the things were fo, as it reprefented them.Pfalm xvii. 1 5. 6. It was a quickening, refreshing, healing light; when this Sun of righ teousness arofe, there was healing under his wings: Mal iv. 2. It was like the fummer's fun, warming. In a word, it was the light of life. John. viii. 12. 7. It was a great light: It made great and clear dif coveries, whereby it easily diftinguished itself from any former knowlege of these things I had attained. And, 8. It was a powerful light. It diffipated that thick darkness that overfpread my mind, and made all thofe frightful temptations, that had formerly dif turbed me, fly before it. When the Lord arofe, his enemies were fcatered, and fled before his face. Pfalm Ixviii. 9 It was compofing, it did not like a flash of lightning, fuddenly appear and fill the foul only with amazement and fear; but compofed and quiet

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* Cant. iii. 8. compar'd with Ifa. Ivii. 19.

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