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upon it; if thou wilt do any thing thy ſelf to give ſatisfaction for ſin, thou renounceſt Chriſt the righteous.
Satan may allege and currpt ſcripture, but he cannot anſwer ſcripture.—It is Chriſt's word of mighty authority: Chriſt foiled Satan with; in all the ſcripture there is not an ill word against a poor ſinner ſtript of his own righteouſneſs; nay, plainly points this man for the grace of the goſpel and none alſe. Believe but Chriſt's willingneſs, and that will make thee willing. If thou find thou cannot believe, remember it is Chriſt's work to make thee believe. Put him upon it. He works to will and to do; mourn for thy unbelief, which is ſetting up guilt above Chriſt, an undervaluing Chriſt, accounting his blood an unholy, a common and unſatisfying ⟨thing⟩.
Thou complaindſt much of thyſelf, doth thy ſin make thee look at Chriſt, leſs at thyſelf? that is right, elſe complaining is but hpocricy; to be looking at duties and graces, when thou ſhouldſt at Chriſt, that is pitiful; looking at them will but make thee proud; looking at Chriſt's grace will make thee humble. In all thy temptations be not diſcouraged, thoſe ſurges may be not to break thee, but to heave thee off thyſelf, on the rock Chriſt.
Thou mayeſt be brought low, even to the brink of hell, ready to tumble in; thou canſt not be brought lower than the belly of hell; yet there thou mayeſt cry and look towards the holy temple. Into the old temple none might enter but purified ones, and with an offering too. But now Chriſt is our temple, to whom none but ſinners, and that without any offering but his own blood once offered.
Thou thinkeſt, oh. what monument of grace ſhould I be? there are many thouſands as rich monuments as thou: Tbe greateſt ſinner did never paſs the grace of Chriſt. When the clouds are blackeſt then look towards Chriſt the pillar of the father's love, ſet up in heaven for all ſinners to look upon continually.
