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door of hope in the valley of Achor, the lively hope of the heavenly Canaan through the refurrection of Chrift: and this hope is the finews of the holy war; for as hope makes not ashamed, fo he that hath this hope purifics himfelf; and, according to the measure of this hope, is the measure of victory.-Sometimes they get a little pull of the cord of love, fo as to get the love of God fhed abread upon their heart, and then the love of Chrift conftrains them; the love of the Captain draws them to the field, where love is the fignal for war; Chrift's love, I mean: "His banner over me was love," fays the church. His love both leads the van, and fences the rear; and, when the flame of his love to them kindles a flame of love in their hearts to him, then a flaming fword is drawn in the face of the enemy, the banner of love beats down the nations. Again, they fometimes get a little spiritual. fenfe to carry on the fpiritual war; for inftance, fometimes a little hearing of the voice of Chrift, fo as to know the powerful found of it among a thousand voices; and then their heart leaps within them, faying, "It is the voice of my Beloved; behold, he cometh ikipping upon the mountains, and leaping upon the hills."-Sometimes they get a little fight of God in Chrift, and then they can endure hardship, as good foldiers of Chrift: thus they endure, as feeing him that is invifible; counting the reproach of Chrift greater riches than all the treafures of Egypt.-Sometimes they get a little touch of the hem of Chrift's garment by faith; a little touch of his name, his offices, his blood, his righteoufnefs, or whatever hem it be; virtue comes from him to stop the bloody issue, and stop the enemies motion.-Sometimes they get a little taste that the Lord is gracious; and it is like the taste of Jonathan's honey-comb: the more they taste of the honey of free-grace, the greater is the flaughter they make among the Philistines.-Sometimes they get a little smell of the Rofe of Sharon, and the Lily of the valley, and it reftores their fainting foul: all Chrift's garments are faid to fmell of aloes, myrrh, and caffia: and the believer may be faid to get a finell of the raiment, a smell of the rofe, when Chrift is precious to him above all things. And when all these spiritual fenfes are exercised, then they may be faid

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to be exercifing their arms, making havock among their enemies, and fuccefsfully gaining ground upon them.— In a word, he gives them fometimes a little breathing in the air of fpiritual meditation; "My meditation of him fhall be fweet:" and when Chrift is fweet, fin is bitter, and the battle against it a bitter battle. He gives them here a little, and there a little; and, by little and little, puts out the nations before them.

I have mentioned many particulars; but yet there is no fpeaking of all the littles that believers will experience, during the time of their warfare: only, thus you fee how, by little and little, their Captain brings them to the field of battle; and how, by little and little, he carries on the conqueft in their hand: it is the Lord their God alone that does it; it is he that conquered their enemies; it is he that helps them to chafe the conquered, for it is he that bought their armour; he bought their shield, and fword, and breast-plate, and helmet ; and it is he, that as he bought them with his blood, fo he puts on their weapons, and girds them with strength for war. It is he that rubs off the ruft off their arms, when at any time they are out of ufe, by blowing up their graces, and giving them ftrength to exercise grace: and it is he that carries on the victory to perfection, by giving power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he encreaseth ftrength, from time to time, till in death he end the warfare, by driving out all the nations, fo as never to be feen again. The Lord thy God, will put out thefe nations, before thee, by little and little.

VI. The Sixth thing propofed, was, to give the reafons of the doctrine. It might here be afked,

Ift, Why the Lord their God, and he alone, does put out the nations before them? The reafon is, becaufe he alone can do it, for he is the Lord; they would never be put out, if he did it not: and he alone will do it, because he is their God; and thus ftands engaged by promife and covenant so to do: The Lord thy God will put out these nations before thee. 2dly, Why will he do it fo gradually, by little and little? Why does he let enemies without and within live

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to annoy his people, feeing it is eafy for him to destroy them all inftantly? Why will he destroy them gradually, by little and little? There is much of infinite wisdom to be observed in this difpofure; and therefore I would offer fome particulars for reprefenting the beauty of this method.

1. It is by little and little he puts them out, without deftroying them at once, that by them he may prove his people, Judges ii. 22. Some Canaanites were ftill left remaining, to prove whether they will keep the way of the Lord: thefe Canaanites were enemies to their peace, enemies to their profeffion, that fought their bodies overthrow, and their fouls ruin; and they are left to prove whether they will cleave ftill to God's command, or whether they will follow the abominations of the wicked. Obferve it then, Sirs, we must look to find enemies; outward enemies to the peace of the church, and to the truth of the gofpel; inward enemies to the graces and comforts of the foul: and this combat, thus continued in Ifrael, ferves to prove whether our graces be counterfeit or not; for they only are true Ifraelites, that are still taking up arms against the devil, the world, and the flesh, and all the nations of the Canaanites. By this then it is evidenced who are true Ifraelites, and who not.

2. It is by little and little that he will put out the nations before Ifrael, that thus they may be ftill learning to exercise their arms; I mean, that their graces may be exercifed, and particularly their militant graces. There are fome graces would be for little or no ufe, if no Canaanites and corruptions were left: the special use of faith, hope, and patience, is for helping the believer to furmount the difficulties that are now in his way. Many other graces there are, that there would be no ufe for, if all our enemies and corruptions were deftroyed at once triumphant graces, fuch as love and joy in their perfection, would make a perfect heaven. But there are militant graces, that must be exercifed alfo, while we are on earth, and which there are no ufe for in heaven: for example, if all wants were fupplied fully, there would be no need of poverty of fpirit; if all fins were wholly

wholly deftroyed, there would be no need of godly forrow; if death were already fwallowed up in victory, there would be no need of the defire of death, nor longing for heaven; if vifion were already come, there would be no need of faith, as it is a militant grace, fighting its way many times through doubts and fears, and want of fight and fenfe; if fruition were come, there would be no need of hope; if all trouble were at an end, there would be no need of patience. But this fhield of faith, and helmet of hope, and other parts of the Chriftian armour, must be exercifed: therefore the nations are not wholly deftroyed, but by little and little. Again,

3. It is by little and little they are put out, for the advantage of the militant faints in many refpects: as it is fit they fhould fight, before they triumph; and that they war as foldiers on earth, before they reign as kings in heaven; fince no man is crowned, except he strive lawfully, 2 Tim. ii. 5. So it tends to enhance heaven, and make them prize and value it more, when it is attained through many difficulties, troubles, and oppofitions and by this means they come to have sweet conformity to their bleffed Captain of falvation, who was made perfect through fuffering; and it is their honour to tread his fteps, who endured the contradiction of finners against himfelf, and fought his way.-This contributes alfo to the believer's comfort at the iffue of every conflict, as a fafe haven is very comfortable to a mariner that hath been toft at fea.-This method ferves not only for the believer's comfort, but for his instruction and correction: for his instruction, because thus he learns more and more to be humble and dependent; all boasting is excluded by this means, while he finds his enemies ftill living, and lively, and ftrong; for he looks with a humble eye upon himself, knowing his own utter infufficiency for grappling with thefe enemies, and difficulties, and oppofitions in his way; and with a dependent eye upon Chrift, that his grace may be fufficient for him, and his ftrength perfected in weakness: thus he glories in his infirmities, that the power of Chrift may reft upon him. And as it is advantageous for their neceffary inftruction, fo for their neceffary correction, when they are fparing

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and remifs in ufing the means, and improving the advantages for driving out the Canaanites, indulging the flesh and the corruptions thereof; as it is faid of Ifrael, Numb. xxxiii. 55. If they would not drive out the inhabitants of the lands, then it should come to pass, that thefe which they let remain fhould be pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their fides, to vex them. This is one of the fevereft ways of chaftifing them, when, to reprove them for one fin and luft, he lets them fall into the hands of another; and yet, in mercy to the true Ifrael of God, curing their difeafe in the iffue: as he let Peter fall into a threefold pit among his enemies hands, for curing his felf-confidence. One would think, the cure was worse than the disease; but our Lord hath fometimes very fearful ways of correcting and curing the fouls of his own people.

4. It is by little and little that the Lord puts out the nations before them, to commend the excellency of the deliverance we have by Chrift. Though there be no condemnation to them that are in Chrift; yet, for their humiliation, God fuffers their enemies to live among them, and fin to live in them, and oftentimes to afflict them, that they may know the benefit they have by grace, while they make continual recourfe to him for help. It is but little we can take up at once, by reafon of our want of capacity; therefore he gives one deliverance at this time, and another deliverance at that time, and a third deliverance at another time; and fo on from time to time, that we may know how much we are obliged to him.

5. He delivers them by little and little, to fhew the greatnefs of his glory, as the Captain of falvation. He fhews the glory of his power, in keeping us, notwithstanding the great danger we are continually in, while the enemy is alive within us, without us, and round about us. How greatly does his power appear, in preferving the toffed ark amidst all the waves and billows of adverfity that dafh against it, and in keeping the burning bush from being confumed? He fhews the glory of his triumphant arms, like fome famous conquerors in battle,

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