Phillips Family Papers Box 2

In { lation} , in persecution, in famine in nakedness, (in) all these Things we are more than conquerous" not {onl y} afterward we shall be best in all these things, even whilest we are under them, we are more than conquerous. The conquest is obtained in the { ? } entrance of the combat. This is the victory that over cometh the world, even our faith. Believe Christian, & thy faith will be thy victory, thy shield will be thy Palm.

How God is to be loved, that command which enjoins{ the} duty makes sufficiently plain--And what a strict observance of this commandment is required from us, we may easily infer from the terms in which it is expressed, and the solemnity used in laying it upon us. Hear then, O Man, the first and great commandment; hear then to it attentively, remember it exactly, meditate upon it { ?} & use thy very utmost efforts to fulfil it without delay; without intermission, without end, or ever suffering thou hast done so much, that thou art at liberty to { ? } from any fresh instances of thy regard to it. All this is implied in that awakening preface, by which God introduces in: Hear O Israels, the Lord thy God is one Lord.

The command itself { ? } this, Thous shall love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, & with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind, with all thy strength. which is as much as to say, The Will, and the Memory, should all be {fixed?} on this, as on their best and proper object; that God should be the subject of our study; that He should preside over all our inclinations, be the ultimate end of all our desires, dwell always present in our thoughts & reign supreme, as the governing principle of all our actions. ina word, that we should contemplate, and chuse, and remember and reverence Him above all, and to make it our business to live to Him alone.------

As for your fears under which you wrestle, it is not the haveing or wanting earthly tranquility that is any proper character of God's, love or anger; but the discovering made of that lies chiefly in the way of our deportment under such trials, agreeable to the practice of the faith, recommended to us in the Scriptures by the Spirit of God. For there is no temptation can be fall us, which has not been (for substance) the trial of them who have endured and overcome before us; And you are required to remember that faith and patience, and the issue God gave, that you do not succumb or faint; as if God had forsaken the government of the World, or changed the nature of the "everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and Sure". I have been labouring to live upon the naked promises of God, in reference to my outward comments, as if I were in the want of all things; and I do think if I could come at it it were a glorious portion. None but the exercised Believers can tell truely why the promises are called rich & precious, and how much lies in that word (Rich In Faith) { 2.5.} and what extensive satisfaction and glory lies in that word (Good) "All things for all work together for good to them that love God". You know these things, & ----As fear or outward disappointments abound, fly still a higher pitch; till you rejoice in manifold trials, that God counts you worthy to be listed among them, who can not be made happy by earthly things, nor miserable in the want of all things, whether estate, friends, health, credits, or any thing else, whilst they could fly to a higher Rock. The Lord direct you & make you launch forth upon the power, and in the wisdom and under the shelter

under the shelter of the Lord: Infinite & abundant is that shelter. Oh that you & I could with Luther, sing over all our sins & fears, be they what they will, the 216th Psalm; "God is a refuge for us, a present help in trouble." Here is our comfort, this world is not our Country; a few days will call us hence. The good Lord manage all, your works, and open such a window from Heaven, that both you and I, and all that seek the Lord, may be thoroughly transformed to a hearty Jay, even in divers temptations; and know the reason through grace, why the blessed spirit did put that clause into the holy scriptures, for our patience and solid comfort Jam'. 1.2. We are cha[r?n]gable, no rest here; and his will it is so; that we might not relish any thing in this world so sweet, as to tempt away our hearts from lovely Canaan, and the desireable fellowship of Christ, face to face.

'Tis our wisdom to turn our thoughts from poseing upon any affirtion itself, and rather be endeavoring to find out the lesson which God is teaching thereby; for that is properly our work, in that Christ hath borne the curse for us: he hath taken away the wrathful penalty, and left only an awakening & instructory nature in all the afflection that his People meet with, Ira 27. 7, 8, 9. and 63.9. Proh: 89. 30.31.32. &c. Oh that we could believe this, and redeem our precious time, to learn the will of God, and to be fashioned more to his likeness under earthly fears and [burdthen??], endeavoring to keep a spiritual palate for right relishing spiritual

spiritual food, and to be every day girding on us afresh the long Role of Christ's righteousness, that necessary be irritable to the state we are called to (communion with the Father himself, and Jesus Christ) 'Tis a garment that grows fresher & fresher to us by the meaning. 'Tis a garment that will never sully, but cleanseth the soul that wears it. 'Tis defensive against cold fainty fits, and the best armour that can be, against the rage of sin X Satan. 'Tis a glorious robe, and yet it hath a singular vertue to make the soul that wears it, humble. The first garment that the first Adam made, did somewhat hide his shame, but could not remove his guilt and fear; and therefore he ran with it from God. But this garment of the second Adam, has the only excellency to bring souls to God; yea to his very throne, with boldness. He or she that wears this robe, carries salvation about with them, and are objects of delight to the Father, son and Spirit & to the blessed Angels, whenever they go, and whatever their condition here be.

The Lord teach us his mind, and loosen us from the present world, and gather our hearts & hopes near to himself. 'Tis one of our invaluable priveleges, that this is not our Best: God calls aloud, come up hither: Christ is above, holding the Covenant of Grace in his right hand, and all his broken-hearted mourners, & prisoners of hope wrapped up in it, as in a Mantle. / Our work in this world is only to follow after God, under all the changes & trials that do accompany