up to be a prey. Peter's instance should never be forgotten by us; and
such as tempt the Lord have no ground to expect his last issue.

Our strength must be in Christ: to the rock of ages must we fly: to our
chambers in him must we retire, and there must we hide ourselves: on
Christ's lee-side can we only ride safe, and be free of the hazard of
the storm. To him therefore must our recourse be daily, by new and fresh
acts of faith in and through him and his influences, communicated
according to the tenor of the covenant of grace, through faith eyeing
the promiser, the promise, with the price purchasing, and so drawing and
sucking light, direction, strength, stability, and what our present
exigent calleth for, must we think to stand. And happy they who,
conscious to themselves of their own weakness, and convinced of the
insufficiency of all things within them, in godly fear hide themselves
under the wings of the Almighty, and get in into this stronghold,
resolving there to abide, and there to be secured from all their
adversaries, within or without. These humble fearers may expect a safe
and noble outgate; when more strong-like and more confident adventurers
shall (being left to themselves, because trusting in themselves),
shamefully fall, and be triumphed over by the enemy, to the grief of the
godly, and for a snare to others.

The best way then, to keep the faith of Christ, which many are now
seeking to shake and to loose us from, is to be exercising the faith of
Christ. The serious and upright practising of the gospel is the only
best mean to keep thee firm in the profession of the gospel, when the
gospel with thee is not a few fine notions in the brain; but is heavenly
and necessary truth sunk into the heart, and living and acting there; it
will keep thee, and thou wilt own it more firmly and steadfastly in a
day of trial. Thy walking in Christ, and working and living, by him