a Chriffians Growth. Heller was for Ahafuerus. Draw nigh to God, Mayes lames, and I will draw nigh to you, 7ames 4. 8, 9. but then you mutt Cleanfe your hands, and purifieyour hearts, as it follows there ; God elfe bath no delight to draw nigh to you. Thirdly, he daily purgeth his that they may be fit for ufe and fervice; for unleffe he purged them, he could not ufe them in honourable imployments, fuch as to fuller or to Eland for him, in what concernes hisglory, they would be unfit for fuch ufes, as a veffel is that is unfcoured. Therefore a Tim. 2. 21. Ifa man purge himfelfe from thefe, he {hall be a vefellunto honour : that is, he (hall be ufed inhonourable employments, and not laid afide; and he (hall be meet for hislikaflers ufe, as vefl'elis kept cleane ; when on the fudden the mailer hath occafion to ufe them, and to have them ferved in. Fourthly, that as our perfons, fo that our fervices may be moreand more acceptable ; that our prayers and fuch perfor- mances may favour leffe of gifts, and pride, and felfe-love, and carnali defires: So Mal. 3. 3, 4. it is faid, He ¡hallfit as a purifier offilver, and he 'hall purifie the fonnes of Levi, as gold is purified, from their droffe, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteoufnefe, and then /hall their offerings be pleafant to the Lord. The more the heart and life is purged, the more acceptable your prayers are, and your obedience, and all you doe. CHAP. II. Thewayes Godufeth to purge out our corruptions : and waxes whereby he caufeth us to grow therein. 100w in the third place, for the wayes whereby God goes IN on topurge us, there aremany and divers, he bleffeth all forts of meanes and dealings ofhis to accomplifh it. FirU, he ufeth occafionall meanes to doe it, and bleffeth them, as evenfalling intofins. Thus it was with David when he fell, thereby God fet him anew upon this work, as by his prayer ap- pears, Pfal. S i. Oh purge me, make me cleane. Secondly,by calling them intoant:bons. SoMtn.' I.35.7-129, 13 {ball 65 I 3. 4. OccafìonaIv
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