Of ChrJian Fortitude. 89 wiíhes, the lazy una &ive defires of the (loth- SERM. ful, which kill him while his hands ref ifè to IV. labour. We fhould fummon all the powers ^^ of our fouls continually to attend this very thing, and watch every occafion of doing and of receiving good. The pfalmift fays, * that his foul followed hard after the Lord. And as our Saviour pronounces them bleffed who hunger and thirfi after righteoz faef , he re- commends it to his difciples, that they fhould grow more and more afiiduous in order to obtain it ; and that to all other endeavours they fhould add their fervent prayers to God, in which apprehended delays and difappoint- ments fhould only whet their defire and in- creafe their fervour and importunity ; ± Ask and it _hall be given you, feek and ye (hall find, knock and it flail be opened unto you. And tho' the fcripture teaches us to attribute our attainments in religion to the grace of God (while St. Paul labour'd more abun- dantly than all the ref} of the apoftles, he afcribes the praife not to himfelf, but to the divine grace) yet this is not intended to va- cate, or at all to leiTen our obligation to dili- gence ; on the contray, the greateft en- * Pfal. lxiii. 8. f Mat. vii. 7. couragement
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=