l'l Book I. 1loottngunto ]tfus. Chap.g.Sca-. 3 . . +· When a man makes it not his courfe and trade to look_umo Jrfus. A m•n may tome UntO a c;arpenters houfe, and take up hiS tools , and do fomcthing at his work, bur this !D~kes h1m _not a·carpenter, becaufe 1t IS n?t bis trade. Tbe bdl Saints Iinne; yet becaufe 1 1ohn S• r8. u IS notthe1r trade and courfe, they are fa1d, not to lim:e, whofoevrr u hontecf Godfinn"h not. And [o ungodly men may look, and mufe, and meditate, and think ofChri!l, butb<· caufe this rs no~ theu· courfe and trade, they make it not tbeir work to look to Chrilt, the . are therefore fa1d, not to look_to him. . 1 ~hy no~confider, you that _plead that you are Chriflians. and that you mind Chrift at this very!nflant, that you areY' the dmy, even whiHl I am fpeaking of it, and y<t you ?e.lther d~ lt to purp?fe, n_or wrllrngly, nor according to rule, nor as it is your,trade; Matth.7,,,,~ tsunot wtth y()tl, as 1t 1s walrthem of whom ChriHfpake, many willfay tome at that daJ, .lArd, Lor.J, h«'fle 1~e notprophejirdm thy 11ame? and tn thy n•mc have caft out dtvils? ,, 11 1. in thy namr h4ve done many wondrrfu/ work! ? they will plead at the !ail: day as you plead now; but for all that, you know the anfwer, I mvrrk._ncwyou,drpart from me yt wori(rrs of Verfo >J• •Pet·J·'· Pf•l•l7· 8· )udg.7.1>· iniquity. Surely Chriil: will fay to yoll one day, I k,powyor~ not, I wns aJlrangtr t•J'•• "P'" earth, I pould not havt an tyefromyou, but whmyo1rr /az.ir idle (pirits pleafod, andnow o•t of myfight, i'lt nwer ownyou, nor /ookJ•fon you more. 2. Forthe godly, are not they carelefs of this duty? 0 their excurlions from God I fad dejedionsoffpirit! inordinate affedions of the world! and in the mean-while, 0 the negled of this Gofpel-ordinance, even among!l Saints themfelves! I know nor wr.erber through waut of skill, or through:wanr of will, bm fure I am, this dmy liesdorma,lt, neglede<;l of moll: of the people of God : their faults I may exprefs in rbefe refpcds.- I. In not fending out their underftandings, in n0t pointing their minds toward• Jefus. !write untoyou (faid the Apo!lle) to ftir up )'our pure minds by way of rcmc, brana; it is in the Original i,.lf"', t~ awa~n your purt minds, and it was b)lt need. See howDavid calls upon himfelf, fi•M~ myglorfl and fee how Drborah calls upon her felf, . A•val(:, awak! Debor4h, aw.tk§, a\~akg, utter a(on'. .A1r•l0ing is aWO(d that imports rom:Jng, as birds that provoke their young ones by flight to make ufe of their wings; now how few are there th&t thus call upon themfelves? it was the Prophets complaim, no man ftirs •p lfa.6-4 7· . himfoif to ta~ hold of God. 0 what a lhame is this? is it f.t that our underflandirr,s which God hath entrulled us withal, fhould be no more improvtd? is it fit that our minds (thofe gold~n cabinets w~ich God hi!th given us to be filled wirh heavenly treafure) fhould either be empty, or ftuft with vanity, nothing, worfe then nothing? 0 that furb glorious creatures as our fouls fhould lacquey after every creature, which lhould be tn attendance upon Chrift, whicR fhouJd be like Angds, waiting ond franding in the pre· fence of our God! 0 that fuch glorious things as our immortal fpiritsflJouJd run atier vanity, and fo become vain; which if rightly improved; Jlwuld walk witb Angels,fltould lodgethemfelvesinrhebofom of the glorious God I Do we notfechow Chn!tts fend•ng out to us continuaUy? the thoughts of his heart are love, eternaJJove? and ll,all nut ' we fend out our thoughts towat'ds him? !haill not we let our minds run om towards him I 2. In not bending of their minds to this work. It may be the mind looks up, bur it's fo feeble, that like an arrow fhot from a bow weakly bent, it reacherh not tl'e markc, Eccl. 9• i o. It is the wife mans counfd , Whatforver thy h,znd Jirubth to do, do it with all thy ,;ghr. 0 thltGods people llwuld be fo lazie,dull; Ouggilh, /loathful in thi• lpiritual work! As Jefusbid ro tlle multitudes concerning fohn, What WtNt yt om into the wildamfi to fee! So may I aske believers in their loo/;jng tmto J<(m, what went ye our to fee? when )'OU ,Matt.ll.J· uawle,and move, as ifyou had no he•rrs ROr {piritswit)lin you, whom go ye forth to lee! what, him tlmis the Lord of glory? what, him thads tbr brightnt{s of hu Fathrnglor;;. tWd the•trprefs i_mage of hiJ rerfon? what, are fuch heavy and Jaz1e afpeds fit to lake mfu,c~ a glory as this 1s? you fee rn wharlarge llre•ms y~ur thoughts fltc forth to other tlnngs, and are you only languiOliag,wtak, and feeble in things offo great concernmeml Ohthat ChrHli•ns lhould be cold ,n fpauuals, a9d bot 111 the purfutt of earrbly temporal thmgs. 3. In nor binding of their minds to this sbje(t, 111 not llaytng tl:e eye on Jelu~ Chrifl. Some may give a glance at Chnll, bm they are prefcntly wheeleJ off a?alll · bur why doth not tire eye abide there, ad,e•ft ull tt come ro fome profitable tffue.: ts not Chri(t wonhy on whom our fll'uls Oronld dwell? Certatnly 1f w~ love ou• Jtfus: . that love will hdld us .· Clmll then wtll be tn c·ur thoughts, and mwds, and \\C can. oot olf him: as the lo;d-!lone havjng drctwn the iron, it keq1s it tafl w " ftlf. fo tf love draw our hearrs, ;, holds it fail: to the obje<'l: lo1ed. Chrifl Limfelf acknowiedgeth fuch an operation of love upon himfdC 7~~rn-mr'.y thine cyr;, fa>· Jhey !J,,ve over<'"'' • 1 r.c; (''JOH
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