503 How may we know when eter aclivity Serm. a r. vel faid of Go/WI/ fword.Sloth is the Kings Evil of the foul,& none but i the King of Heaven can cure it by his hand, which is his Spirit, Pf. i 19, 3 2.1 will run the way of thy Corrnm=andments; when thou 'halt enlarge my heart. Idleneís is the fouls prifon,floth is her (hackle, the Spirit of God only can knock off her fetters,& give Goal - delivery to her, Rom.$.26. The Spirit helpeth our infirrrrities, of ignorance, dulnefs, deadnefs floggifhnefs,& enablcs,yea ennobles us will gratious,copious, filial af- feetions,even groans fight t hat are unutterable,expr, ffions not to be expreffed.Cónt.t.4.Draw me,and I will follow thee, there is her Prayer, and her pronaife, and there is no doubt of her performance; the will as certainly follow as the Iron the Load- ilone,or theCard the. North pole, Cant.4.I6. /brake O North- wind,and come, O South,blow upon myGar- den, that the Spices thereof' may flow ont. Awake and comes there is the Prayer, O North and South wit:d,there is the Spirit,the foul that is the Garden,gratious affections they are the Spices that flow our. Quell. But fame pretiotu Soul rvhi(pers in mine ears (l blets God) lam net troubled with this lethargy,my fails are fo filled, that my mill goes and grinds nimbly, only 1 am afraid the mired blows nht from the right quar- ter , prey thereforefatisfie my confcience in this cafe, Whether.my ablivi- ty in duty proceed from the Spirit of God ? .r4'nfw, We may eafily be deceived by our enlargments,becaufe there are ma- ny winds and gales blowing from feveral quarccrs,wch may fet the foul in a6tive going and doing; as popular appiaufe, high opinions of the Preacher,taking expreflions in prayer, flourifhing novelties & notions in a Sermon,fatanical infutions,common & ordinary infpirations of the Holy Ghoft,vouchfafed to reprobates, Heb.6.4, r,6. All which or any of which may fo draw and delight the heart,that(as Orpheus pipe) they or it may make the heart dance in a duty,and yet for all this, it may be poffible, yea probable,the heart may dance after the Devils pipe,Ezek. 3 3.32. the refolution of this cafe would have been fitter for force anti.. ent,experienceikfafter of Afemblies,(whofeBible is more inhis hear4 than head, than for fo weak and worthlefs a perfon as I am , who may truly fay with 4gur,á9Q9"9t7t 'mrm'V,Prov. 30.2. Surely ram more l ruti(h shaman), man,and have not the under;andi.n; of a tnan.Yet feeing Providence bath laid the lot at my door,to ufe Peters words a little al.. tered,Atls 3.5. Though f lver and golden experiences and exprefiions I have none, yet fueh as I have I fhall willingly impart and communi- cate to you. If you will lend me your patience, I will give you my pains ;n refolving this weighty and worthy cafe of Confcience, how a Cbri- ill trì'.s keen, vhcther bi sf1iviry `,) {lutj be from the Spirit of God. I Thai!
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