Serin. 2 8. of the ordinances may abide upon them ? of Worfhip or Difcipline. It were well for the World if one could be a Chriflian at fuch art eafie rate; but they that pleafe them.. felves with fuch conceits , they erre not knowing the Scriptures. The ac4ion of a Chriflian is all along in the New feftament , ex- prcffed by driving, ftling, running and combating, exercifcs,, wherein he that will not be wet, fled , muff intend all his fpirirs,. ftrerch .dil his tint ws, put forth all his ftrength; he that is a Chriflian indeed, be mull nuAetlee,, Eph.6,12. d?cbxerv, Phil 3. 12, 13, 14. HHb. 12. 14. àvwtif?¡ ., Luke 13.24. his daily courfe mutt be a comba- ting as for vic`lory a running as for a Croton, a ltrivi,,g as for !Fe- The power and .ife of holin, fs can neither be actaived nor uphr ld, without an c ffeduall tire of the Ordinances; the Ordinances will never be effec'tuall to pur pofe, unlefs the vertue of them abide up- on the heart; now it meets with fuch relut}ancy and oppofition from the heart ( fo far as it is unrenewed ) that it can never be faftned there, without ftriving and flrug'ing and earneft contending, it muff be done in defpight of our own ease , and carnali humours and na- turall inclination, and all the refitfance of the body of death. If you think this too much , you think much to be Ch: ilhans indeed, however you p retend to the name. Thofe that are acquainted with their own heares,finde it very hard to get them railed to a fpirituall and heavenly temper, very difficult to get them pulped up ( though they have the advantage of the molt powerful! Ordinances) co any good pofiure; and when with much ado they are got up,. exceeding difficult to keep them there. Alas we feem tobe tórcing a weighty done up a Beep hill when with much toy! we have got it near the top, take bur our hands off a little, leave it but to it felf, and down it runs 1urthcr in a moment that we can get it up again in fome hours. Our way to heaven lyes up the hill, that which is fpirirual and heavenly is above us , the natural bent and tendency of our hearts is downwards; as there is no getting them up without toyl and pains, fo when we have raifed them a li-r le, leave them btu to themfelves, g.-ow but a lit. le remits and negligent, and down they run on a fudden, we thall quickly find them at the bottotne of the hill, in a carnal!, lukewarm earthly temper. When our hearts are effei ually toùched and ráailed, and moved in the ufe of Or- dinances, there's no keeping them in a quick and lively rnouotn, Wìthour ílriving a.nd ftrughng, and as it were forcing them on with might and main.. The influence of the Ordinances falling upon, a iloaih 639
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