'DireEliom for a !Veil grounded Fditf,• . ttame. So ~ 11 Prayer, Sacrament, 1\Lproof, &c. the Devil makes wea~ uf: of this, }fl_hat good ·hat·b_ it done thee.? But p:~titnce and pcrjcvcrance win the Crown. The begmmng ~~ fddom a_ome ro percetve fitccefs: The Cupenter is long at work before he rear a houfe: Nature bnng'i not forr~1 the Pla_nr or birrh the firfi day. Your life·rirne is your working time. bo your parr, anQGod will nor fall on his parr. It is his parr to give fucccfs ; and dare you accufe him, or fufpeel: him ? There is more of the [ucccfs of prayer to be believed, than to be felt. ItGod have promifcd to hear, hedvtb hear, and we mufi believe it, whether we ~<.el ir or \10t. Prayer5are oft heard long before the thing is fCnt us that we prayed for: We pray for Heaven, but lhall not be there till dearh. If Mofn his md: fage to Pharaoh ten t~mes fecm lo~, it is n?t loll for all. that. What work would ever hav~ been done, jf on the tiff\: conceJt of unfuccdifulnefs 1t had been gJven off ? Be glad that thou hal1 ome to plow and Cow, to do thy part, a?d if God willg~ve thee fruit at_latl. . '- / §. 17 . Tempt. 9· But, faith the Tempter, zt goetb wor[e wrtb thee ~n Jhe world, fince tbntt fweji thy Tempt. 9 • {cif to read, andpray, and live obediently: 'thou bajl bem poorer, and hcker, 111td mare defpifodfince, than ever before : ]er. 20. 8. 'ihort art a dcrifion daily, (Very one mocketh thee : Tbi.J thou gtttejt ~~ . . . . §. 18. Dirctl. 9· Hebegan or well, that counted not that 1t n~1ght coil h1m m~re than t:h1s, to be Dire[!. 9 . a holy Chritlian: If God in Heaven benot enough to be fhy portion, nc..~ver ferve htm, bot tl_nd forncrhiug better if thou canfi. He thatcannot lofe the world cannot ufc it as he ought. lf thou hadrt rather be at the Devils tinding and ufage, than at Gods, thou art worthy to fpced accordingly.' Nay? jf thou think thy foul it felf worfe, remember that we are not worji, when we are troubkd molt. Phyfick rnakesJick, when it works aright. , -- §. 19 · Tempt. 10. Satan fiUub many with .zbmuiance offcrupltJ about every duty, tbt they come Tempt. 10~ to it af fick perfonJ totheir meat, with a picvifh qu.zrreDing difp()firion: 1biJ ailetiJ and that aileth it; fomctbing UjiiU amifi, that they cannot get it down : Thi-1 fault tht MiJJijier bath in pr,,ying or preaching; or the other circumftance i.! amiji; or the other fault is in the company th.zt jo) 11t witb them : ayd ali i1111 ~~~~d . . §. 20. DireCt. 10. But do you mend the matter by cafiin~ offall )/I or by runnmg inro greatt'r incon- Dire[!. 1 o. venienc:es? Is not their imperfect prayer and communion, better than your idle negleCt of all, or un– warrantable divifion? It is a Jign of an uprjght h<:art to be rnoH about heart·obfervation , and 'G_Uarrclforne with thcrnfelves, and the mark of hypocrit.es to be moH quarrdforne againrt the .manner of other mens perfonnar.ces, and to be eafily drivenby any pretences from the Worfhip of God, and communion of Saints. 9· 21 · Tempt. 11. 7he Devil wiU {et onl duty 11gainft auotber : l~eading aK,ainjt hearing; prayhtg Tet;npt. r l • againjf preaching; private againft publick_; outward and inward worjhip ag.,injf each other ; mercy and jujfice, pitty and cbarity, againji eacb other ; and ji-iU laboHr to (je[l the greater. y. 22· Dire{/. 1 z. The work of God is an harmonious and well compofed frame: If you leave out a Diretl. I I. part, you fpoil the whole, and difadvantage.your ftlves in all the reil : Place them aright, and each part helperh aod not hindercth another: Plead one for another; but call by none. y. 23• ·Tempt. 1_2• 1hc cmmtonejt and forejf temptatio~t, i1 h.Y_ takjng aw."y our app~tite to lnly dutiu, Ttmpt. 12 • by abating our fet:lmg of our ow11 1teceffity: whm the foul H jleepy and feeletb HOmed of prayer, or ....,.;... reading, or hearing, or mtditatiug, but tl;in~ it [elf tolerably well without it; '(}r el{e grow! ficl<._ and if againjt it, and troubled to ufo it ; {o that every duty if lik_! eating to a ficJtjlomach ~ then it iuafie to tempt it tonegle{l or omit m.zny admy: A little 1hing wi/J ferve to put it by, wben men feel 110 need ofit. ' ~· 24· Dirc{l. u. 0 keep up a lively fenfe of your neceflities : Remember Oill that Time is Dlo~/l. !2·· {hort, and deach is near, and you are too unready. l{eep acquaintance wirh your hearts and Jivfs, and every day will tell ~ou of your neccffirics: which arc greatcfi when they are katt perceived. / §· 25. Tempt. 13. 1he Tempter gell mucb by .Jfcribing tbt (Plccep of holy meanr to our own endea- ~ ·· ... · vour, or to chauce ol" [omething elfe, andmakJng "ur overlook._ th.u pre[ent benefit, whlch W(mld gre:zrly empt. 1 '' tncourage 115 :_ A1 w_hen we are dcbvered from ficl<_uefs_or danger upon pr<~yer, IJt telh .You, [o yoH mi.~bt b!lve been dcbvered if you .ha& never prayed l JYa1 zt not by the Phyficil)nS c.zre and 11{iU, and by fucb an exceUeHt medicine? If you profper in any bujinefi, waJ it nut by ytJUr own contrivance and diligence? 9.26. Dire{l. r). This (eparating Godand means, when God worketh by means, is the folly of'Direa: r3. AtheJ~S : when G.od hearcth thy prayer lll fick!ll:~ or other danger, he OlCWeth it by direC!ins, tht Phyfic10n or_ thy felf to the fittefi means, and blcRmg that means; and he is as really rbe eau{(: and prayer the hrfi means, as if he wrought thy deliverance by a Miracle. Do not many ufe tKe fame Phyficion, and Mt::dicine, and labour, and diligence, whoycr mifcarry? JuH obfervation ofthear.fwers '1: of prayer might do much to_cure this. All our indu~ry m 1y fay as Peter and .l fhn, Acts 3· 12· TYhy ·looi(_ye fo eacnejlry on 1u, -a! ifby ourown power or holmrJi we bad done 1hiJ·? Wh~n God is glorifyi 1 ;J>- his grace, and owning his appoimed means. · 9· 27. Ttmpt. '4• Laj!ly the Devil fettetb up fomrtbing ' elfe in oppojitim to holy duty, tomak! it Tempt. tf• feem_unnecejfary; I': fome he feu up the1r good de~res, andfaith God /{!towetb t~y heart without txpreffin~ U; and thau m_aift ba.vt af. good a heart. at _home, as at Cburch : In Jome he j ds up j;tplrfti.tiuur fop. perzes of m~anJ devifin~,. U!j~eadof Godr IniltHttton_: In fomc h! prettnde:h the Spirir ugafttjt external duty, and jimb, The Spmt IS all; the flelh prolitteth norhmg: yea, m f<•tne he (i" up Chrift himfelf ·I: l' again(! Cbrij/; Ordinanctt, andfaith, I! is not thefe, but Chriili rha1profiuY"'· · 9· 28. v;,a. '4·
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