Chap. i5.] BY SENSIBLE OBJECTS. 245 these private contemplations." As if thou hadst not time to Tare for thy own salvation, for looking after that of others ; or thy charity to others were so great, that it obliges thee to neglect thy own eternal welfare ; or as if there was any better way to fit us to be useful to others, than making this proof of our doctrine ourselves. Certainly heaven is the best fire to light our candle at, and the best book for . , preacher to study ; and if we would be persuaded to study that more, the church would be provided with more hea- venly lights ; and when our studies are divine, and our spi- rits divine., our preaching will also be divine, and we may be called divines indeed. Or if thy heart have nothing to say against the work, it will trifle away the time in delays, and promise this day and the next, but still keep off from the business. Or it will give thee a flat denial, and oppose its own unwillingness to thy reason. All this I speak of the heart, so far as it is still carnal ; for I know, so far as it is spiritual, it will judge this the sweetest work in the world. What is now to be done ? Wilt thou do it, WI tell thee? Wouldst thou not say in a like case, What should Ido with a servant that will not work, or with a horse that will not travel "? Shall I keep them to look at? Then faithfully deal thus with thy .heart; persuade it to the work, take nodenial, chide it for its backwardness, usevidlace with it. Hast thou no command of thy own thoughts ? Is not the subject of thy meditations a matter of choice, especially under this conduct of thy judgment ? Surely God gave thee, with thy new nature, some power to govern thy thoughts. Art thou again become a slave to thy depraved nature ? Resume thy authority. Call in the Spirit of Christ to thine assistance, who is never backward to so good a work, nor will deny his ;help in so just a cause. Say to him, "Lord, thougayest my reason the command of my thoughts and affections : the authority I have received over them is from thee ; and now, behold, they l efuse to obey thine authority. Thou com- mandest me to set them to the workofheavenly meditation, but they rebel and stubbornly refuse the duty. Wilt thounot assist me to exercise that authority which thou hast given me ? O send down thy Spirit, that I may enforce thy com- mands, and e$ectually compel them to obey thy will !" Thus thou shalt see thy heart will submit, its resistance be
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