Horw the branchn are taP.m out State III,' WIOng lteps in his c.onverfation; the neglect offome duty, or . coJpmiffion of fome fin, which is a blot in his co.nverfation ; atild then the flaming fword of the Ja.wappears aga,in over his head; ana the curfe rings in his ears, for that he continue! nQtfn ALL thingJrwritteninthelarwtodothem, Gal.iii. 10, Fourthly, On ~his account he is obliged to feek another falve for his fo1 e. He goes to God, confeffeth his fin, feeks the paFdon of it, promifing to watch againfl: it for the time to come ; and fo finds eafe, and thinks he may very well take it, feeing the fcripture faith, l('rwe c'Jnfeji burfin!, he ;, faithful and j ufl f? forgi·ve w ourjinJ, · I John i . 9· not confidering that he grafps at a priviledge, which is theirs only who are grafted into ,Chri(l, and under the covenant of grace; and whic.h the branches yet growing on t'he old ll:oc~ .cannot ple.ad. And here femetimes there are formal and exprefs vows made ~gfinfi fueh r.·:d fuch fins, and binding to fuch af!d fuch duties. , Thus many' go on all their days; knowing no other religion _but w do duties, and to confefs, and pray for pardon of thn whet ein they fail ;. promi6ng themfdves etemal happinefs, though they are utter fhan_- gers to Chrill:. · He:e many eleCl: {)Oes have peen cafl: down wounded, and many tep:robates have been ilain; while the wpunds of neither ,of tbe:i\ have 'been deep enough, to cut th'~·m· off from their natural !lock.. But the Spirit . of the Lord gives yet a deeper fl:roke to the branch which is to he cu~ off; !hewing b.iin, that, as yet, he i& but an oz•t}idc faint; and d,ifcovering to him th~ filthy !ufi:s lodged in his heart, wllich he took no notice of before, Rom. vii, 9 · . !¥hen the.commandnumt came,fin revived. and l died. Then he fees his heart a dung~tll of hellit.l1 lufts ; filled with co– vetoufnefs, . pride, malice, 61thinefs, an.d the like. Now, 3S foon as the door of t'he chambtri ,of hir im 1gery is thu!il Upf:.lled to him, and he fees what. t·hey d(J th,:re in the dark, ··. his outfide religion is blown ~p a~ inlufficien'; and hele-trns a oew Jeffon in religio!); namely, That he if not a Jer.p, 'Which if one ?Utrward/y, Rom ii. 28. Fifthly, Upon this he goes further, even ~a ir.fiJe religi– on ; fets to work more vigoumOy . than ~ver, m~urns over the ev.ils of his heart, and ftrives to bear down the .weet~s he £nds growing in that negl eCled garrler. He l;jbours to curb. his fride apd paffion ; and t~ banifi1 ipeculative impuri "es' ; · · ptays ' .,
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