" in the general. 325 great hinderance to others. Wherefore, weakly perfons,. whom total al?flinence would disfit and in– .clifpofe for duty, are not called to fa!l: at that r~te : in their c~fi~, that faying takes plac;:e, Hof. vi. 6. ' I , defired rnercy and not facrifice.' Yet ou,ght they not · in that cafe, to indulge tbemfelves the ufe of meat - and drink, v1ith the fame freedom as at other times; but to ule a partial ab!l:inence, altering the quantity or quality of them, or both, fo as they may thereby be affl.iB:ed, as the Scripture expre1Teth it, Lev. xxiii: 29. So Daniel in his mourning, Dan. x. 3· ' Ate _no · pleafnnt br,ad, neither came fieih .nor wine into his mouth,' . · Mean while, all thefe things are but the outward £hell of thefe duties: the internal and fubfiantial part of them, 1ies in the following fpiritual exercifes. Firfl, Serious meditation, and confideration ofour ways, Hag. i. 5· Suc.h times are to be fet apart from cqnverfing with the world, that we may the more fo– lemnly commune with our ~wn hearts, as to the .!l:ate of matters between God and us. In them we are di– ligently to review our pafi life, ' fearch and try our ways,' L:.am. iii. 40. ~ And we are to fearch out our fins, by a forrowful calling to remembrance, the fins of our heart and life ; and that, as partkularly as we cim: and to fearch ihto them, by -a deep confidem- . tion of the evil of them, and of their agg'ravations, the light, love, mercies, and warnings we have fin– ned againfl: ; tracing them i1p to the fin of our na..' ture, the . impoifoned fountain, from whence they have all proceeded. :And the more fully and freely we convcrfe with ourfelves upon them, we'll be the mDre fit to fpeak unto God anent them, in confeffion , and pleading for pardon • . Secondly, Deep h~mi1iation of foul ' before the Lord; the which was flgnified by the fackcloth and afhes ufed, under the law, on ft1ch occ1fions. The confidcration of our ways is to be pt:~rfued, till our X 4 foul
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=