ofl.tigningor Mafler· Slnn~s~ ~nrength tobr,eak in pieces alt ~hofe cord'S of tin t_hat thegodry , are in danger to be ·bound wtth. As .long as thts he1ven will drop facnefs,fo lon·g their hearts cannot be awildernefs. Alas take the ftrongeft C[trifiian that is, le,t him be never fo weli · fortified, yet if he he had no more then his own power, he would quickly prove the prodigall, and fpend all hi~ fiock;for do not Adam and the apofiate Angels abundantly confirm us, That man liveth not a godly l.tfe by his own induO:ry, but the quickning promife that makes the dead heart to live, the bar· reo to be fruit full, the firong to be tender and tlexiple. Thus thepromift ronneth, 1 'Will tak.! AWIIJ the hrart of fionc, Ezek. 36. and I "Wilt put m) fear iH their hMrt, that they /ht~ll never depart from me, Jer. 31. Hereyou fee its not any thiegwithin a man, but that which is wholly without,thatdoth thus pr~fene and keep erace alive in us; could they be thrown out of this-Ark, this Covenant of grace, they weuld be toffed up and down with the waves of ungodlincl.fe as well as others. Here lieth the O:rength and hope of the godly man, even iq the free gracious promifc of God, that prevents fin, or rcco-. vers out ofit: Infomuch that we may r:ruly fay, ln vain is the heart watched and obferved, unleffe the Lotd alfo keep and deliver it. As Ariftetle faith, if it were not for the motion of the heavens,evcry thing wo"uld be tlricken de24d prefemly) he thought that gave life and·mocion toall things. To be fure were it not for thi5 promife ofgrace, we lbould fall into tbe ' hands ofour enemies,fin and the devil, as well as others. Lafily, Therefore uprightnej{e and a reigning.finc•mnot ftand together, !Jecaufe that "Will put aman upon the conftant and fer– 'flent ufe of 11il the(e means, ~hich are to conquer fin. For you muft know, though the g.odly have this ·promife to be prefer– ved from fin§ dominion, yet it is in the carefull and diligent ufe of the means, whiCh .are divers : There are general means and m.orc particular; General meam are Preaching of the Word and Prayer, no Jufi can prevail over thee whde thou artcarefulJ in the difcharge ofthefe duttes, fin can'not over· come the hearing and the praying ChrHl:ian; thefekeep the devil and Iufts at a diftam:e: So a gcn(ral mean is warchfnl– neffe, and adiligent fianding upon our tower, to forefee the · enemks
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