Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

Ss C T. VII, Of IleHeartsEflotblifhment by Grigie. 31./ but in a nuns dirties and approaches to God; therefore faith the Apoftle, I wouldhaveyouferve the LordWithout dffraHion; fee bow divinely' the Apostle preffeth that point, t Cor,7.3r. Iwould have you düká+was be withoutdividing cares : The heart mutt not be like the Levites wife; cut in many pieces; and verf. 35. Thatjotmay attend upon theLord without difrataion, ¿TÜp`.4.1 anex- cellent word, it fignifieth leaving all! things, and fitting our felves onely to thisbufinefs, and zeetavdso,cnot to be (liftr:hied and violently taken off from it The Heathens cu'lom was to fay,Hoc age, in theirfacrifices ; and it is a proverbial fpeech, Liberetme desee ab leonine unpur tantnm negotiir deliverme from a man that hath but one bufinefs in hand; for he is likely tobeä defperate enemy Here- in then is the admirable power of grace feen, that the heart is colledted and united/sfl his Love, all bisFaith, all his joy runs the fameway ; not but that befo lowétti his worldly imployments, but with fubordinatioo, and he cloth ahem coinparatively,as if he did them not. This is the work and(tndy of Chrilli- ane, this God bath called -them to. 6. Grace doth therefore effablifh andfettle the heart, becaufe it makes a Mango g; forward on apace, and toget up into an higher pitchofholinefs; now, there is no It make: a lucb remedy againft unitedfaftnefs, as to grow in grace. The Apoftle Peter man tt; l to when he bids belietverstake heed of falling from their tìèdfaftnefs, fie direers gr,, antl gr0 them to this as a fpeeial Antidote, Butgrow ingrace,and in the FnoWledge of yetis toholinets. Chriff,a Prt.3. r 8.Its a neceffary thing in Chriliianity, nottocontent our felves with lowprintiples, but to propound to our felves the higheft expreffions and degreesof grace : Thus Paul forgot allbehinde, and did profs forward Phil.; ftretchout himfelf to reach and lay hold upon Eternal life: Alas, the way of Grace is fo exalt, bath fogreat a latitude, that there is work enoughdi exercifè thy felf therein all thy life time, and yet at lati think thy felfbut a Dwarfcom- paratively, to the Giant thou fhouldft be ; why then art thou fo carelefs and negligent? Haft thou all the faith thou canft have? All the heavenly minednelsthou mayeft have ? Canft thou go no further in godlinefs ? look up- onDavid and Paut in their courfe ofgodlinefs, and thou wilt cry out, Oh drawme; I ambut the fhadow of a godly min: -There is fo much perfeflion ihthe way of holinefs, that I tremble at my imperfetions. 7. Grace sloth ofiabdilh and fettle the heart, by the joy 4nd.heavend) conolatien y, Which many timesflow fromit e Thatas bread is called the ítaffofa man;it nourifii- By Joy and ethand maintaineth him in ftren_th, and wine makes glad the heart of men, all Confolitiañ , which produce much natural ftrength ; fo grace accompaniedWith the fence of Gods love in the Gofpei, and joy therein, Both very much confirm a man, Hence the joy ofthe Lord is Paid to be the godlier- flrength, Nell 8. ro and where grief and a wounded Mirk is, there are weak hands add feeble knees. As a piècé of timber while moat and full oflap, is not able to bear up ant weight,; thusagodly man devoidof comfort and fpiritual joy, is like fruit eatenwith many worms, every bloat Will make it fall to the ground; but godlinefs With the comforts attending it, do revive and keep up the fpirits of men,, irífomuch that graceput ftrength into the Ma tyrs, and i tabled them to contist with all tniferies;and it may Maly be thought,that thewant of the experienceofthis folid and unfpeakable joy in theHoly Ghoft, makes men feek out for comfort in other things, forall life is for Tome pleafure and joy, and if it bath it not one way, it will try another way : Now thou taketh to much delight in Difputing, in Qeftions, in Controverfies, becatife; it may be; thin haft not the lolid experi- enceof thebell joy, which is, in the fpiritualexercife of godlinefs: So alfo an- other he takes no delight but in the encreafe of wealth and temporalgreatnefs, becaufehe cannot faywith David, Lòrd, thou haftput morecomfort in my heart, then they hadWhen their Wine 4ndny!encreafeth, Pfal, q. Oh then when a Ch ritli- áncan fay toevery temptation, thatwould draw him off from minding the fa. -vourythings of godlinefs,Why doye tempt me tomy lofs ? I cannot be better. Sf No

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