552 Thepromifeof theSpirit, of walking S $ c x-XI. that he who falls into finmay blame God ; for his flothfulnefs, negligence and carelefnefs, makes God towithdraw his helping hand in that need : So that al- though the caufeof one mans fall, is his own fin : Yet the canfe of the other mans !landing, is Gods grace vouchfafedunto him , yea, the famegodly man as David, findes a great change in his own heart : fometimes he is able to troll in God, to overcome temptations ; at othertimes be is caftdown, and bath no ftrength within him Whence is all this? but from theebbings and flowingsof exciting grace : Andthis is a clear experimental demonftration of this truth, Atfometimes the leaft temptation, the leaffnare, is ready tomake a godly man fall ; at another time, though ftrong winds and tempefts blow upon him, yet he is able to hand like Mount Sian, that cannot be removed. Now this diffe- rencecomes not from within a man, but fromwithout, aschis aflifling and ex, citinggrace is ready, or afar off. Wbat a bleffed In the next place, let us confider, howbleffed andhappy a thing it is,to have fate is is to not onely theprinciples of grace, but the aetings and caufations of it : And have thsfe Fidt, Hereby the foul Will be kept from negligence, dtelnef$ and all abasements I orfalls in our love to God: All the while grace is thus caufing thee to walk,cau- fing thee tobealways doing, no dulnefs or ftupidity will enter upon thee; all thewhile a man is in exercife and motion, beBothnot takecold ; all the while the fireams run, they cannot grow muddy : Now a godly man is faid To have Riversof living haterflowingfrom hoe belly; he is nota fountain fealedup,they are daily flowing, and then they cannot grow noifom; the iron that lieth hill groweth tufty, and is not fit for safe : Now what a comfortable condition is this to thegodly,-to have thy heart never lie frill, butalways hungring, 'thirft- ing, or movingafter God and good things one way or other ! As the heart it felf, you fee, never lieth Hill, but is always in motion ; fograce in the heart, when furred upby God, it is always working,puttingon, drawing out the foul : Whatmakes the godly fo grieved, fo dejeeted many times? its the decay, the fall they finde within themfelves,but this toutinggracemakes all thingsflourifh. Secondly, This caufing grace, as it preferveth from decays in the degree of grace, fomach morefromgrofs and tannins: Oh David and `Peter wanted this help inthe midui of theirtemptations, and therefore they were fo dangeroufly Overcome: This is the onely Prefervative and Antidote againft fin; not the principlesof grace, but the autings of grace: This is called by the Apoftle, Grace to helpin time of need,Heb.4.16. óvlos iii, Oh this is admirable, whengrace comes in the very need thouwert in ! thou werteven falling into filch a fin, thou wert evendrowning, and this comes and lifts up thy head. 3. Thirdly, Thin at-towing grace Will make a man inaprepared framefor everydu- ty; and torefff every kinde of temptation; And what can be more defired then this ? Ask this of God, and you beg the wholeKingdom of grace : He that is prepared to do every duty, and to refift every temptation, though he (hould drink anydeadly thingof fin, thougha Viper of luftfhould fallen on him, yet it would not hurt him : Thus theScripture (peaks oftenof being prepared, and ready forevery good work : When God commandsFaith, Patience,Zeal, to fay, My heart is preparedor fixed, I come to dothy Will, O God : The heart of it fell is no waysfitted for any good aftion ; and though the principles of grace be within, yet amanmay be very indifpofed to what is holy : Now this caufing grace is the file to takeoff the ruft, its the whetting of the edge, its the furring up or 'blowingOf the coals intoa flame ; and the excellncyof this grace, is no lets feen in theconfirming andcorroborating of the heart againft temptations: Weare taught topray conftantly, That God would not lead us into temptatie»s, Temptationshave difcovered the rottennefs, guile and falfhood of mens hearts : It was a temptation difcovered the fecondkinde ofground to haveno root ;; who knoweth his heart in temptations ? Peter in a temptation, differed much from himfelf when without it. Now there is nothing doth fo fortifie and make
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