6? g. Hnw pro fella are faid toloofe theirfavour. grow barren by it, certainly there is a curfe on that ground that hath fait thus Town on it , and there is a curie on this heart that lives under the Minitlry of the word , and have there bier- fed truths preached to them, and yet be barren.. Now is follows, " M .i': a' 4v: T,.: If Salt hath ¡fih;'; favour,xherca,;th,fh.al .defafoned, Now this is applicable either to profeffors of Religion that do in their degree carry about with,them the truths of the Gof pei, Lu1. 14. a5. compared with verf. 3 5. Or to Miniflers if they have 1641 their {avor,wherewirh 11,a1l it be faked: To (peak briefly of the words in reference to rrofeflórs of Religion,who have underftanoing of many truths of theGofpelt and -for a time doth hold them forth and imbrace them, and have been of very good ufe in former time in the Towns,, Parid es, and in families, where they have.lived ,, they have . been as fait, many have received great benefit from them by that knowledge that they have, and by the excellent gifts that they had through the' Gofpel, but yet force of them lofe their favor ; Where there is true grace in the heart that will never be loft, but where many truths and gifts come by the Gofpel they may be loft, and many that have been profeflors' of Re- ligion have loft, their favor, that is they were very full of fer- venrnefs and zeal, and heat in their duties and performances, none could come amongft them but found their hearts better'd by, them then they were before , but now they have loft their favour, now there is no filch vigor and livelinefs, but now they are grown flat and cold, flat in their duties, formal in their ways, there is little good to be gotten by them or expeéted from thent,when you do convene with them,many of them are grown untavory, they have mingled bate lulls with their pro - fefl on and zeal, and have loft the power of it, they are grown earthly, their corruptions have prevailed over the fair, though they for a while feemed to be kept down, yet afterward they had got power over thole truths that they had in their under- fiandtn s, and that they had Qpeni y profefled,their corruption now
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