l 0 3 I Qrnllion.e, and Cafe.rof Confcience Chap, ía I. II. V. VI. VII. Que(I. What meaner may roe ufe toprevent this backflidirg, andto be quick- ned m gate? .Anfa>. Ftríl, we mull go toChriff forlife and quickening grace : He carne I for that end that we right hive life, &c. John jo. io. Nowtoartainhere- unto we mufibelieve in him, John 7. 3S. and then he invites us, !fa. 55. i, Believe inthe Lord Jefus Chrifi, fer your hearts upon him, leek after him, and you than have all good, even life it [elf. Secondly, carefully to attend upon the Minifiery of the I/1 ord. So a Cor. 6.11, ra.. Tow art not ftraianed in car, but in your own bowels : Forourn;oisth is open to yoo : q. d. Inour Minil}ry there is abun lance of grace, life, &c. we come with our armes full, you may be enlarged lweetly thereby, but that you are f }rairened in your ownbowels. Thi-dly, A careful Ihunning of all thofe caufes of deadneffe and backfliding, which were before -mentioned. Fourthly, be earnefi withGod to quicken thy heart ro pray for his grace, that God would be pleafed to put life into thee. Pray as Ehjolt did, that fire from heaven may core upon thy facrifice to warme and heat thy heart, and to fir theeup to that which is good, as the Church doth, Ff41. ,o. rg. 0.^st .k r. its, and we will call upon thy Name. Of all Petitions wefhould pray moll for lifeand zeale, next to Gods glory and our own falvation , (nay, indeed as the very meanes of both) : For indeed there is no grace that we have more need of then this, for it fets all other gracesonwork, and its moll acceptable toGod : yea, its the greatefi bleffing God can bellow upon us. Hence Pfd. a i 9. a 56. Great are thy tender mercies, quicken me, O Lord, &c. where he takes the quickening of his heart as a gracious effe& of Gods infinite mercy to his foul. Fifthly, be diligent to take earnefl and effeelual paines in this work, and in all Chrihianduties in all the Worfhip ofGod : There is a fecret bleffing upon all thofe that take paints even in the meanell calling, Prov. lo. 4. So it is in regard offpiritual life, there is a fecret bleffing upon thofe that are diligent a- bout the meanes of grace : as inprayer, (hiving again(} fin, hearing the Word, fan&ifyingtheSabbath, receiving the Sacraments, &c. fuch (lull thrive in grace, when others (hall be like Pharaohs lean kine, Prov. 13. II. He that gathers by labour(hall encreafe : to is it here. Paul though he carne late into the vineyard, yet by his diligence he out-went all the tea of the A pofiles, Sixthly, we muff exercife that grace we have, and then we fhall rever fall. If a man havebut a littleknowledge, and ufeth, and improves it , it will much encreafe. If we make ufe of our relentings and meltings, and firike whilefl the iron is hot ; Ifwe a& and exercife any grace, it will prove like the loaves in the difciples hands, which whileft theywere diflributing, encreafed. Grace is like a fnowball that encreafethby rowling. Seventhly, and laftly, confider the examples of Gods Worthies in all Ages, which will much quicken us to be as forward as they : when James would Jquicken them to patience, he propofes the examples of Job and the Prophets, am. 5. i o. So when he would quicken them to Prayer, he propofeth the ex- ample of Elias, v. 17, 18. The zeale of others will provoke ús, a Cor. 9.2. Sowhen Chrift would exhort his difciples to fufferperfecution, he faith, Cornet fader the Prophets whichwereperfecuted, Mac. 5.12. . Quef . what motives may perfiwade oes to avoid that deadneffe whichaccompa nies, or precedes baclçßiding ? Anfiv. Firf}, confider the woful Ingredients of this finne, which are r: Adulneffe and blockifhneffe to learne any thing that is good ; as its (aid
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