Ofhardwire ofheart. 5c r thole corruptions, which Chew thernfeltus vnto vs in this holie a&ion,he that bath inioynedvs this duty w ill altogiue vnto vs his holie fpirit,ifwe will attendhis leafure,«hich «il teach-vshow to prayaccordirg toGods w iii withGghes and grones,which cannot be cxpreffed;whereas on the other fide, ifour infirmities and corruptions wholly difcouragevs from performing this dutie,we (hail grieuouflie finne againfl God in tranfgreíling his commaundement, and in robbing him ofachiefe part ofhis worfhip and feruice,and alto wee (hall plunge our (clues into a moll defperate of}are,adioyning our felues vnto the number ofthofe wicked Atheifis, ofwhom the Pfalmiíl fpeaketh,whocall not vponGod,Pfalm.5 3.4. Hal 53 4. And fo much for anfwering thofe tentations, which Sa- §. Sea-6. tan,and our corruption doe fuggeft to difcourage vs from ófthe frco"d the feruice ofGod, which haue their occafion and ground hie1ardrefe; from our hardneffeofheart, and drowfie dulneffe, anddead- of/tam neffe inperforming thefe holy ex-ercifes. The other kind of fenfible hardneffeofheart is feuered from the vfe ofthefe holie meanes ; for fometimes it commeth topaffe efpeciallie in the fpiritual combate oftemptation,that evenGods deare children are fo befottedand aflonifhed,through theviolence ofthe temptations of Satan, and hugewart of their owne corruptions, that they cannot indeuour in no fort to vfe thefe meanes, whereby theymight be comforted and relee- ued in thiswretchedefuate, as the hearing of theword,cal- lingvponGodsname, meditating in the Scriptures,and ho- ly conferences;yea thefe holy exercifes feeme for a time odi- ous and loathfome vnto them, vntill it pleafe the Lord by his owne good fpirit to awaken andraife themvp out ofthis fpirituall trance, andto giuevnto them againe the feelingof his graceand fauour,andgoodmotions and abilities to férue him, and reape comfort vnto themfelues,by thefe holy du- ties. In the meane time fuch are to fitpport themfelues from falling into vtter defperation;by calling to their remembráce their Elate and condition in times páfi : for ifeuer. they haue had anydelight in the holy exercifes ofreligion,prayer, hea- ring the wordand godly conferences, ifeuer they coulddif- cerne in themfelues any faith by. the true fruits offanà ifcar- sion.
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