on 2 Corinthians I. 12. 2 z felf bear in upon us all with a ftrong hand the convi &ion of the neceffity of it. For the ill, It is as clear a duty, as it is for you to come to the Church to hear, as it is to read, or to pray, or to fan&ify the Lord's day : Hence it is that, I. It is fa often commanded, as Lam. 3. 40. Hag. i . 5, Gal. 6.4. and Pfal. z. 4. Commune with your heart upon your beds, or fpeak with your heart, or with your Con- fcience (as often in the Old Teflament the heart is put for the Confcience) for 'tis the Confcience properly that.giv- eth the anfwer, and not the heart: So, z Cor. 13. 5. Ex- amine yourfelves whether ye be in the faith, prove your own /elves, &c. the command is doubled, nay, fonneway pled. z. 'Tis clear allo from the ordinary pra &ice of the faints (as hath been formerly inftanced) fo that hard - ly will ye find a tender man but he is thus exercifed ; and the more tender he be, the more is he fo : 'fender David was much exercifed this way, as he gives an ac- count, Pfal. 119. 59. 'thought (faith he) on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy teflimonies. For the zd, viz, the profitablenefs and excellency of it, it is not only a commanded duty, but a choice mean for bringing about many excellent ends ; I fhall inftance its excellency amongft others in thefe three refpe &s; i. 'Tis excellent in this refpe&, as it is a molt clear, fresh and refreíhful evidence of a tender walk, and of a man that maketh Confcience of his way. He that doth truth (faith Chrift, fohn 3. zi,) cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifeji that they are wrought in God: He is not only content to abide a trial, but he putteth himfelf to it ; he bringeth his deeds to the light, to fee if they be wrought in God : On the contrary, he that doth evil ha- teth the light, and cometh not unto it, left his deeds fhould be reproved. Mutt not this then be an excellent duty, which is fo clear a chara&er an d property of one that walketh tenderly in all duties ? Nay, let all duties be put, together, without this none of them, nor all of them in a conlun &ion, can evidence a man's tendernefs ; for 'tis this that giveth him (as it were) a grip of his duties, and putteth them to the touch.ftone, and fheweth what reality is in them ; what are to be looked to as ac- cep.
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