ceptable to God throughChrift, what nát ; without this he is but a gueffer idly, 'Tis excellent in refpe& of the great influence that it hath on the life of religion, and power of godlinef. Look to the moft fpiritual duties, It hath great influence upon them, not on a few of them, but on them all: Whether it be mortification and repen' tance, it keepeth the heart as it were melting ; the word is, Zecb. i z. Io. They fball look upon him whom they have pierced, and /.hall mourn and be in bitternefs : Or humble walking before God, 'cis impofl'ible without ir; or the heightning our thoughts of God's grace, and the com- mending of Chrift to us, it exceedingly contributes to that. Every difcovered infirmity in the fearch maketh a new errand to him, br the lively way of g.,ing about o- ther duties; as praying in the Spirit, hearing profirably, finging in the Spirit, &c. they cannot be performed to purpofe without it : A perfon that haLii been reiile&ing on a bypaft duty, as of prayer, or of a fermon that he bath heard, viill readily have from it a memento or watch- word not to be fo fuperficial in the next. 3cly, 'Tis ex- cellent in reiped of the many advantages that come bi it, as is already hinted in the two former refpe &s, and might be inftanced in a great many moe ; 'ris ufeful and advantagious for the preventing of fin, for the promo - ving of holinefs, for the compofing of the fpirit, for efla- blithing of peace, and for helping to comfortable and cheerful walking with God. For the 3d, viz, the nece fjîty of it, this appears much from what is already laid, and is fo very great, that 'tis impofiible to attain to holinefs, to mortification, to peace, to be diflin& in our way, to be fpiritual in any duty, or to be tender in our walk without it. We may fay, that this duty in refpe& of a Chriftian life, is like weeding to a garden ; 'tis not fufficient that a garden have frefh feeds fown, and fine plants and flowers let in it, if weeds as they appear be not pulled up without fre- 'quent and careful weeding, the weeds will quickly over- grow and choak the flowers and plants : 'Tis juft fo here, . there being fo many lulls and corruptions in the heart of man, and 'tis fo broody and fertile of thefe filthy weeds, that, unlefs this felf- examination be confcionably and fea- fon-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=