felt does, tho' he had lefs of ii dwelling in him, than =oft of Chriftians living have. O, but a man that is fe- rioufly aiming at holinefs, is well acquainted with the frowardnefs and rebellion of his own heart, and large in the expreffions of the deceit and wickednefs that is in it He will be far from coming to God, as the Pharifee did, in the ruff of his fpiritual pride, with, Lord, I thank thee, I am not as other men, nor like this Publican ; and as ma- ny carnal gofpellers do, with, We thank God, we have an honeft mind, while in the mean time they take liberty to fin, and are at no pains to mortify it, nor to live t® God ; nay, but his complaint will fadly be, Ah ! I have a heart that is like the raging Pea, my corruption leads me captive ; all the thoughts and imaginations of my heart, naturally are wicked and ill, only, and continually ill; and yet he refts not on his complaints, but Peeks to win above the grounds of them the reafon is, his great defire to live honeftly, makes what is contrary to it to be fo much the more hated, wearied of, and even de- fpited ; he likes his corruption worft, and abhors it molt when it prevails over him ; he loves to have fin difcove- red, but he hates that which is difcovered. 5thly, The,;. lincerely- willing man makes'no great account of his own bonefty ; he is far from thinking that he hath any thing to boaft, or to be proud of ; he loves holinefs fo very well, that he thinks not much of what lie bath attained, fo as to make him halt and fit down there, as if he needed go no further ; he forgets all that's behind, in that refpe&, and lays with the apoftle, Phil. 3. accor- ding to his meafure, Not as f I had attained, or were al- ready perfet ; one thing I do, forgetting theft things that are &hind, and reaching forth unto theft things that are before, I prefs towards the mark, for the prize. He is fo taken up with preiling delves and endeavours to be forward, that any thing he hath attained, he is not much taken, and far lets vainly tickled with it as thefe proud Phari- $ es were with their giving of alms. The attainment that many offer as an evidence of their honeft willing efs, and their pleading for it, with their proud boafting of it, is a Ihrewd evidence of their real unwillingnefs, te 4n fo far as they fit down contentedly with what they have
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