PART III, ofgracious "''eelions: 235 offend one of thefe little ones, &c. Ver. 10. Take heed that ye de- fpife not one of thefe little ones. Ver. 14. It is not the Will of your Father which is in Heaven, that one ofthefe little ones íhould periíh.' John 13. 33. ` Little Children, yet a little while am h with you.' Lititle Children are innocent and harmlefs: They don't do a great deal of Mifchief in the World : Men need not be afraid of them : They are no dangerous Sort of Perfons : Their Anger don't laft long They don't lay up Injuries in high Refentment, entertainingdeep and rooted Malice. So Chriflians, in Malice, are Children, 1 Ger. 14. 20. Little Children are not guileful and deceitful; but plain_ and fimple : They are not verfed in the Arts of Fid1ion and Deceit ; and are Strangers to artful Difguifes. They are yieldable and flexi- ble, and not wilful and obftinate ; don't truft to their own Under. $landing, but rely on the Inftruaions of Parents, and others of fuperi- our Underftanding. Here is therefore a fit and lively Emblem of the Followers of the Lamb. Perfons being thus like little Children, is not only a Thing highly commendable, and what Chrif'cians approve of, and aim at, and which fore of extraordinary Proficiency do attain to ; but it is their univerfal Charad1er, and abfolutely neceffary in order to entring into the Kingdom of Heaven ; uniefs Chrift was miftaken ; Matth. 18. 3. ' Verily I fay unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little Children, ye fhall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.' Mark Io. 15. ' Verily I fay unto you, whofoever fhall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child, he (hall not enter therein. But here fame may be ready to fay, Is there no fuch Thing as chriftian Fortitude, and Boldnefs for Chrift, being good Soldiers in the chriftian Warfare, and coming out bold againit the Enemies of Chrift and his People ? To which I anfwer, There doubtlefs is fuch aThing. The whole chriftianLife is compared to aWarfare, and fitly fo. And the molt e- minent Chriftians are the beft Soldiers, endowed with the greateftDe- grees of chriftian Fortitude. And it is the Duty of God's People to be ftedfaft, andvigorous in their Opptzfition to the Defigns and Ways of fuch, as are endeavouring to overthrow the KingdAn of Chrift, and the Intereft of Religion. But yet many Perfons faun to be quite miftaken concerning the Nature of chriftian Fortitude. 'Tis an ex- ceeding diverfe Thing from a brutal Fiercenefs, or the Boldnefs of Beafts of Prey. True chriftian Fortitude confrfis in Strength of Mind, through Grace, exerted in two Things ; In ruling and fup- prefl'ing the evil, and unruly Paflions and Affedtions of the Mind ; and in ftedfaftly and freely exerting, and following good AWedtions and.Difpofitions, without being hindred by finful Fear, or the Oppo- fition of Enemies. But the Paffions that are reftrained and 'kept uar- tier, in the Exercife 9f this cluittian Stetig-th atld'9rtitude, are thofe vtry
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