FIo to live to god. X fo:necimes he wanes thole encouragements. Mark now, how a man determineth and refolveth, toaét, or to ceafe his ae ion, by venue of there Incouragements. Sometimes you (hall fee that there is a command to a duty, but no outward incou- ragemcnt to that duty, that may fatisfie the delire of á mans heart in felf-refpeets. He muff obey God in this commandsbut he (hall gain nothing in the worldby it ; he (hall neither grow rich, nor get more efteem among meni or have a moreeafie or pleafant life in outward things ; all Pelf-refpeét fail in this a$ion. The queftion is. Wha: a man refolveth ispon.in this ? If now hisheart flartafide fromGod,and fall off from the duty( becaufe he wants thofe incouragements that a man looksafter, a wayfor himfelf, fulnefs to himfelf; then it is evident, thou haft refpeét to thy fell. Tchu all the while, that his zeal to God might further him, and the betterfettle himfelf in the Kingdom of !frail; he can call others to come up and fee hie zeal for the Lord; but when his zeal had no fach Baite, and allurement to thofe actions,. then jebu turneth again,} Gad, and falleth to Idolatry and other, fins : Jeha is not now the man , when theft incouragements fail, that he was before. You have abundance in fohn 6. ro. Seeking Chrift, that (till difcovered a 1o11.6.1o: living to chemfelvesin ir. rúu Peekme (faith our Saviour ) bet ampof the Loaves: They had force outward advantage by him , and therefore fo long they fought So the Lord difcovered them in Hof, 7. to be faach as lived to themfelves even in Hof. 7; holy duties : ruacry unto me ( faith God ) but it is for corn, wine, and oyl:Tor this they cryed; but when they hadcorn, and wine, and oyl, what zeal had they (hen? He that fhould have been upright when he waxedfat, he kicked with the $eel, as the Lord fpeaksunder theName of Jefurum to Ifrael That is one cafe ; Gonlder when things come thus, that fometime thofe worldly advantages fall ofl Deuei ;¡ from a man in the profe(Iion and preetife of Religion ; if he fall off from the duty coo, he is a. man that liveth to himfelf. This was the cafe of the fecond and third . grounds, they received the Seedwith joy ; that is, when they were fenfible of corn. fort 'they followed Chrift, but afterward when perfccutionarofe for theGofpel, the fell of, and Cooke o9ente. Such as chele live to themfelves ; they feem to live to God, but it is to themfelves : And therefore when felf-refpefts fail, they fall o coo. Secondly, take another inftance for the cleariog of it a Suppofe that not only'Infizinse 2 fenfible advantages fail, but fenfible difadvantages come in the world. A man is fenfible that he (hall difadvantage himfelf much,if he go on in the waysof obedience to God. It may be.if he make confcience of his ways, he mutt make reflation of hiseftatç, unju(tly gotten. He mutt deny himfelf in a greater meafure ofpleafdr es, :hat hebath unlawfully ourfued. He muff empty himfelf in works of mercy, and piety, of a great part ofhis efface, for thegood of others, that God may beglori- fied by his fubffanee. He (hall lofe force worldly Friends; Come etteem among men. :litre are fenfible difadvantages to a man. Now the Ooeftion is, what he refolveth co dot Here is the commandof God ; and here is ( the thingwhereuponthe heart f man, and hisaffeftions are let upon ) difadvantages in the world. Thefe come ogether. Here is an occalion for a Luft, a finful affection to eaprefs it fell ; If hat be laid in the Reliance, and fhall prevailabove the ocher : That rather than I mill endure difadvantage in the world, I will negleht the way of ferving God : Chis party liveth to himfelf ; whatfoever good he did before in matters of Religion, ill was done to himfelf: I fay when rhefe two come together, as you knowwhen wo men walk together, and one fervent foIloweth them, a man knoweth not avhofe fervent he is till they part s' bat when they parr, a ,(rangermay know whole fervent he is; he followeth his own Matter,. and leaved, the other. Sowhen God and theworld go together,God and a mans ownadvantages go together ; when their is nothingcommanded, but fianderh with his own advantages: So Iong a mans de- ceitful heart may flatter, and delude, and mifguide him, he mayao onin afalfepes- fwafion, and in a (trong conceit that he is in Chrift, inableffed efface.. But when hefe twopart; that I (hall not only not advantage my Pelf, but fenfibly difadvan- R 2 tage
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