Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.A1 F37 1657

Ar rreatife ofthe1Q úlions, g ¿ gaine,Oicken thou me after thy loving kändnc e, Againe, Qicken me, Oyer rod: Lord, according to thy Word, in another verle. He never would let his heart alone, till he had gotten lite and fpirit,andquickning again. As longas thou art lazie in good duties,no wonder though thou be dead;labouring and fl ri- ving in goodexercifes will heatea mans Joule, and makeit more zealous. The third meaues is keeping goadcompany,as Cleopaswas heated by bc- ing in Chrifts company, Did not our hearts burne within us, layes he, while he talkt with to in the way, Luke 24.32. As the bawdy Poet fail of his fweec- heart, Accede ad :nemhanc. Come to this fire, a whore inflames an adul- terer,one wicked man heats another unto luft and to fin. So every childeof God is a fire for toheart thee. Wouldit thou be zealous? fort with Gods peo- n ple,keep company with the Saints, and fuch as excel! ingrace and venue, 1 Two are better then one, for if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow ; but wo to him that is alone when hefalleth, for he bath not another to helphits tip. Again, iftwo lie together, fayes the Wife man, then they have hcate ; but how can one be warme alonc,Ecclef. 4.9,tO, I I. Doeft thoucomplaint, ! have no zeale, I would beglad to be zealous, but I am exceedingly luke- warme ; do what I can ,fo Iam,and fo I am likely tobe : alas,doeff thou ever look tobe otherwife, as long as thou can't company with vaine perfons,fuch as maybe will talke of Heaven now and then, but there is no beate nor r warmeth in their fpeeches, they are dead -hearted themfelves, and to are their fpeeches, dead and without life. O but I live in a place that is wick- ed, and there's fcarfeone godlyman in the houle where I dwell, and I can finde nonefor to warme me. Doeft thou fo ? fodidObadiah in AhabsCourt, there was nee'r a good Courtier to convene with, and therefore what did i he do ? he made ufe of Gods Prophets inprivate, z King. 18.4. and though he might not be fees in their company for feare of lofing their lives, he hid 1. them in a cave, and therehe would have a bout with them in fecret. Thou G whichnegle Left the focietyof the Saints, never expert to be zealous, Tha- i mas was very faithlefs and full of his doubtings: Onereafon was this,the Dif- 1 ciplesof Chrift had meetings together,andThomas was not with them, (ayes the Text, 7ohn 20.24. The coales that lie together in thehearth, you fee 'a how they glow and are fired, while the little coales that are fallenoff, and a lie by feparate from their company, areblack without fire. If ever thou defireft tobe zealous, make much of the fellowshipofthe Saints : thou canft u hardly comewhere two or three Saints are met together, but thou (halt finde Chrift in the midi$of theme i The fourthmeanes is,Shunning theoccafions of f :n. Mofes would not leavefo much as a hoofe behinde him in Egypt, Exod, i O. 26, that there might be shu nng the u nooccafion for thepeople to turne back intoEgypt ; had he left but a hoofe occafion offin. II behinde there, that were anoccafion to go thither to fetch it. ,braham would not take fo much as a thread or afhooe latches of the King ofSodome, when heoffered him, left there fhould be any hint to the flefh, to diftruft in God. Thou canft neverbe zealous, unlcffe thou /ham the occafioms of fin: If Gen t4. 2 the heart have but an occafiononce to be vaine, its a thoufand to one, but foit will be, deadneffe will fteale on't upon the leaft occafion. Give a theefe butan occa/ion of havinga booty, his fingers cannot hold, When David had given occafion to the enemies of the Lord to blafpheme, the Lord told Nemo din tu.:; him he would punifh him, 2 Sam. 12.14. Why ? becaufe if they had but sus , pericult anoccafion, they wouldbe lure for to take it. Let noman put an occafion to proximus. fall in his brothers way, `Rqm. t 4. i 3. Alas, ifthe flefh have nooccafion, it will layhold on it; it is not enough tokeepout ofa fin, but thou muff go far from it,not onlyfrom fin,but alto from all occafions of fin. Keep theefarfrom falfe matter, Exod.23.7.One thinks I may go fo far and not fin. Thus far I may do, and fo tar is this lawful ; butlet me tell thee, it thougoeff fo faare, 9 M 2 thine

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