CHRIST'S ,Alarm outward thing, and never feek to Jelus , to have the holy Spirit of God. For firlt , many of us have hard hearts that cannot melt at our own flnnes, nor the publick piovocations whereby God is provoked,nor the generali calamities of the Church: our hearts are like a ftone, and we are not affzc`led, nor can bee affefted , no relenting at the Word, no bleeding in any other good duty , nothing moves us : the spirit could (often, yea, and take the ftone away, and Chrift (ayes bee would give him unto us, if we did delire him. I will pìtr'a new fpirit within you,and tako the flossy heart out of the fie¡hh. Ezeka I. 5 9. Hee bath fpirit enough in him to doe it , and yet wee will not fue to him but in a feigned manner, and to a hard heart polTefleth us ftill, which mars all our fa- mily- duties, and all that we doe in the publick aßèmblies: nothing comes of all that wee doe. If our fooli(h hearts would come downe to be fervent after Chrift, this might bee remedied. Hee hath the feven Spirits of God for the nonce. But a fpirit of (lumber bewitches us, and nothing can awaken us to this very day. Never was there a more hard - hearted time, never more hard-hearted Chrillians, nummed,and paft feeling,wi(hing indeed the things mought be mended, but never putting forth our hand to have them mended. Secondly, fcarce any of us can pray, but in a blunt -hear- ted -wife : our prayers never flirre Heaven, never give fo much as a lift to any of our Lults,neither are they any whit anfwerable to the miferies that are on us,whether Periònall or National!, the fpirit çould help us, and enlarge us,as Paul Cayes of the good Ronaos,Te have received the Spirit of A- doption,whercby ye cry A6ba Father,Rom. 8.1 5.And Chrift bath this Spirit in his hand,to give. But we would rather fit woulding and yawning than bee down on our knees before God. Every one almoif bath heavy things that he is confci- ous of : terrible guiltines,horrible tnifgivings,felfe-condem- nings,uncertainties about his latter end,doubtfulneffe whe. ther any thing be found , yea or no; and yet no heart of prayer,
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