86 CHRISTS larm Secondly, May bee yee want ftrength , yee havemany temptations, and yee have no ftrength tb refilt them, they, come in upon you like the the breaking in of waters; may be yee are tempted to deny all, and to fay yee have no- thing in you; fometimes yee are tempted to give over all, Paying, it is but a folly,! (hall one day be damned,and I were as good give over now, as to doe it afterwards,when it will be worfe, and ye have no ftrength to hold out; fometimes yee cannot meditate , yee cannot pray , yee are faine to break off in the midit ; with bale feares, with fecurity, and vaine hopes, you are tempted to doe as the world does,and yee have no ftrength to oppofe them : Look up to Chrift, yee know the Spirit of Chrift is a Spirit of power, and ftrength, z Tim. z.7, and he bath him for you : Looke up to him then,and cry for his ftrong fpirit. Who knows? may be, you may be able to fay in the end, as Patti does , I c,tn doe all things through chrìff that f rennthens me. Thirdly, May be, yee want boldneffe to call God your Father ; yee are in a quandary, whether yee fhould call him fo or no ; yee are afraid he is none of your Father, and that yee are none of his adopted ones ; yee (ball but blafpheme him to call him your Father, or to expel of him a childes portion : Look up to Chrift, hee hath Each a Spirit in him, whereby yeemay cry, . 46ba Father,Gal. 4. G. Fourthly, May bee, yee want life and quickning,you find your (elves vety dead , even as the Church of Srardie in this place ; I know thy worker, that thou art dead. Look up to Chrift as here he bids thee, hee hath the (even fpirits of God , and hath that which will quicken thee. Chrift him- felfe, when he was naturally dead, he was quickned by his owne Spirit, r Pet. 3, z 8. That very Spirit can quicken thy fpiritualldeadnetle, to every good word and work. His fpi- rit is life, and that will make thee lively ; though thy heart be little better than a Timber -logge in duties , yet if that fpirit get within thee, it will make thee agile , and aftive in every good thing. It is a horrible thing to fee how little Chriftians know of Jefus Chrift , though they have beene thought
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