Goodwin - BV4500 G66 1650

a Chriftians Growth. 6t' affeCtions of the heart more and more into holy duties, and into obedience ; when that intention of mind , as our morning thoughts, and the like, which we formerly fpent upon vanities, are now drawn into prayerand holy meditations, then tufts doe wither ; and when our care is how topleafe God more, and our hearts are more in the duties ofobedience, then doth corrup- tion fink offmore and more ; and thus by diverting our inten- tions, doth God worke out corruptions. And looke, as the Sun dothdraw up the lap out of the root, fo doth Chrift draw out the heart at force times more then at others to holy duties, and unto communionwith himfelfe in theduties : this killeth fin, and caufeth it to wither, namely, by taking away the fap, that is, that intention ofmind which doth ufually nourifh it : Thus i Pet.i.2 2. We purifie our hearts by obeying the truth. Fourthly, by bringing the heart more and more acquainted with Chriít his Sonne : (which is the Fathers work to doe, for none comes to the Son, but Whom the Father drams) Nowhow ma- ny foules are there, who have gone puddring on (as I may fo fpeak) in the ufe ofother meanes, and though in the ufe thereof Chriít bath communicated force verme to them, yet becaufe they did not trade with him chiefly in thofe duties, they have had little in comparifon to what afterwards they have had, when he hath been difcovered to them, as that great ordinance who is appointed by God to get their lulls mortified. Afore this they havewafht, and wafhr, but they have wafht without fope, until! Chriít hathbeen thus revealed to them, and the ver- tueofhis death, and rifing againe, which is compared, Mal. 3. unto Fullersfope, &c. In the 13. Zach. i. it is laid, that godopens afountaine to the houfe of David, for finne and for uncleanneffe : that is, for the guilt offinne, and the power of finne. Now by that opening is not meant the promifeoffending his Sonne into the world to be crucified, but the difcovery of him to beleevers after his being crucified : For Chap. 12. io. he is fiippofed tobe crucifiedalready, for they there fee him whom that' have pierced; therefore that opening there is meant the difcoveryofhim to his people, and him to be the great ordinance of cleanfing them. Now the more diflinttly a man undertlands Chrifl, and how to make ufe ofhim, (who is already made Sanflification to tu) the K more

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