36 Wherefore take unto you hewrongshis whole body that leeks not cure for a wound in any member. We arc bid to love one another, 2 epifi. of john 5,v. but how (hall we thew our love to one another ? the very next words will.direa us, And this is love,that we walkafter hid Com- mandments. Indeedwe (hew little love toour brethren by fin- ning, whereby we are Cure either to enfnare them or grieve them ; and how to letgrace godown, and fin not go up, is a riddle to any that know what theyboth are, Thirdly, the Chriftian wrongs himfelf innot endeavouring to repaire his broken armour, and recover his declining grace. By this he lofts theevidence ofhis inheritance, at leaft fo blots it,that it cannot be fo clearly perceived by him. A declining Chriftian muff needs be a doubting Chriftian , becaufe the common fym- ptome ofan hypocrite,is to wear and wafte like a flake let in the ground, (which rots, while true grace like the tree grows.) Is not this the knot which the devil pofeth many poor foules withal, and findes them work for many yeares to untie ? If thou wert a Chriftian thou wouldeft grow. Right Saints go from ftrength to ftrength, and thou goeft from ftrength to weakneffe. They go up the hill toZion, every Ordinance and Providence is a flep that bears them nearer Heaven ; but thou goeft down the hill, and art further from thy falvation then when thou didfl firft believe (as thou thoughteft;) and doth it Eland with thy wifdom , Chri- than, to put a flaffe into the devils hand, an argument into his mouth, to difpute againft thy falvation with? If you held an eftateby the life of a childe, which upon the death of it fhould all go away from you, that childe I warrant you fhould be well look% unto ; his bead fhould not ake, but you would poll to the Phyfician for counfel ; I pray what is your evidence for that glo- rious eflate you hope for ? Is it not Chrift within you ? Is not this new creature (which may well be call'd Chrift for its like- neffe to him) the young heire of Heavens glory ? and when that is lick or weak, is it not time to ufe all meanes for its recovery ? while thus, thou canft neither live nor die comfortably. Not live; a man in a confumption has little joy of his life, he neither findes fweetnefre in his meat, nor delight in his work, as a health- IVman doth. 0 how tweet is the promife to faith when aaive and vigourous? how eafie the yoke of the Command to the Chri- Itian, when his confcience is not gali'd with guilt, nor his ftrength
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