the whole Armour ofGott 34 in any duty ; poilibly thou knoweft the time when thy heart e. choed back to the motions ofGods Spirit, bidding thee, Seek hie face; Thy face,Lord,will feek.; yea, thou dicta long as much till a Sabbath or Sermonfeafon came as the carnal wretch doth till it be gone ; but now thy puife doth not beat fo quick a march to the Ordinances publick or fccret; nature cannot but decay, if appetite to food go away ; a craving foule is the thri- ving Joule, fuch a childe that will not let his mother reft, but is frequently crying for the breaft, Secondly , when thou declineit in thy care to performe duties in a fpiritual fort, and to preferve the fenfe of thole more in- ward failings, which in duty none but thy felf can check thee of. It is not frequency ofduty, but fpirituality in duty caufeth thri- ving, and therefore negle6t in this point foonbrings grace into a confumptive pollute. Poffibly, foul, the time was thou were not fatisfied with praying, but thou didft watch thy heart fltiet.; ly, (as a man would every piece in a fumme of money he payer; left he fhould wronghis friend with any braffe or uncurrant coin) thou wouldeft have God not only have duty, but duty ftamp't with that faith which makes it currant, have that teal and fince- ritywhich makes it Goipel weight ; but now thou art more care- lefs and formal;Olook to it(poor foul)thou wilt,if thou continue thus careleffe; melt in thy fpiritual elate apace. Such dealings will fpoil thy trade withheaven.. God will not take off thefe flighty duties at thy hands. Thirdly, when a Chriflian gets little fpiritual nourifhment from communion with God, towhat it bath done. The time bath been (may be) thou couideft fhewwhat camesof 'thy pray- ing, hearing and fafting ; but now the cafe is altered. There is a double ftrength communion with God imparts to a foule in a healthful difpofition, ftrength to faith, and ftrength for our o- bediential waking ; doeft thou hear and pray, and get no more ffrength co hold by a promife, no more power over, or bro- icenneffe of heart under thy ufnal corruptions ? what? come down the Mount and break the Tables of Gods Law, affoon as thou art off the place? as deep in thy paffion, as uneven in thy courfe as before? there is a luredecay of that inward heat,whieh fhould andwould(ifin its right temper) fuck fome nouriihment from thefe. Thirdly XX 3,
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