The Chrifidns journal!. [i him in truthofheart without hypocrife,faith,they arefuchasgoe fromflr: ;th íufirengthg: men that docwadkfi, the LawoftheLordh:theft manner fpe:: mgs Pf2 sÿä. doe i celfàtily implyproceeding. Ic istruely faide,that in Religion nc; to goe forward, is togo backward, and that that mans knowledge and feeling is but a mare conceit, a matterof fancieooely, which is not accompaniedwitha de- f;reofencreaCe. All preaching, all exercifes of Religionayuae at one of dirk two, either to conuert thofe that are vncalled, or tobuilde vp thole whichare concerted. Defire thefincere milke of the Word, faith the Apoftle, thrt yeamay grow thereby, ; and Godgales hisSpirit veto hischofen,not only to renew them, i rPcc,a,i, and tobeget in themCome little fparklesofgrace, but to make them perfeÉbingood workes k. We aright to thank! Godalwayerfar you, faith And totheTheffalonians, k becaufe yoirfenthgroweth exceedingly'. The chofen ofGod are likened to trees h i hcGi.ç. planted by the ricers ofwaters, which will bringforthfruit induelea /oe, whofe leafe dot!: neuerfade.: this is not all, for they doenot onelyhold theirowne,but m are Co full oflap,that theyPalming forthfruit intheir age, and mien :has bee o z T.9 fateand onri ino °. Esill men faith the Apoltle, waxe worfeandworfe andfall awaymo andmore,fromone extremit to drsn ennestothir as UDrh,.S. y g k_ ñ " Deúez9 t4. Mops fpeaketh. Itcannot then but be adilhonourtoGod, ifhisSpirit flrallnot - be able toworkto themakingof thofe that arehisbetter & better,to the kading them bydegrees nearerand nearer uponperfeétion. Thusyou fee the certainty ofthis point, namely, that the enterersinto this gate aide, muff not hand (35 it were) about thedoore, and lit themdowse as Coolie as they hale beginne ro talkof good things, but there is a waybefore themto be trauelled in; and, as through thenecelsitieofNature, they come eueryday nearer to the endoftheir dayes, fo by the power ofgrace, they mutt ftriur tocome curry day nearer to the endof theirfaith, the faluation of theirroutes. Let vs apply ir. To reprooue that which hathbeen reprooued often,but is not yet reformed, pp 3; and that is ourliackneffe,and our lluggifhnesin fpirituall things. There is not one manofmany, but hethinkes, and is verily perfwaded, that he hath religion enough, and that he is comefar enough in the wayesofgodlineffe, bee knoweth enough, and hee is zealous enough : J delire but the teftimonies ofyour Dane hearts towitneffe withmee, whetherthat whichI fay be nottruth ; for ifit were nàt fothat menwere ftrongly perfwaded,that for matters ofReligion they were forward enough, how could itbe that they lhonld make fo little account of the means tobring themveto moreperfeßion ? how is it pofsible that they fhonld notbe aihumedofthECluesto be foundat this honre, as ignorant in the grounds ofpietie, andas flacks in the dutiesofGods worship, and in the pra&ifeof ho- linetre, as they weremany yeeres agoe ? There bea great many ofvs touching whom , if it were enquired what knowledge in Religion they had Tome good numberofyeeres fince,what zeale they !hewed in the promoting ofGods king- dome, what care in the hearing of Godsword, and in theworflrip and feruice ofhis name: and againe,how it farethwith them for theft things at thisperfent : it will bee found, that locke how it wasof old, fo it is yet, ignorantthen, igno- rantyet; carelelfe then, careleffe yet; noalteration, no change,vnleflèitbe this, namely, thatnow they are more dull, more vnteachable, more hardned, more cold-hearted, moreprofane, more obftinate then before. How can this holde forgood at theday of tryall? you fee the countofChriftianiry which leadeth to eternal! happinefte,hath both a gate to enter at, and a way to got forward in. How (hall we thinke toarriueat the rearofthe Lord, ifwemake no confcienceto proceede in goodnelfe? If weeRand at a point, propounding to our feines a forme and courfe,whichwewill (till go round ìn, like a horfe iaamill,and further thenfo we will notpane, we will beat a !tint inourreligion,and beyondthat we will not goe : it isas vnpofsiblefor vs to beCaned, as it is for him to come to an bodeortownmanymiles off, who feting theway to ir, hands hill in it, and S 2 nuts
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