Recommeuded from Phil. 2. 1 2, 1 3· there lhould he much ftriving and ihuggling with the Heart, and much carefulncfs and circumf!)c(tion over the VVay and Life. Now t here are Four great and ufual Duties every Man bath to do, which is F_ou~ Du.. enough to fil~ up all the time of his Life, were it ftretched and tcnccr'd out to the b'::r'~~u;y end of our ttme. . Chr.ifliJns. (1.) Firft, He is to get the Truth and Reality of Grace wrought 11~ him; this iS 2'1 g(11be his firft and genera l Work: And this will coft a Man mt1Ch .sweat and Anguirh, for Trmhof this he muft fufti::r many Pangs and Throws of the New Birth, and fhalllie under Gract. many Fears and Je<l:loulies, left Hypocrifie and Prefumption Ihouldcaufe him to miftake in a Matter of fuch infinite Concernment. (2.) SeCOf!dly, lie is to draw forth, and to aa this Grace when once it is wrought :to an in him. This is the next Work of a true Chriftian, continually to .act Faith, Love, Grace. Patience, Humility, and to let all have their perfeCt Work": And there is no mo~ ment of a Man's Life fo idle, but all may adminifter fome Occation or Obj"e{t for the exercife Of Grace. · (3.) T11ird!y, A Chrifi. ian's next Work is continually to grow and increafe in Togrowiu Grace: To go [rom Strength to Strength, to be changed from Glory to GlrirJ. Still to Grace. be addin·g Cubits to his fpi'ritual Stature, till he is grown to fuch a height and tallnefs in Grace, that his Head fhould reach into Heaven and be Crowned there i11 abfolute PerfeCl:ion, with a Crown of Glory and Immort:tlity. Here is thatWork that will keep you in lmployment all your Days 7 and if you can find one fparc minute in your whole Lives wherein you have not fome Duty to perform, then give over and fit frill. But befides all this, (4.) Fourthly, Another Work of a Chrifi.ian is earneftly to labour after theEviM CIJrifiians dence and A~uranc:.c of qrace in hl~felf. G_iv.e afl diligenu, fays t.he Apoftle, to r;:t; 1 :; make your Callmg and ~le{horJ Jure. Stt\1 a Chnftaan muft be afcendang, afccnding Ajfu~n'e from a probable ConJefiure to a good Perfuafion, from a good Perfuafion to a of Grace. full Aifurance, from that to a Rejoycing with Joy unfpcakable and full of Glory. Thefe now are the general Works that fhould take up the Lives of Chriftians, and to thefe are,fubfervient almoft an infinite number of Particulars, fome whereof are means whereby thefe great Things are obtained, others are Concomitants or the EffeCts and Fruits of them; but I will not fo much as mention any of them now. For fhame then, 0 Cbriftians, fince that your Work is fo great, why will you fit U:i\l as if you knew not how to imploy your felves? Befidcs, there is great variety in your Work, and this ufually breeds fome kind of Delight. You are not always to be toilinr; and drudging at the fame thing: But as .Bres fly from one Flower to another and fuck fweetnefs from each of them; fo lhould a "Chriftian pafs from one Duty to another, and draw forth the fwectnefs of Communion with God from every one of them. (3.) Thirdly, To evince the greatnefs of this \.Vork, confider it is a Work thilt To %110r.i muft be carried on againft many Encounrers and fl:rong Oppofitions that a Chriftian f:r s1~·· wil.l certainly meet with; within are ftrongC~rruptions, without are ftrongTemp- ;~~~~¥;-~ tattoos; you have a treacherous and deceitful Heart within, and this Traitor holds • Intelligence and League with your great Enemy the Devil without: You are fure to meet with Diffictilties, Affronts and Difcouragements from a peevilli i\1-conditi .. on'd World in whiCh you live: Never any yet could fcape free to Heaven witbout meeting with thcfe Things. A~d doth not all this c~ll upon you to ~ork and ftrive for Salvation? Is it a time to fit frill when you have all this Oppofition to break through, fo many Temptations to refi!t, fo tuany Corruptions to mortify, Sattm that old Serpenr to repel, and make him become a flying Serpent? Doth not all this require a morofe Conftancy, and a kind of four Refolvednefs to go through the ways of Obedience, notwithfbnding all Oppotition? Thefe great Things are not to be atchieved withOtlt great Pains and Labour; ·and therefore, if you refolve to do no more than a few h€artlefs Willies, no more than a few more heartlefs Duties will amount to, never raifc your Expectations fo high as Salvation; for let me tell you, Salvation will not be obtained at fuch a rate as this; no, there muft be great Struglings and Labour, with earneftConteo.dings , if ever you intend to be faved. · And thus much for the Jirft Argument taken from the confideratiOJl of the great- . G g g g g > ncfs
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