PraClical Chrifiianity, D;tty, yet footh up them(clvcs with this, God kn~~s thcit Hcuts arc good, fincere and upright. Let me cut off the foolilh Hopes of thcfe Men in a Word: lt is impoffible the Heart fhould be fincerc where there is _the allowance and likin!! of any one fin in the Life. But l fpeak what 1 have fatd ro thofe w~o upon rhe fight and fenfc of their many Failings, of the dead~efs and nntowardncfs of their. ~carts, of their averfenefs .and indifpofition, of their wand rings and formality 1n the perform_ance of wha~ ts holy and good, n~on the fen(e of thcfe things are ready to be de,et.h::d and dJfcouraged, and w gtvc over domg of any thing becaufe they can. d~ nothin& well : Let ft1ch know, though thc~r Works hav~ not this legal PcrteChon, yet tf they do proceed from a fi~cere upnght perfeCt Heart they lha!l be accepted and rewarded by God. Hez.ektah had his Failirrgs, and th~ Prophet fharply rcp·roves him for his Pride, &c. making ii glorious and boafl:ing Oftentauon of his Trcafure to the King,.of Babylon, yet he prays and appeals to m. ;s. ;. God, Remember, 0 Lord , how lhavewalkrd before thee in Truth and roirha per[efl Heart TJ1ere may ther~forc be a perfett Heart, where th~re are imperfect Works; and if you can make tlm Plea, let me tell you the perfet!ton of your Hearts will fwallow up the impcrfcltionsof your \Vorks, that they fua\1 never come up in remembrance againft you before God. . ;u(.:c[s in (7.) Sevcnthl~ a~d La~ly, Coujider for your lr. crmragemcnt th~ugh your Work be great, f~~1~:f~.r:p yet the fuccefi of ~tu certam. The grea.tefl:: ch:ck to lndufl::ry IS fear of Difappoint· ttotJ ;J m· ment, from winch you have no fecunty whlle you la~our for any thing be fides tain. your own Salvation. All \Vorldly Affairs are moved by fuch invifible Wyers and turned upon fuch fmall Pins, that if the Finger of Providence difplace but one of (hem, the whole Fabrick of our Defign is thereby difordered and our Hopes dep fcatcd; and God fometimes delights to fruftrate Mens Attempts about Worldly Hab. 2.1 3· Concernments. It i.l not of the Lord of Hofls, fays the Prophet, that the People labour in the Fire, and that the People weary themfelves for very vanity? To labour in.the Fire fignifies two Things; .Firft, Great Pains. Secondly, Great Difappointment. They work in the midi\: of fcorching Flames, and' what they do produce with fo much Anguifu, they enjoy it not but it confumes betwixt their Fingers.. When Men have weaved a cnr ious Web of earthly Contrivances, and think to wrap up themfelves th~rcin and to keep them warm, _God breaths f~cret Flames into it that finge 1t, that It can no more hold together than fo much Tmder. ·And wherefore doth God blalt Mens Endeavours, but that feeing the vanity of all their Labour under the Sun, how wavering, how uncertain, and how uufuccefsful Things are, how Means run one way, and the End another, they might hereby be induced to turn their Labours into another Channel, and to work for their Souls and for eternal Happinefs and Salvation, that are as far above the reach of Difappointment, as Jfa. 52.2.2., they are far _above the rate of earthly Concernments. .Mine Elcfl, fays God, fba/J /orzg enjoy the ~Vork of their HomJs, they fhall not labour in vain. And this is the , Cor.-~ 5• great Argum.ent urged by the Apoftle upon the Corinthians, Be ftedfaft, unmo'Vtable, sS:. alwap abounding in tl.1e l¥ork of the Lord; and why fo indultrious and confl:ant? 'lkEnd. Cbrifiians J~~DTkfor ilnotimIDJ!ihk Knowing thU, fays he, that your Labour is not in "Jain in the Lord. Two Things there are lhat make all Labour to be in vain. Firft, When itdoth notaccomplifh its End. Secondly, When that End it doth accomplifu is not worth the Coft and Pains. Now in neither of thefe refpe£ts is your Labour in vain. For, Firfl , lt fha\l not fail to accomplifh the end to which it is ordained, and that is eternal Salvation. Three Thiugs there are that make Men come fl10rt in the accornplifhment of an End propounded. Firft, When Men .Propound to thcmfelves Ends that are in themfelves fimply impoffible, · · Secondly, When though the End be pollible, yet the Means that arc ufed are unfit and improbable. Thirdly, When though the Means are rightly fuited to the attainment of the end, yet we do not perfevere in the ufc of them. Now in none of thefc ways fhall a la· borious Chriftian fail of his end. For, Firft, The End that you work for is not in it [elf fimply impojJible. Should you propound to your fclves to become Angels; lhould you ftrivc to fublimate ~o~r felves into fpiritual EJfences, your attempts herein were an but vain, bccaufe lt _IS impoffible you fhould ever be refined into Angels. But if your em~ be to be lda Angel;,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=