Ver.15. the 17th Chapter of St. JO H NT. 2 17 when the World doth incroach ? I Anfwer, When your care is leffened towards Hea- venly Things, and your Delight is leffened in them. t. When your Care is leffened towards Heavenly Things, you are riot fo ferlous, fo frequent in communion with God. This is Martha's Fault, She was cumbred about much liming, while Mary fat at yefus his feet, and heard his Words, Luke to. latter end. When you begin to leffen your courfe of Duty, tho the fame Abilities, Opportunities, and Neceffities continue, and only out of refpe t to the . World, it is a carnal Diflempert efpecially when the World beginnah to upbraid Confcience, if I hear as much, and pray as much, and meditate as much as I was wont, it will engrofs my Time, and hin- der my worldly Purfuits. As Sarah thruft Ifhmael out of Doors, when he began tei fcoff at /fide; it is good to thruft the World out of the Heart, when it encroacheth. too much. Be it the World of carnal Delight, or of carnal Profit, when it would de- fraud God, or the Soul, or the Family of its due Allowance, it is fad. 2. When your Delight is leffened, and you have loft your favour of the Word, or the Ordinances, or Sabbath, and prize Communion with God lets," God is defrauded. a John 2. r 5. Love not the World, nor the Things of the World ; for if any .%Plan love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him. The Love of the World hath made you weary of God. When the Affe &ion's are fcattered to other Objeûs, it is Adul- tery, the Wife of the Bofom is defrauded of her fight. So it is Spiritual Adultery, when the World .path intercepted your Delight, and you go a whoring after it. It is Idolatry to divert our Trutt, and Adulteryqo divert our Delight. Worldlinefs is ex- preffed by both terms, Adultery and Idolatry. Pfal. 73. 27, 28. Thou haft defiroyd all them that go a whoring from thee; but it is good for me to draw near to God. Eftrange- ment of affc Lion from God, is called there, going a whoring from God, and oppofed to delight in Communion with God. And it is Spiritual Idolatry ; Col. 3. 5. Mortify your earthly Members; Fornication, &c. and Covetoufnefs, that is Idolatry. And, Ephef. 5. S. No covetous Perfon, that is an Idolater, flsa!l inherit the Kingdom of Chrifi, and of God. Therefore tho we do not run into grofs Sins, we mull watch againft thefe Di- (tempers, leffening of our care of, and delight in Heavenly Things. ally, Pray. God is the heft Guardian, and Keeper, he mutt watch over our watch- ing. Pfal.r41. 3. Set a Watch, 0 Lord, before my Lips, and keep the Door of my Mouth. Our Security lieth in the refraints of his Grace, and the condua of his Spirit. 2 Tim. z, 12. 1. new whom I have believed, and I ein perfwaded that he is able to keep that which 1 have committed to him againfl that day.' Give your Souls to Chrift to keep, it is our belt Jewel, it is fit it fhould be in Cafe Hands. In every Prayer, we do anew chargeChrift with our Souls; the Heart is bell kept, when commended to Chrift. To quicken you, confider how weak the'higheft Saints have been, when God bath looted his Hand, and left them to themfelves. David was an Holy Man, a Grown Man, a Saint of long (landing, of many Experiences, yet he was overcome by his Eyes. Jofeph was a Youth, a Servant, had a fair Opportunity, which David wanted ; he did not tempt, but was tempted, yet he refitted ; Gen. 39. g. How frill I do this Wicl¿ednefi, and fin againfi God ? Who would have thought that Lot, that was kept Righteous in Sodom, fhould have mifcarried in the Mountain, where there was none but his own Family. God fometieses will (hew us fach Inftances, that we may learn to wait and depend on him. 5. OWC The Necety of God's keeping. Chrift would never make a Prayer to his Fa- ther for it, if it had been in their own Power to keep themfelves. It is God mutt keep us ; if he doth but leave us to grapple with a Temptation in our own flrength, we are loon gone. Keep them from Evil. This Point hath been of often recourfe in this Prayer, therefore I (hall be the briefer in ít. Firfi, How God keepeth us. Secondly, Why God keepeth us. Firfi, How God keepeth us. God hath many ways of keeping us, but they may be reduced to two, either by his Spirit, or Providence. a. All the inward Work is difpatched by the Spirit, by the Power of which he Cup - preffeth Inclinations to Sin, and layeth on taeftraints of Grace. Gen. 20.6. I with- held thee from finning againfi me. So in his People, he weakneth the Power of Sin ; prevents us by the counfels of his Grace from giving confent, leaves the awe of Grace E e e e upon
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