Vert. iq.. the fzxth Chapter of the R o M AN s. 77 fill it than prevail againft it. It is not enough for men to fee their fns, or blame then in themfelves, or to purpofe to amend them, and forfake them, but they.muf (rive to overcome them, and in (riving, prevail. But we speak now of the fir( complaining of fin. There is a double deceit of heart , whereby men harden themfelves in complaining of fin without refinance of it. (t.) Either men complain of other fns, and not the main, as if a man fhould complain of an aking tooth, when the &(tale hath feized upon the Vitals; or ofa cut finger,when at the fame time he is wounded at the hears;'' of wan- dring thoughts in Prayer , when at the fame time the heart is habitually averle or enran- ged from God, through Come Idols which are let up there, Ezek 4. 3, 5. Son of man, theft men have fit up their Idols in their heart , and pot the flumbling- block of their iniquity before their face , jhould 1 be inquired of at all by them ? And verf. 5. That I may tale the bouf of 'fide! in their own heart, hecaufe they are all e[franged from me through their Idols. They complain of want of quickening Grace, when it may be they want converting Grace, Js if we would have the Spirit of God to blow to a dead coal. So when we pray for nrengthening Grace , when we fhould ask renewing Grace, and confers only the infirmities of the Saints, when we Should bewail the mifery of an unregenerate carnal elate. And we cry out of Come incident weakneffes, when we fhould firft fee that our habitual averfion from God is cured. As Mof s pleaded many things , why he fhould not be Pent to Egypt he was not eloquent , and the like t Exod. 4. 19. Go return into Egypt, for all the men are dead which fought thy life : he had never pleaded this, but God knew where the pinch was , and that was the main ground of his tergiverfation , and therefore gently toucheth his privy fore. So tome complain of other things , this and that is amifs , but the main thing is negleáed and (lightly paflèd over. (2 ) We rather complain than give over finning , refinance is certainly a greater evidence of a fincere heart than complaining. We fhould not be fo haunted with Temptations, if we did refill more , Jam. 4. 7. Refill the devil, and he Jhall flee from you. Satan only hash wea- pons offenfve , as fiery darts 5 he hath none defenfive , as a Chrihian path , namely, (word and (field, and we fhould not be fo much troubled with the ill confquents of fn; who will pity that man that complains of forenefs and pain, and doth not take the gravel out of his fhoo ? If you wound and goar your felves , no queftion but your (mart and trouble is real , you do not complain in Hypocrite; but who is to be bla- med ? your bufineCs is to remove the caufe. We read of the young man, Mat. lo. 22. He was fad at that flying, and went away grieved, for he bad great poJfons. His grief was a real grief, but the enure was in himfelf, he would have Chrift , and yet keep his love to the World.ftill 9 fo many complain of their Lulls, not as a burden, for they in- dulge them , but becaufe of their inconvenience, they cannot reconcile their fence of Duty with thofe corrupt affeûions which it apparently difproveth. 2. When it is oppofed weakly, and with a faint refinance. It is not enough for men to fee their fins , and blame them in.ehemfelves, or purpofe to amend and forlàke them, but they mull (hive to overcome them, and in (riving prevail, for otherwife Gtnluality cartieth it, becaufe our Keafon and Will make too weak an oppoficion. ferns Chrift our Head and Chief refitted Satans motions with indignation, Get thee behind me, Satan 3 fo mull we , when we (peak faintly and coldly , the Devil reneweth the affault with the more violence; therefore our refinance mutt be valid and Prong. Many purpofes there are that come to nothing, becaufe they are not deep and ferions : Pharaoh inhis qualms propofed to let the Children of Ifae go ; and yet when it came to it, he would not let them go : Saul puopofed in his heart not to kill David, yea bound it by an Oath; yet afterwards he attempted it, r Sam. tg.6. compared with no, and r I. So many times they purpofe to avoid the fin , by which they have been foiled ; but when the Temptation retumeth, they are over-born with it, as marith ground is drowned with the return of every Tide. Many are perfwaded that fn is evil, as contrary to God, and hurtful to themfelves; hereupon they have force mind to let it go, yea fume wifhes and weak delres, that Chrift would fave them from it; yet (ill have a Love that is greater than their Diflike, the bent of their hearts is more for it,than againn it,and their habitual inclination is more to keep it , than leave it. Therefore we mutt look not only to our endeavour, but to the fuccefs, that we have againft fin; for if our Will were more Prong, and our endeavour more ferious, we fhould have more beech; if there were a firm ratified refolution of mortifying and crucifying every fin , and an endeavouring againft fin with all (peed and diligence, the old man would more decay in us, and the life of Grace be fen up with greater power and efficacy. I would not leave this point without di(intt information. a. Then
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