96 SERMONS upon Serm.XV". 3. When you content your felves with the cuflomary life of holy Duties, though you find no profit, nor increafe of Grace by them , rather perform them as a task , than life them as a means to get and increafe Grace. Nunguant abs to abfg; to recedam, Lord I I will never go from thee without thee , Gen. 32. 26. 1 will not let thee go, except thou fIefi me. 4. When you negle& your hearts, grow ftrangers to them , find little work to do about them. Every Chrifttan findeth work enough from day to day to get his heart quickened when it is dead , inlarged when it is ftraitned , prepared when it is indifpo- fed, to be made ferious when it is vain and frothy, cured when it is diftempered, fetled when it is troubled and difcompofed : But fin becometh eafie , and Confcience becom- eth patient and quiet`under it. Surely you are not watchful, and mind not your Cove- nant -vow. 2. It reproveth thole that hope to have fin fubdued and kept from reigning , though they never ftrive againft it. It is the (hiving Chri(tian which is here encouraged, thofe that have given up themfelves to Chrifts conduct , and to fight in his Warfare. Many run of their own accord into fin , others make no oppofition againft it : now Chrift undertaketh not to keep thefe. The Captain of our Salvation only taketh charge of his own Souldiers, to lead them fafe to eternal Glory and Happinefs, others are except- ed ; Grace received from him is of little ufe to us, if we fight not. Therefore betides watching, there muft be refilling. This Refinance mull be, Firft, Earneft and vehement, fuch as cometh from an hatred of fin as fin. The Light of Nature will rife up againft many fins, efpecially at firft, as fin is a diforder and incon- venience.; but this is but partial and foon tireth ; but the refinance required of Chri- ftians is fuch as arifeth from a conftant hatred, Rom. 7. 15. That which 1 do, l allow not; for what 1 would, that do I not; but what .1 hate, that do 1. When Eve fpeaketh faint- ly, the Devil reneweth the affault, Gen. 3. 3. Of the fruit of the tree, which oe in the midflof the garden , God bath faid, Te/hall not eat of it , neither jhall ye touch it , left ye die. She fpeaketh too warmly, and with an impatient refentment of the reftraint, and too coldly of the commination, God had faid, In dying ye (ball die. A faint denial is a kind of a grant. Our Lord rebuketh the Devil with indignation , Mat. 4. ro. Get thee behind me, Satan. Secondly, It muft be a thorow univerfal Refiftance. Take the little Foxes, dalh out the brains of Babylon/ Brats; the Devil would frighten you by propounding great fins at firfl, but he approacheth by degrees. Therefore Epb. 4. 27. we muft notgive place to the Devil. You let open the door to Satan by yielding a little ; a temptation is better kept out than gotten out ; when he hath but the narroweft paffage, or lean opportuni- ty, he feeketh to re- enter, and feat himfelf in the heart, and exercife his former Tyranny, and doth excite the perfon to commit more fin. When the (lone at the top of the Hill beginneth to roll downward , it is an hard thing to flay it ; Ile yield but once, faith the deceived heart : But the Devil chargeth us turther and further, till he hash left no tendernefs in our Confcience ; as tome that thought to venture but a (billing or two, by the fecret witchery of gaming have played away all their Eftates. Thirdly, It is not for a time, but perpetual. It concerneth us not only to (land out againft the firft affault, but a long liege; what Satan cannot gain by argument, he feeketh to gain by importunity; but refiji bim fledfafl in the faith, t Pet. 5. 9. as Ye- feph's Mifiref/ fßake to him day by day, Gen. 39. ro. Deformed obje &s , when we are accuflomed to them, feem lefs odious. As you rate away an importunate Beggar , that will not be.anfwered. To yield at laft, is to lofe the Glory of the Conflict. Now many refill not. You may know it, r. When you cannot bringyour hearts to let fin go, though Confcience worry you, and condemn you for it, as many men fin while their hearts condemn them, Rom. r. t8. ti rE jeIáv, they hold the truth in unrighteoufnefi. 2. When you (lightly purpofe hereafter to amend, but do not prefently refolve, All/ 24. 2 5. And as he reafoned of righteoufnef/, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled , and faid, Go thy way for this time, when 1 have a convenient feafon 1 will call for thee. The contrary you may fee in David , Pfal. 159. 60. 1 made hafte and delayed not to keep thy commandments. ;. When you do not confent to the neceffary effectual means of your recovery, which if you were truly defirous to get rid of fin, you would do. They that will not ufe the means, do not delire the thing, Pray. 2 t. 25. The defire of the Jlothfull¿illetb him, for his hands refute to labour. 4. When
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