OP SPIRITUAL IIIIND$DNtSS. 331 is dangerous, especially such as the mind is ready to plead for, and to countenance itself in. Secondly. They are prone to suppose that this decay dothnot arise from themselves, and the evil of their own hearts, but from their circumstances, business, present occasion, and state of life, which when they are freed from, they will at least return to their former love and delight in spiritual things. But this is a false notion also, by virtue of that rule, Heb. iii. 12. Let men's circumstances and occasions of life be what they will, all their departures from God are from an evil heart of unbelief. Thirdly. They judge it no hard matter to retrieve themselves out of this state, but that which they can easily do, when there is an absolute necessity for it. But this is a false notion also. Recovery from back- sliding is the hardest task in the Christian religion, and which few make either comfortable or honorable work of. in this state, I say, men are apt by such false reason- ings to deceive themselves to their eternal ruin, which makes the consideration of it the more necessary. Wherefore I say, lastly, upon the whole, that whoso find themselves under the power of this wretched frame, who are sensible in themselves, or at least make it evident to others, that they are under a decay in their spiritual condition; if they rest in that state, without groaning, laboring, endeavoring for deliverance from it, they can have no well grounded hopes in themselves of life and immortality; yea, they are in those paths which go down to the chambers of death. I cannot let this pass, without something of advice to themwho find themselves under such decays, who
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