Polhill - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .P7 1675

Jletiouw .fattj. 75 he that will follow Chri(t, muff do as Peter and Andrew did,leàve bis nets,all the entangling lulls öf 1ii's heart;and'fo follow him.W hilefi a man fits at the receit of cuome,driving on a trade of fin, he cannot follow him. Firft,he mutt with Ma- thew rife up from thence, and then'he may fol- dnow.him.Alfo I fay in fome meafure,for the felf- ial before precious faith,muft be diftinguifh- ed from the felf- denial after_ittfelf-denial before faith is wrought in us by the holy fpirit,making impreflions and darting in light into the heart in .a- tranfient way:felf- denial after faith is wrought in us by the holy fpirit,dwelling in the heart by fait h,and aging therein as an abiding principle of all grace.Before faith, it is in a far lefl'er mea- lure and degree,after faith it grows up to a full ftature: before faith it doth in fome fort calf off,- the foveraignty of fin,the'foul no longer chúfes to live under its dominion, but looking upon it as cruel bond age,cafts offits aflegiance:after faith it firikes at the very life of fin, in the work of mort ification.W hat is faid ofthe beafts inDaniel, their dominion was taken away,and yet their lives were prolonged,Dan.7. i 2.the fame may be faid of fin,firft it lofes its crown and then its life. The holy fpirit in the firfi meafùre of felf- denial,doth as it were dethrone fin in order to refignation ; and in the after - meafure thereof,it mortifies and nails it to the crofs,there to dye and expire.Now ,this meafure of felf- denial,which precedes refìg- nation,fiands in divers things. Firjf,Thereis a denial of a maw reafon. Rea - fon,as the candle of theLord is not to be denied; but

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