loo SER. I V. Means to arme us again$ their Excufes. r. The Word ter. 23. :9, z. The f'irit . of bondage. That the Nature of man is full of to the principles whence they come, the matters whom they ferve,you (hall finde,t hey may be good all the way, but not at the journeyes end, they have an ill (cope, they aime at a wrong marke : Let them have what they will ; Circumcifion, nor Vncircum- cifion, availes nothing, unlcífe they be New Crea- tures, elfe God regards them not. And fo much !hall ferve for Excufes. Now addc this to the reft, labour to aggravate your fin by removing of the Excufes which the na- ture of man is witty to invent ; ufe the ordinance of God which He hath appointed to humble you, and to worke their things on your hearts, and that is His Word, Ier.23.29. Is not my Word as fire, and as the hammer that breaks thefones? The fcope of the place is to Phew the power of preaching the Word purely; what is the chaffe to the Wheat e You (hall know my Word,anddiflinguifh it from the word of men; my Word when it is right, is as a fire which melts and thawes the hearts of men, and as an hammer to breake their prong and ftony hearts : Come to the Word powerfully preached, as it is in its owne na- ture, delivered in the Evidence of the Spirit as it fhould be,and it will be a meanes to (often the heart, and breake thy ltuoborne fpirir, as an hammer and fire, not fuflfring thee to be at ref}, until thou corn - mett under the power of ir. And if with this thou art not fatisfied, goe one flep further to the Spirit of God,thou muft have a fpi- rit of Bondage,elic thou canfr cxpee`t no power. Ail that we have faid in drawing this map oftnne, in ad. ding thcf aggravations,and removingthefc excufcs, is.
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