,--------------------------~------------------------~ .J _I 9~ The Parable of the l for more, and hence be th.mkful; and fay. 'cis nor I bur Chri!t; yec loO:, for 1 more. 5. If no means come to give flrengrh, confider fadly if you have not broken covenantwith God, as in S~tmf;m cafe, G6d was in covenam with him, bur he had broJ.<en it on his parr, hence his firength was gone. Iknow no place that breeds men of brger Covenants thm this pl;Ke, by Sea and Llnd, perfonall , and efpecial\y Church-Covenants. Now thy firet)gth is gone. Doll not live · inbre.Kh of Covenant? Not only it is broken, bm you ltvein ir. You covenant to cleave tO the Lord, or if you deparr, to return foon again, but you lie in your falls. Nay yoor Covenmt and returning heals your horrour only, not your !in. You covenant to love Brethren dearly, but a little offence one giveqor hope<> of a bigger Lot, \\·ill tempt thy hem ro le~ve them to their own fhifts. You covenant to fubmit to Officers in the tord, but fome take liberty ro fpeak what they will, and others do what they Jifi. To watch over your brethrc:n to pudife in them, bucyou grow a {hanger, and it may be fee them not once in a 1 quarrcr, unle!feat Church: But can it be fJidthey are any benerfor thee? Oh 'our fins are. double, and hence your pbgues of heart are worfe now, more hard to be wwughtupon, and hence fin and Satan lead you, Pft~l.78·57,6o,6z, Oh confider this fin, the Hrength of God is taken as Captain of the Camp, that \ when you cry, Lord help, there 'cis. But alas 'tis gone from you, and 'cis in Satms hand, nor only your firength, but Gods ftrength, and the foul is taken c.1ptive. Ob therefore mourn for tliis, lclt you mourn at lafi. ' CHAP. .XIX• . I 'Sbervetb that there U I uch a fulneffe. or meaJure of yrace in the hearts of'Belie-vers, ' rr:hich the mofl ~~fined Hypocrites ne-ver arife unto. i SECT. I. I I T Htlf thtrt is a cmain plenitude, fHlnejfe, or full meafure •f the Spirit of . 1 Graceinthehea7'tJ6fthe Faithful, which the moft Gloriow, Jet unfoHnd Pr~feffors ofVirgin-Churches wanr, and haw n•t in their Vejfels, bHt ftdl fr.orr•f. \ Juft as cbefe Fooli!l.1 Virgim, they had their Lamps, a burning and fhining \ Profeffion. And bad they no more? Yes fmely, for their Lamp how could it burn,but by means of fome Oy(? They had their wiek touche and dipt in Oy!, fome lighter ftr~~ks and fuperficial impreffions of the Spirit. They had not t~<;tr Ve!fels filled wnh Oyl, they had not this degree and full meafure of the SpLnt. This they fell !l10rt of, and herein appeared the .difference. There are certain I inw.1rd rouches, an inward lighcer Dye of Gods Spiric, which ferves ro beger a I. moit e·ninent ProfefTion before men, but. never to ma'Ke the Soul fincere indeed before the eyes ofGod. That look asfo'lle NacuraliHs make three or follr kinds of life , differing only as higher or lower dePrees oflife, though not of the fame life; as Planes have a Vegei:acivelifeonlyro"grow, burno fenlitive to_fee; becaufe
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