:the 'Parable of the fomething that d~th not pleafe him, and now his hem qumels, and thus he !hall be tryed, w lhew it was but overly work. Men delpife the libertie> the Lord give; them; they fay th~yptize them. Ageneto~l Go,ernour !hall coT.e with prerences of Religion and Protection, and) ou !hall fee this ch,1ffe mll rake old Birds now. Oh therefore try your [elves here, and be fure you fall not lhort here. · wh<1t Means are there to be ufed ? I. Look that you make your Velfelsclear. It hath been faid of old, and I beleevetis a truth Gill, 'that the Lord will never fend his Spirit ro dwell in an unclean heart. Doves build not their habitations on dunghils. Gods Spirit mufl come as an efliciencto take it away, but not as an Inhlbitam to d1·Yell in an unclean heur, 2 Tim. z. 19,20,2 r. He that purgeth himfeif, he do· h not fay , God muG do all, but he under God fearcheth and purgeth, he lhall be a v~Jfe! of honour, if from thele things, efFecially from thofe fins which Arolhtcs are conquered with, of which be there ffeaks : For rl.ere be many Gns a man may be pur;;edfrom, and not be a Velfel of honour. l~ur what are the Gns the ApoG.nes perifu by, mark them, finde them our, one by price, another by floth, , ~not her by world, &c. He fha/1 be a Vej{el of honour. Men fee and confefs , but make not work of it indeed, rhe old hem is not berrer, you confume and languif11 flill, I Cor.9. 26, 27. 1 beat not thet~ir,!. e. I lay deadly blows on my enemy, and 1 beat down my body,leaft, &c. Overly feareh of lin,hath made overly decay of fin, and hence overly grace and affeCtion. As a man bath not lighr, nor love, n0r efteem enough, becaufe he never felt his wound to the bocrome. Oh account ir an ineftimable mercy when 'ris thus ; oh therefore remember rhe rule of the Prophet, Jer. 4· 3, 4· Sow wt among tliorns, &c. Many mens profeffion fprings up, bur wirhers,never comes to perfe6tion; this ground is not plowed,or if fo, not thorowly plowed, but thorRs left to cr.oak ir. Well faith the Lord, look to your felves leG my wrath bre11~ 011.t li~ fire; r;by is rhe Lord fo dreadful here? Oh bec.mfe men are care\efs here, I loo:, to Chnft, and my defires are good, and I pray in fecrer, and I am much changed, &c. 2. Look rhat your Velfel be ever kept empty ; when a tnan barb no grace, and fees how orhers c.an pray aoo mourn, and how far !horr he falls of rhem, its e;Uie now ro ~e empty, as Saul when he w,1s no King; but when tl~e Lor.J hath gi1'et1 fome light and affcetion, and fo:ne comfort, and fo'!le Reforma[ion ; now a man gro\YS full here: Saints do for God, and cam.1\ hem~ do fo:uerhi.ng too ; but a Iict!e fills them, and quiets rbetn,and fo d:ur.ns then. And hence men at rhe firG work upon them are very diligent in the ufc cl means, bur after rhat they be brought ro negle6l: prayer,11eep our Sermons, and robe c,uelefs, fap\efs,live\efs, who is the better fot them ? Becaufc 1 f,1y that lcOW rbey bavc got fomething, rhe main work is wroughr, they call nor th<t imo ~e!lion, and fo when God con~es to reckon, they are found too light. Oh rhereforckecp rhe Velfel e:P.pty, never c0nrenr thy !elf with any n:eafure. Harh rhe Lord died thee? Yes 1 rhinkfo, and be:ceve f0merime' fo, but I am afraid I may at l2!l be found without oyle in my Velfd; be then every day, as if thou wert but now to begin. Anc;l this Ifay, true grace as ir comforts, fo it never fills, but purs an edge on rhe appe1ire; more of thn grace Lord! Thus Pr.ul, Phi!. 3· q, 14. Thus Da~id, 0Ht of my poverty I have given,. &c. I Chron. 29. 3, I7, I8. Irs a fure w~y ne,•er to oe dc~eived in lighter Hrokcs of the Spirit to be thankful for any, but to be conrenr wirh no meafure of ir, and this curs rhe thread of difference between a fuperficiallighrer !troke ofthe Spirit, and rh1t 1vbich is found. · ~. Look th,lt your velfel be not broken, nor crackr, rhat when rbe Lord pours l in,it runs not ouc again, Heb. 2. x, 2. Pr011 • 4· 12,13. Oh here is rhe wound of mmy a man, he harh many affec1ions in Word, in Ordinances, and rhey take lio\d
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