1-------------------------------------------------------- ~· p.. The'Parable ofthe 2, I~ you can do my .rhing favingly good, the foul is bound now ( byrhe powOhj. Anf"'· er of Fanh) to fhr up H !elf to act, though not eo rruH eo tc alone, for fo:nu:ne; the foul hnh the regenerate pare uppermoH, and the prev.liling Spirir ofGoJ, • Pf"'· 2I,3. which comes eo him, and gives it power to .let before the foul eo:ne rotr. Now aman is bound ro act, becaufe'ris fro:n Ch~i(l no,v. Hence.Tim.-. thy was eo {1ir up the gift, 1. Tim.I.6, Hence co.nplained of rhe.n !fa. 64.8. l f!oneftirs up himfelfto tak.! hold on the Lord. ' A m1n mull fiir U? himfe!f robe1 heve, as well as other Graces, hl!nce tke Kingdom of Hea"Jen is tak!n with violmce, I and though corruption is Hronger than Grace, yet Grace a!lifl:ed w.trh·rhe Spirir, isfuongerch1n'ir, which is never quire out of the foul, bur 'ris in rh:: foul, I John 1 4+ Smngeris he that is in you. And'ris faid profe!fedly, He purgethhimfel{jlllld k.!epethhimfelf, the evil one toucheth him not, I }ohn5. 18. But m.lrk, tru!t not \ ' barely eo this; bur when you do rhts, wirhall re'!lember , Lord I cannot hold our in this unle!fe thou dolt help me: Bur know, !fa. 26. The Lord is the roclz. of m; ftrength. And ifyou bythe Spirit mortifie, &.c. Rom.8.q. Therefore ever hold up failes, but look for awind. And if a man be not ro do this, then whetNny finful ! temptation comes , if aman do noc find the Spirit and Hrengrh ready ar h.mJ eo help, if he be not to Jlir up himfetf a;pinH it, he is ro fuffer hi:nfelf ru be cmied down by ir. Hen,·e aman may neglect all duties a long time, if he do nor find rhe Spirirat!illing, iffobe aman mull not llir himfelfup, and fo (will fomefay) a ' man may. May? Whac /hall I fay eo fuch lluggilh foul, bur Deep on? Bur know it, rhe Lordwill awaken thee, when you ihall fay, O'h chat I had improved the T.llenr I had! And if you do find ChriH in (uchacondirion,know it they be butrbe laH vifits ofChrilt before he departs. You can do more rhan you do, and rhe Lord will have you do ir. But I cannot do it for good ends wirhour Chrifl. • Yet do the thing as far as you can, elfe if you owe anorher a debr, and will not pay, becaufe not for agood end, that excufe wilt nor ferve : So you owe rhe Lord yoUI lives, your fpirits, yoUI abilities ; lay them out for rhe Lord, though evil be in them, be humbled for char. Is this ~ood requital eo fay you find your he.ms dead in prayer, and God mull do all, and there leave it? . 3· You are to expect and look for power from the Lord Jcfus inrhe ufe . means~ all known me.ms·: For Fairh fercherh all from Chri!t, hence we muH go rh:ther where Chri!l:is to be found, and he dwells in his Hou!e, in his Ordinances: Therefore rhere you muH depend upon him. As 'ris wirh a Merchant, he wade; nor over rhe Sea for Pearls, but gees inro his ll1ip, and rhere he firs llill, fo here, Mat, I 3. The Kingiom of Hetrom is lik; a Mercl11mt man. Hence you char know you c.m do nothing, being under a fpirir of conviction, and hence do nothing, under a fpirir of lloth and neglect ofmeans, byverrue of afpirirof prefumprion, and f4)" ChriH mull do all, I fa:j y0u rake nor the ri~ht courfe for the Lord whelp you in. The Lord will never be a flave eo thy florh, bur thou /hale belikealhrub,neverrofeegood when it comes, and lhaltdie inhorrourwirh this, Oh I might h.we done more! Hence you areworfe than theorher, chat chink if aman fo1fls, pray-=s, watches againH his di!le'llpers, mourns for wanr. of Chrifl atldGrace, and followes God hard here, he is a Legal Chri!lian : Why, rhefe are but his o1vn works , and rhis is not living on ChriiL I confeOe pare ufing rhe'll, o; rruiling eo them is not, but he rhat lives nor on CbriH in ufe of means ( rhefe and all other rr.eans) to find Cbri!t, or enjoy moreofChriH, /hall never have him. Neither dol knowwhatturning Gods Graceinro ' wantonneCfe ,i?, i(this be not ; aod under a conceit of liberry to be afervantof c6rruprion. I 1 1 ~now no. r wherher ir be rhus wirh. any, bur ifl dic4J would pity them. . " \ 4· 'If the fowl G.Ulnotevery momendive on Chrifl,i, t. for every particular act, I haye a i:liflintt att of J?airh, for this cannot be, yer every fit feafon that it can, it ,. ought tb look up to the Lord for life and frefh firength.Pray as 'ris ,,;.;~ X"'f",eve- . ry
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