~8 , TheP arable ofthe --- my hearr, Chrifts honour? What work hath Chrill for me co do ? hold he:e , fo: 1 \ here lies your work. Look as an ambitious man asks , how ferves this for my honour, and Satan how be may diihonour Chrifl: ; fo do you ask, how you may ho- , nour him, Rom.6. 19. AsJ!JUhave given your felves injlruments of iniqniry, &c. I And now becaufe we live in times and places wherein men have fo much work of their own to do, that Chrill is neglected, whereinvery few walk wirh God. Hence :men raking mens examples for patterns and copies of rheir courfe , come m themfelves to do as others do: And this being aclofe aCl:,mainly confillingin what is 1 unfeen ; and becaufemen are ape eo put off Chrill with defires, and ferve Satan in- :deed , and becaufe ape co reiolve all Religion into fome two or three duties or I Graces, and becaufe mens hearts are catching at comforts and promifes , bur corn- ' mands tedious and burdenfome; I !hall prefie rhis upon rhefe Motives; only here ' letmepremifewheniprelfeyoutothis, 'tisnotto a Covenant of Works , as 1 though you could aCl: your felves, but we look to Chrifts Blood and Spirit to fer on I things; I fpeak to them under Grace, who have the Spirit wirhout , and Faith within to aCl: and carry them here. But Met. I. J I. Whofeworkwillyoudo? youcannot ceafewdo Chrills work, but you mufl: do your own work, (I fpeak not for idlenelle) i.e. you mull ferve your lull; now confider what good did thy felf ever do thee, nay Satan newer (uch an enemy as thy own felf: and will you fall down to fuch an Image ? Shall thy lulls have coment more and rather than Chrill ? z. Confider the:Lord will take care and charge of thee, to do rhy work , eo bring about thy ends for thee, do but thou do his. M arrha was cumbred ab6uc many tli!ings, hence forfook rhe better pm: fo men negleCt, forger Chri!ts work, becaufe of fo many dillraCl:ions of their own. What will become of my hundred Talents? whatwillbecomeofmyWife; Child? Now do you take care of the Lords 1vork, cake that for your charge, and the Lord will take charge of you. The bell, readie!l, and only way to have your own ends, is to feek rhe Lords,and forget your own. As in Solomon, his great work and care was tG rule aState well,and the Lord gave all the rell. · Set thy face to t•he Sun, and thefe'ihadows will follow you. The Servant takes charge ofhis Ma!lers work, and he need not trouble himfelffor meat.and drink, and e contr/1. Firll, there !hall not any evil! hurt thee , whereas elfe thy good things (hall, lfdi. 27· 3· Secondly , All Creatures in Heaven and Earth lhall ferve that man rhan ferves his God, Ho f. z. ~I, z 3. whereas elfe they groan ur.der thee. Thirdly, Angels !hall come out of Heaven to ~uard thee• . Fourthly, Nay the LordJefus himfelf !hall Hand at rhe topofche ladder, that when every thing elfe !hall leave thee,he !hall then bring the befi wine at che !all, he will be a portion to chee,Pfa/m x6. Phi!. 3· 8. 3. Confider thu rhe more difficult any duty is , rhe more fweemelfe !hall you receive ifyou break through it :Men plead difficulty, I plead gain. Hence he that overcomes !hall eat of the hidden Manna : Hence never any fo comforred,honoured as Chrill,becaufe never any went through fo hot awork for the Father as Chrill, Phi!. z. You plead the difficulty of achrillian life, and caHe noi: the fweetne!fe of t•hatlife: if you can do no more than wha~is eafie,andpleafech felf, the Lord will never let you talle the fweetnelfe ofpleating him. Have you not fometimes found your hearts dead tG Prayer, yet you fell to it,and rhen would not but have rook the feafon for a world. 4· Confider, let the duty be to Nature impoffible, yet rhe Lord is at hand to help, even when no Hrength, Ifai.4o.z9. Nay Heb. II-34· OHt of we~~~elfe were made ftrong • If you had noCltrill, no Spirit , no Promifes ~o alfure you of help, you might chen ceafe aaing, and fay 'tis impoffible I ihould ever overcome fuch evils , attain to dm-tneafure : but when Promifes to alfure, and Chrill and · Spirit
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