A Commentary aponthe Go(el Cha P,ï practice of mortification and felf denial!. Men fhould firft fit down, and cast what it would colt them to build the tower of godlineff, or ere they leap intoprofeffion. They thould put their hearts often t. thcfe grand quellions cfabnegatiou, Can I (as all muck, that will be Chrills Difciples) deny my 1elf in all my (elves (foramanbath many (elves within him. felf, and rota ut- 0mail c%riffia- terly and abfolutely deny them all) take up my daily croft: ( for nth crucian:+a every Chriftian is a Crncian or cralf.-bearer, faith Luther: the rain will f,11, theflouds flow, the Windes blow, and brat upon his building, he (hall have usany trials and temptations, that looks toward heaven, troubles without, terreurs within, his back-burden ofboth) and followChrifk thorow thick and thin, bydoing and fuft:ring his whole will ? Many will follow Chrift in fuch duties as futewith their humours, and no further, as the nifty hand ofa diall; they will break the hedgeofhis Law,to fhun a piece offoul way: They follow Chrift, as the dog follows his matter, till he comeby a carrion, and then he turns hint up. Or. !ha madea fair profferof going alongwith Naomi, but when the had better confidered it, the turned again. Lots wife, fet fair out ofSodom, but looked back. So domany forward hearers fat their hands toGods plough, but (loth to plough up the fallow groind of their hearts, and to lay a good foundation inhumiliation) they 70..."5',. J ~] , (tart alde like brokenbowes, and ileal away, like cowardly hal- teb., o. diers, and fo judge themfelvesunworthy of eternal life, and unfit {Luke 9.6z. for Gods Kingdom. For the fcolifh fball not {land in his fight, rLls5, he hateth alltbe workersof iniquity. Calebwas not difcouraged by the Giants, therefore he had Hebron given him, the place of the Giants, when the fpies and murnrurars were never futfered to enter: Nomere (hall they that hold not ont to the death, obtain the crown oflife, Verfe 27. Andthe rain defcended, &c.] Theold heart cannot pofflbly hold out the har lfhipofholineflT, nor bear the brunt cf perfmution for well- doing. Like a Chefnut ail into the ere, if not broken firfkon the top, it leapsout again; or like a falte ode in a teem, which being put to a {lreffe, turns tail and tramples. When thegodly hearer holdson his way to heaven, thorow all difaikers; as thofe twokine ofthe Pbilifz?ims, that bore home the Ark,held on their way,though they badcalves at home,that might have made them turn back. Awd it fell. ] The wife -man and fools houl come under a double
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