.ft 214 The rooting up ofevery Plant, not Icarne this about ? was it ever your own work, or your own feeking ? nay, didyou not fight againfi this work and op- pofe it ? he that findes it not fo, neveryet was partaker ofit : Pe never yet could fay,7Vnto me a Child was born, and a Son given, whofe name is called Wonderful, Councellour, the Mighty God, the Everlaf ingFather, and the Prince of peace : except he have found in himfelf(as the Lord faith there in Ifaiah 9.5.6.) Every battel of the Warriour is with confutedwife, and garments rolled in blood ; this muff be with burning, andfewel of fire. This ' alwayes goes before that Chrift is given to any ofthe Eons ofmen. Beloved, dobut examine your own hearts, and you íhaIl finde it was thus, and it muff kbe thus : was ever the ftrong mean bound, and cart out ofhis houfe andpofffion without re- filling ? will man Iofe hi! lifeand fuffer all his riches and goods to be taken away, andneverfirive noroppofe? And was this workever done by afill-work, and ufing of Ordinances, and joyning hereand there, and man never difturbed ? but that out ofhis natural and dead condition, he hathdreamed andfiept himfelfinto a new nature, and into the condition of a Chri{lian : No, my brethren ; converfion is an othergeffe thing then moll men holdforth. And if men fee but awant in themfelvs, and then refolve that they mufi feek after aHeaven to fill up this want, and to that end run to this duty and tother fellowfhip, and think he muff be confiant in the ufe of Ordinances : and if he do but beleeve in an external Chrift, then the work is done, and theKingdom ofHeaven is theirs. Alas, all this is but the way ofman, andby all this they do but make_a Profelyte ; and thofe that teach thus, they do but few pillows under all arm-holes, and cry peace,peace, when there is nopeace, but have made themfelves Aprons, and bleffe thenifelves in an unfound condition, andSeale the woundof the daughter of my people flightly : Wo to thefe [Women] faith the Prophet there, for this is nothing but [JPeakne l:] nay, herein they have made them twofoldmore the Children ofHell then before. If men are rifen withChrift, Iet them Phew nie how they were crucified, dead, andburied withhim : if they are come to Canaan, let them Efa.9.5,6. *As that precious in{tru- ment in the hand of the Lord, Dr. Everard expounns that place in his Ser- mons , call'd , 6ofpelTrea- fure open- ed, pag.6i. &c. Ezek.13: 18. Mat. 23. 15. Col. 3.r:
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