Chap. 12.

little

upon Chrift, he adheres and cleaves to him: He afpires after more clofe Union and Communion with him, that by a Divine Spirit and Life from him he may increase with the increase of God, Col. 2. 19. that he may live like one in Union and Conjunction with Chrift; that he may honour that Glorious Head, in whom the Spirit is above all measure,and from whom it flows down upon all his Members: He exercises himself unto Godliness; he ftirs or blows up his Holy Graces: He repents, believes, loves, obeys, runs, trives, labours to do the Will of God; and all that he may hold on his way, and grow stronger and Stronger, Fob 17.9. In a word, he esteems it an hor rible fhame and difparagement to be barren and unfruitful under the Gospel. What? Is the Divine Nature, which he partakes of, for nothing? every livingCreature propagates and brings forth its Image, and thall the Divine Nature have no progeny of good Works to resemble its Father in Heaven? Are Ordinances given in vain? the outward Rain hath its return in Herbs and Flowers, and excellent Fruits of the Earth; and shall the Showers of Ordinances, which come from an higher Heaven than the vifible one, have no return at all? to what purpose is Chrift an Head to Believers? An Head is to communicate life and motion to the Members; and can the Members of fo glorious an Head as he is, be dry and wither away in an empty unfruitfulness? Why is the Spirit communicated, but to profit withal? when it moved upon the Waters at first, it brought forth abundance of excellent Creatures in the Material World; and fhall it it do nothing in the Spiritual one? or fhall it produce Heavenly Principles in Men, and not bring them into act or exercife? Nothing can be more

incongruous than fuch things as thefe. The Holy Chap. 12. Man therefore makes it his great business in the World, to grow in Grace and in the Knowledg of of Chrift; to abound more and more in Obedience and Holy Walking, till he come to the Crown of Life and Righteousness in Heaven.

We fee what an Holy Life is; nothing remains but that we labour after it; lapfed Nature lies too low to elevate it felf into Holy Principles and Actions; how fhould we caft down our felves at God's feet for Regenerating Grace? How much doth it concern us to wait upon him in the ufe of means? to have our Minds enlightened to see Spiritual things? to have our Hearts new made and moulded into the Divine Will? to have a precious Faith to receive Christ in all his Offices? to have an Holy Love to inflame the Heart towards God? It is God's Prerogative to work fupernatural Principles in us; let us then look up to him to have them wrought in us. We have loft the Crown and Glory of our Creation; we are funk into an horrible gulf of fin and mifery: but, Oh! let our Eyes be upon God; he can fet to his Hand a fecond time, and create us again unto Good Works; he can let down an Arm of Power, and lift us up out of the pit of Corruption; nothing is too hard for him, he can turn our ftony Heart into Flefh; he can by an omnipotent Suavity make our unwilling Will to be a willing one. Oh! wait for this day of Power; and when it comes, give all the Glory to Free-grace, and live as becomes the Sons of God, who are born not of the Will of Man, but of God; it is too too much time we have spent in doing the Will of the Flesh; let us now confecrate and dedicate our felves to the Will of God. In the doing of it let's LII 2

live

Chap. 12. - live a Life of Faith and dependance upon the influences of Grace: let's get a fingle Eye, a pure Intention towards the Will and Glory of God. What good we do, let's do it in an holy Compliance with his Will, in a fincere fubferviency to his Glory. This is right genuine Obedience, in which God is owned as the firft Principle, and the last End; if we depend not on him the Fountain of Grace, how fhall we ftand or walk in Holinefs? If we direct not all our good Works to his Will and Glory, how are our Works Holy or Confecrated unto God? Let's put away our high thoughts and proud reflexes upon felf, that we may wholly depend upon his Grace. Let's caft away all our Squints and corrupt aims from us, that we may directly look to his Will and Glory. Still let us remember, that the work of Mortification must be carried on; if we indulge fin, we rent off our felves from God the chief Good and Ultimate End: if we confecrate our felves to God, we must needs caft away fin from us; the Spirit and Flesh are contrary Principles, and cannot rule together; the Works of the one and of the other cannot be compounded; the great Centers Heaven and Hell are at a vast distance, and cannot meet: We must therefore die to Sin, or else we cannot live to God; let us labour to be Holy in all manner of Converfation; let us go forth and meet God in every difpenfation; in Ordinances let us meet him with Devotion and holy Affection; in Alms with Love and a free Spirit: in Profperity with Praises and Good Works; in Adverfity with Patience and Silence; in our Dealings with Juftice and Righteoufnefs; in our Callings with Faithfulness and Diligence: In every thing let us walk džíws 7 →, worthy of God; as becomes thofe

who

who are confecrated unto him. Let us fo exercise Chap. 12. our felves unto Piety, that we may grow in all Graces; that our Faith may be more lively, our Love more ardent, our Humility more low, our Heavenliness more high, our Obedience more full, our Patience more perfect; that we may have our fruit unto Holiness, and the End Everlasting Life. Let us be ever making our felves ready for that Blessed Region; where there are plenitudes of Joy, Crowns of Immortality, Rivers of Pleasures; where God is the Light, Life, Love, All in all to the Saints.

FINIS.

ERRATA'S.

Age 57.Line 10. read burned, p.72.1.27. formally, p. 75. 1. 4. X Vajored, p.90.1.19. ears, p.138.1.14. Sun, p. 14.1.1.6.Vos p.148.1.14. plenal, p.150.1.17. Carnal Ordinances, p.167.1.6. often caft, p.203.1.10. heart, p.247.1.7.poffibly, p.327.1.20.none X for the Promife, Ib. 1.21. capable of, p.330.1.2. true, p.339.1.3. Righteoufnefs of God, p.343.1.1. is it a Jus Impunitatis, p.355in the marg. Note, r.confecratum eft, p. 366.1.4.. its fubject, p.371. 1.12. the Glory of it,it is ours, p.420. 1.10. expression, p.428. 1.2.

ray.

Reader, the misplaced Points or Stops do fometimes very much alter or obfcure the Sence; let fuch places be read without any repect to them, and then the Sence will appear.

Books fold by Thomas Cockerill, at the Three Legs in the Poultry, over against the Stocks-Market.

Books publish'd by the fame Author.

Recious Faith confidered in its Nature, Working,

Pand Growth, in 80.

The Divine Will confidered in its Eternal Decrees and holy Execution of them, in 80.

An Answer to a Difcourfe of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the Knowledg of Chrift and our Union and Communion with him, in 80.

Morning Exercife at Cripple-Gate, or several Cafes of Conscience practically refolved by fundry Ministers, in 40.

A Supplement to the Morning Exercife at CrippleGate; Or feveral more Cafes of Confcience, practi>cally refolved by fundry Ministers, in 40.

The Court of the Gentiles, in 4 Parts, by Theophilus Gale, in 40.

Pfeudodoxia Epidemica: Or, Enquiries into very many Received Tenets, and commonly prefumed Truths: Together with the Religio Medici, by Tho. Brown Knight, M.D. 40.

A Difcourfe of Patronage: Being a modeft Enquiry into the Original of it, and a further prosecution of the Hiftory of it; by Zachariah Cowdry, in 40.

The Poor Man's Family-Book, by Rich. Baxter, in 80.

The Faithfulness of God confidered and cleared, in

the