Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

6. Consider that your Eye on Jesus will preserve the vigour of all your Graces. As the body is apt to be changed into the temper of the air it breaths in, and the food it lives on, so will your spirits receive an alteration according to the Objects which they are exercised about. You that complain of deadness and dullness, that you cannot love Christ, nor rejoice in his loves, that you have no life in Prayer, nor any other Duty, and yet you never tried this quickening course, or at least you were careless and unconstant in it; what, are not you the cause of your own complaints? say, is not your life hid with Christ in God? O whether must you go but to Christ for it? If you would have light and heat, why then are you not more in the Sun-shine? if you would have more of that grace which flows from Christ, why are you no more with Christ for it? for want of this recourse to Jesus Christ, your Souls are as candles that are not lighted, and your duties are as Sacrifices which have no fire; fetch one coal daily from this Altar, and see if your Offerings will not burn; keep close to this reviving Fire, and see if your affections will not warm. Surely if there be any comfort of hope, if any flames of love, if any life of faith, if any vigour of dispositions, if any motions towards God, if any meltings of a softened Heart, they flow from hence; men are apt to bewail their want of desire, and hope, and joy, and faith, and love to Jesus Christ, whilst this very duty would nourish all these.

6. Consider that your Eye on Jesus will preserve the vigour of all your Graces. As the body is apt to be changed into the temper of the air it breaths in, and the food it lives on, so will your spirits receive an alteration according to the Objects which they are exercised about. You that complain of deadness and dulness, that you cannot love Christ, nor rejoyce in his loves, that you have no life in Prayer, nor any other Duty, and yet you never tried this quickning course, or at least you were careless and unconstant in it; what, are not you the cause of your own complaints? say, is not your life hid with Christ in God? O whether must you go but to Christ for it? If you would have light and heat, why then are you not more in the Sun-shine? if you would have more of that grace which flowes from Christ, why are you no more with Christ for it? for want of this recourse to Jesus Christ, your Souls are as candles that are not lighted, and your duties are as Sacrifices which have no fire; fetch one coal daily from this Altar, and see if your Offerings will not burn; keep close to this reviving Fire, and see if your affections will not warm. Surely if there be any comfort of hope, if any flames of love, if any life of faith, if any vigor of dispositions, if any motions towards God, if any meltings of a softned Heart, they flow from hence; men are apt to bewail their want of desire, and hope, and joy, and faith, and love to Jesus Christ, whilest this very duty would nourish all these.