Remains of that excellent minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Joseph Alleine being a collection…Remaines of that excellent minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. Joseph Alleine being a collection…

Fifthly, Life, That which a man sets his heart upon he will be lively in, and do it to purpose. Rom. 12. 11. Not slothful in business; but fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Standing water is not wholesome; and wine that hath lost its spirit, is not pleasant. God is a spirit, and they that worship him; must worship him in spirit. He is a most pure act: and he will be served with activity. God would not accept a blind, torn, lame sacrifice under the law; and will he accept of a dead sacrifice under the Gospel? He would not have, the Ass offered to him, because it was a dull sluggish creature. Nor the Snail, because a slow lingering creature. We must not come to duties with dead hearts: with dull, drowsy, sleepy souls. When we are going to our work of communing with our hearts, we should stir up our hearts, call in our thoughts, compose our affections, rub our memories and consciences, till we have fetched life into them. Every faculty of the soul should act its part in this work: And here let me tell you that 'tis ⟨p. 35⟩no fit time to set about this work, when we are between sleeping and waking: when the spirits are so far spent, and the senses tired, that we can scare, see the question, or to hear the answer that conscience gives. It will be good for every one to observe the temper of his body for this work, that so drowsiness may not detain him from it, or make him slight and over•ly in it.

Fisthly, Life, That which a man sets his heart upon he will be lively in, and do it to purpose. Rom. 12. 11. Not slothful in business; but fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Standing water is not wholsome; and wine that hath lost its spirit, is not pleasant. God is a spirit, and they that worship him; must worship him in spirit. He is a most pure act: and he will be served with activity. God would not accept a blind, torn, lame sacrifice under the law; and will he accept of a dead sacrifice under the Gospel? He would not have, the Asse offered to him, because it was a dull sluggish creature. Nor the Snail, because a slow lingring creature. We must not come to duties with dead hearts: with dull, drowsie, sleepy souls. When we are going to our work of communing with our hearts, we should stir up our hearts, call in our thoughts, compose our affections, rub our memories and consciences, till we have fetched life into them. Every faculty of the soul should act its part in this work: And here let me tell you that 'tis