The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse showing a Christians…The guard of the tree of life, or, A sacramental discourse shewing a Christians…

Thirdly, there must not only be holy affections and suitable affections, but those excited and stirred up. A man may have holy affections, and such as are suitable to an Ordinance, as the Saints have in the frame of Grace, and yet not sanctify God in an Ordinance, because not excited and stirred up: ^*Stir up the gift of God in thee, saith the Apostle to Timothy; that is, excite and blow up the gifts and graces of God in thee.

Thirdly, there must not only be holy affections and sutable affections, but those excited and stirred up. A man may have holy affections, and such as are sutable to an Ordinance, as the Saints have in the frame of Grace, and yet not sanctifie God in an Ordinance, because not excited and stirred up: ^*Stir up the gift of God in thee, saith the Apostle to Timothy; that is, excite and blow up the gifts and graces of God in thee.

1. *1 Tim. 1.6 [Greek or Hebrew], signif. ign•m sopitum & ignem cineribus conditum fool aut flatu suscitare, ut reardescat. Passer.1 Tim. 1.6 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, signif. ign•m sopitum & ignem cineribus conditum folle aut flatu suscitare, ut reardescat. Passer.

When you are to do with God, you must stir up those affections, and graces which are within you. And this requires a matter of pains; affections are not ever at hand, nor ever at command; a man hath not his heart under lock and key. And therefore God in mercy considering and respecting our weakness, hath graciously allotted a time of preparation, before he call us forth upon the performance of an Ordinance, that so we might get our affections up, our hearts in tune. Once indeed we read, that men were called out upon an ordinance, and were straitened with time to prepare themselves according to the preparation of the Sanctuary, as in Hezekiah's time.