A30570:511
The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs
The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs ; published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.]
London: printed by Peter Cole and Edward Cole, 1661
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2 Labour to keep up your hearts otherwise if they fall off again, the ways of God will come to be very tedious to you: As a man that walks unevenly in regard of the unevenness of his legs, or the unevenness of the way, he is quickly tired: and so if a Christians way be up and down, and there be not an evenness in his way, he is quickly discouraged; and a main means to help one to go on with freedom and courage in Gods ways, is to go on in an even course.
2 Labor to keep up your hearts otherwise if they fal off again, the waies of God wil come to be very tedious to you: As a man that walks unevenly in regard of the unevenness of his leggs, or the unevenness of the way, he is quickly tired: and so if a Christians way be up and down, and there be not an evenness in his way, he is quickly discouraged; and a main means to help one to go on with freedom and courage in Gods waies, is to go on in an even course.
3 If so be you lose this, you lose the beauty of your profession; the beauty of the ways of Godliness, consists much in the constancy, and if your way be up and down, there is no beauty in your conversation, it takes away the convincing power of your way and conversation; if others saw your hearts up, and saw a constant evenness in your way, this would mightily convince them, that it is a work of Gods Spirit upon your hearts; but sometimes your hearts are up, and down again, sometime you are patient and meek, at other times you are passionate and fretting; this doth not convince them that it is the work of Gods Spirit, but only the stirring of a natural spirit.
3 If so be you lose this, you lose the beauty of your profession; the beauty of the waies of Godliness, consists much in the constancy, and if your way be up and down, there is no beauty in your conversation, it takes away the convincing power of your way and conversation; if others saw your hearts up, and saw a constant evenness in your way, this would mightily convince them, that it is a work of Gods Spirit upon your hearts; but somtimes your hearts are up, and down again, somtime you are patient and meek, at other times you are passionate and fretting; this doth not convince them that it is the work of Gods Spirit, but only the stirring of a natural spirit.