Use 1. See here a ground of the great difference between christians and christians, differing in Faith, differing in manners, some are comfortably persuaded of their own Estates, but others full of fears and doubts, how comes this about? truly it is with christians as it is with mornings of the day, some mornings are a great deal more bright than others, and some more dusky and dark; you will say, why should not a soul come to some settled peace? true, but it will never be perfect day with us. St. John was an old christian, and yet you see what he saith, the darkness was but going, and the light coming, so that we by degrees get hold of God, and strength against corruption; you have some Summer mornings more lightsome than all the days of the year besides, so it is with some christians in this morning of their first conversion, they see more clearly their own Estates by far, than others in their whole conversation, and though all have partly darkness, and partly light, yet some get more light in one thing, some in another, such a christian it may be, though he do not get such hold of Peace, yet some corruptions, as Wantonness, Pride, Covetousness, he subdues and gets greater hold of the contrary Graces; as it was with the pillar of the Cloud, Exod. 14.20. unto which the Apostle alludes, Heb. 12.1. just so is it with the spirits of Gods servants, something there is in them that is cloudy, something in them that is lightsome; old Peter, John 21.18. would not have gone to Martyrdom, and yet he would, partly willing, and partly unwilling, thus it is with the Spirit even of the best christian, he hath some unwillingness to some good duty that God calls him unto.
Ʋse 1. See here a ground of the great difference between christians and christians, differing in Faith, differing in manners, some are comfortably perswaded of their own Estates, but others full of fears and doubts, how comes this about? truly it is with christians as it is with mornings of the day, some mornings are a great deale more bright than others, and some more dusky and dark; you will say, why should not a soul come to some setled peace? true, but it will never be perfect day with us. St. John was an old christian, and yet you see what he saith, the darknesse was but going, and the light coming, so that we by degrees get hold of God, and strength against corruption; you have some Summer mornings more lightsome than all the dayes of the year besides, so it is with some christians in this morning of their first conversion, they see more clearly their own Estates by far, than others in their whole conversation, and though all have partly darknesse, and partly light, yet some get more light in one thing, some in another, such a christian it may be, though he doe not get such hold of Peace, yet some corruptions, as Wantonnesse, Pride, Covetousnesse, he subdues and gets greater hold of the contrary Graces; as it was with the pillar of the Cloud, Exod. 14.20. unto which the Apostle alludes, Heb. 12.1. just so is it with the spirits of Gods servants, something there is in them that is cloudy, something in them that is lightsome; old Peter, John 21.18. would not have gone to Martyrdome, and yet he would, partly willing, and partly unwilling, thus it is with the Spirit even of the best christian, he hath some unwillingnesse to some good duty that God calls him unto.
