The trial of a Christians growth in mortification, purging out corruption, or vivification, bringing…The tryall of a Christians growth in mortification, purging out corruption, or vivification, bringing…

Thirdly, the more constancy there is in our hearts and ways,§3 the more even, stable in well-doing, and the more lasting, durable frame and temper for holiness we find our hearts to abide in, the more we are purged; for in that we find such sudden flowings and re-flowings in our hearts, that when a corruption seems to be at a low ebb, and our hearts in a good frame, within an hour or so a mighty tide comes in, and we find our hearts overflown with a sea of filth, such sudden alterations from the better to the worse, do come from those vast seas of corruptions that are still within us, that tumble and float up and down in our hearts: So the Apostle intimates, Purge your hearts, ye double minded: That their hearts are of so unequal a temper, sometimes in hot fits, sometimes in cold, and so suddenly altered, this cannot be but from much corruption. This double mindedness comes from want of purging. The Galatians were surely very weak, and foolish, as he tells them, when they were so soon transported. He marvels not so much that they were removed, as that so soon, [Greek or Hebrew], so suddenly, Gal. 1. 6. and brings it in as an evidence of their weakness, that they who would have given him their eyes, should now so much be altered and carried ⟨p. 82⟩away: So much mortifiednesse, so much constancy: therefore in the 5. Gal. 15. 16. when in the 15. ver. he had said, Those that are Christs have crucified the affections with the lusts, he adds in the 16. ver. If we live in the spirit, let us walk in the spirit: the word imports a being constant in the spirit. Then when lusts are crucified, then the holy Spirit will rule us in our ways, and a holy frame of heart will be discovered, in a constant tract of holiness we shall walk in the spirit, keep our selves long in a spiritual frame and course, and not be biased aside: that we step out so much, is from strong lusts unmortified.

Thirdly, the more constancie there is in our hearts and wayes,§3 the more eaven, stable in well-doing, and the more lasting, durable frame and temper for holinesse we find our hearts to abide in, the more we are purged; for in that we finde such sudden flowings and re-flowings in our hearts, that when a corruption seemes to be at a low ebbe, and our hearts in a good frame, within an houre or so a mighty tide comes in, and we find our hearts overflowne with a sea of filth, such sudden alterations from the better to the worse, doe come from those vast seas of corruptions that are still within us, that tumble and float up and downe in our hearts: So the Apostle intimates, Purge your hearts, ye double minded: That their hearts are of so unequall a temper, sometimes in hot fits, sometimes in cold, and so suddenly altered, this cannot be but from much corruption. This double mindednesse comes from want of purging. The Galatians were surely very weak, and foolish, as he tells them, when they were so soone transported. He marvails not so much that they were removed, as that so soone, , so suddenly,