The Christians labour and reward, or, A sermon, part of which was preached at…

Secondly, The curious Sculpture with which every Duty in Religion must be engraved, to render it acceptable ⟨p. 17⟩to God, a miscarriage in any of which is (like an hair on the writers pen) enough to mar and blot his fairest copy, for bonum ex integris. First, every duty in Religion, to render it acceptable to God must spring from a supernatural principle. It is not labour in the Lord, except the labourer himself be in the Lord. Actio sequitur vitam, a carnal man can do no other than a carnal action, though the matter of it be spiritual. A dead state can have no other but dead works, a corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good fruit. Mat. 7.12. Secondly, the Christians work must be performed with an holy fervour, Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. Psalm. 119.4. [Greek or Hebrew] valde, vehementer. The word is emphatical, importing an exerting the utmost force of our Souls. Zeal is the religious part of our affections, the first-born and strength of a mans spirit, and therefore God sets it apart for himself, as his peculiar portion, fervent in spirit serving the Lord; without this, he accounts himself slighted, ⟨p. 18⟩not served, and accordingly deals with such cold servitors, giving them as cold welcome as they do him service; cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently; If we would repent, we must be zealous and repent, Rev. 2. v. 2. if hear the word, we must be swift to hear; if pray, it must be an effectual fervent prayer, or else it is but thuribulum sine prunis, a censure without fire. If we would give an alms, we must draw out our soul, as well as our purse to the hungry. Now those employments are counted most laborious, to which most strength and force must be put, and those which intend the powers of the soul, more than such as strain the limbs of the body; the Scholars labour in his study, is more spending, than the Plough-mans in the field. What then is the Christians labour, which exerts the zeal and heat of his spirit? O how hard is it to kindle, or kindled, to keep this heavenly fire alive, on a hearth so damp and cold as our heart is? Thirdly, the Christians ⟨p. 19⟩