3. When once you find your spirit is become in any measure well-inclined, and begins to savour that which is truly good; know yet, that it needs your continual inspection and care, to cherish good principles and repress evil ones. Your work is not done as soon as you begin to live; as care about an Infant ceases not as soon as it is born. Let it be therefore your constant business, to tend your inward man; otherwise all things will soon be out of course: God hath coupled delight with the labour of a Christian, not with the sloth and neglect of himself;1 The heart must then be kept with all diligence, or above all keeping, in as much as out of it are the issues of life: All vital principles are lodged there; and only the genuine issues of such as are good and holy, will yield you pleasure. The exercises of Religion will be pleasant when they are natural, and flow easily from their own fountain; but great care must be taken that the fountain ⟨p. 206⟩be kept pure. There are other springs besides, which will be apt to intermingle therewith their bitter waters, or a root of bitterness, whose fruit is deadly, even that evil thing, and bitter forsaking the Lord. I wonder not, if they taste little of the delights of Religion that take no heed to their spirits. Such a curse is upon the nature of man, as is upon the ground which was cursed for his sake, (till the blessing of Abraham through Jesus Christ do take place,2 even the Promise of the Spirit), that it brings forth naturally thorns and thistles, and mingles sorrows with his bread. But that promised blessing, that will enable a man to eat with pleasure, comes not all at once; nor do the increases of it come on, or the pleasant fruits of righteousness spring up, but in them that give all diligence, 3to add to their faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly-kindness; and to brotherly-kindness, charity: Which would make that we be not barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Otherwise, look in upon thy Soul when thou wilt, and thou wilt have no other than the dismal prospect of miserable wastes and desolation. Consider it seriously, wretched man! who tillest thy Field, but not thy Soul;
3. When once you find your spirit is become in any measure well-inclin'd, and begins to savour that which is truly good; know yet, that it needs your continual inspection and care, to cherish good principles and repress evil ones. Your work is not done as soon as you begin to live; as care about an Infant ceases not as soon as it is born. Let it be therefore your constant business, to tend your inward man; otherwise all things will soon be out of course: God hath coupled delight with the labour of a Christian, not with the sloth and neglect of himself;1 The heart must then be kept with all diligence, or above all keeping, in as much as out of it are the issues of life: All vital principles are lodg'd there; and only the genuine issues of such as are good and holy, will yeild you pleasure. The exercises of Religion will be pleasant when they are natural, and flow easily from their own fountain; but great care must be taken that the fountain ⟨p. 206⟩be kept pure. There are other springs besides, which will be apt to intermingle therewith their bitter waters, or a root of bitterness, whose fruit is deadly, even that evil thing, and bitter forsaking the Lord. I wonder not, if they taste little of the delights of Religion that take no heed to their spirits. Such a curse is upon the nature of man, as is upon the ground which was cursed for his sake, (till the blessing of Abraham through Jesus Christ do take place,2 even the Promise of the Spirit), that it brings forth naturally thorns and thistles, and mingles sorrows with his bread. But that promised blessing, that will enable a man to eat with pleasure, comes not all at once; nor do the encreases of it come on, or the pleasant fruits of righteousness spring up, but in them that give all diligence, 3to add to their faith, vertue; and to vertue, knowledg; and to knowledg, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly-kindness; and to brotherly-kindness, charity: Which would make that we be not barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ. Otherwise, look in upon thy Soul when thou wilt, and thou wilt have no other than the dismal prospect of miserable wastes and desolation. Consider it seriously, wretched man! who tillest thy Field, but not thy Soul;
- 1Prov. 4.
- 2Gal. 3. 14.
- 33 Pet. 1.
