A man finds any Lust to bring him into the Condition formerly described, it is powerful, strong, tumultuating, leads captive, vexes, disquiets, takes away peace; He is not able to bear it, wherefore he sets himself against it, prays against it, groans under it, sighs to be delivered, but in the mean time, perhaps in other Duties, in constant Communion with God, in Reading, Prayer and Meditation, in other ways that are not of the same kind with the Lust wherewith he is troubled, he is loose and negligent. Let not that man think that ever he shall arrive to the Mortification of the Lust he is perplexed withal. This is a Condition that not seldom befalls men in their Pilgrimage. The Israelites under a sense of their Sin, drew nigh to God with much diligence and earnestness, with Fasting and Prayer. Isa. 58. many Expressions are made of their Earnestness in the work, v. 2. They seek me daily, and delight to know my Ways, they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice, they delight in approaching unto God. But God rejects all; their Fast i• a Remedy that will not heal them, and the Reason given of it, v. 5, 6, 7. is, because they were particular in this Duty. They attended diligently to that, but in others were negligent and careless. He that hath a ⟨p. 80⟩running sore (it is the Scripture Expression) upon him, arising from an ill habit of Body contracted by Intemperance and ill Diet; let him apply himself with what diligence and skill he can, to the cure of his sore, if he leave the general habit of his body under Distempers, his labour and travail will be in vain. So will his attempts be, that shall endeavour to stop a bloody issue of Sin, and filth in his Soul, and is not equally careful of his universal spiritual temperature, and Constitution. For,
A man finds any Lust to bring him into the Condition formerly described, it is powerfull, strong, tumultuating, leads captive, vexes, disquiets, takes away peace; He is not able to bear it, wherefore he sets himself against it, prayes against it, groans under it, sighs to be delivered, but in the mean time, perhaps in other Duties, in constant Communion with God, in Reading, Prayer and Meditation, in other wayes that are not of the same kind with the Lust wherewith he is troubled, he is loose and negligent. Let not that man think that ever he shall arrive to the Mortification of the Lust he is perplexed withall. This is a Condition that not seldom befalls men in their Pilgrimage. The Israelites under a sense of their Sin, drew nigh to God with much diligence and earnestness, with Fasting and Prayer. Isa. 58. many Expressions are made of their Earnestness in the work, v. 2. They seek me daily, and delight to know my Wayes, they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice, they delight in approaching unto God. But God rejects all; their Fast i• a Remedy that will not heal them, and the Reason given of it, v. 5, 6, 7. is, because they were particular in this Duty. They attended diligently to that, but in others were negligent and careless. He that hath a ⟨p. 80⟩running sore (it is the Scripture Expression) upon him, arising from an ill habit of Body contracted by Intemperance and ill Dyet; let him apply himself with what diligence and skill he can, to the cure of his sore, if he leave the general habit of his body under Distempers, his labour and travail will be in vain. So will his attempts be, that shall endeavour to stop a bloody issue of Sin, and filth in his Soul, and is not equally carefull of his universal spiritual temperature, and Constitution. For,
