The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

1. He withholds the supplies of that Grace whereby it might be effectually mortified and subdued. He can give in a Sufficiency of Efficacious Grace, to repel any Temptation, to subdue any or all our Lusts and Sins. For he can and doth work in us to will and to do, according to his Pleasure. Ordinarily he doth so in them that believe; so that although their Lusts may rebel and war, they cannot defile or prevail. But unto the continual supplies of this actual prevailing Grace he is not obliged. When it may have a Tendency unto his holy Ends, he may and doth withhold it. When it may be a proud Soul is to be humbled, a careless Soul to be awakened, an unthankful Soul to be convinced and rebuked, a backsliding Soul to be recovered, a froward, selfish, passionate Soul to be broken and meekened, he can leave them for a season unto the sore exercise of a prevalent corruption, which under his holy guidance shall contribute greatly unto his blessed Ends. It was so in the Temptation of Paul, 2 Cor. 11.7, 8, 9. If a man through disorder and excesses, is contracting many habitual Distempers of Body, which gradually and insensibly tend unto his Death; it may be an advantage to be cast into a violent fever, which threatens immediately to take away his Life. For he will hereby be throughly awakened unto the consideration of his Danger, and not only labour to be freed from his Fever, but also ⟨p. 136⟩for the future to watch against those Disorders and Excesses which cast him into that condition. And sometimes a loose careless Soul, that walks in a secure formal Profession, contracts many Spiritual Diseases which tend unto Death and ruin. No Arguments or Considerations can prevail with him, to awaken himself, to shake himself out of the Dust, and to betake himself unto a more diligent and humble walking before God. In this state, it may be, through the permission of God, he is surprised into some open actual sin. Hereon through the vigorous actings of an enlightened Conscience, and the stirrings of any sparks of Grace which yet remain, he is amazed, terrified, and stirs up himself to seek after Deliverance.

1. He withholds the supplies of that Grace whereby it might be effectually mortifyed and subdued. He can give in a Sufficiency of Efficacious Grace, to repell any Temptation, to subdue any or all our Lusts and Sins. For he can and doth work in us to will and to do, according to his Pleasure. Ordinarily he doth so in them that believe; so that although their Lusts may rebell and war, they cannot defile or prevail. But unto the continual supplies of this actual prevailing Grace he is not obliged. When it may have a Tendency unto his holy Ends, he may and doth withhold it. When it may be a proud Soul is to be humbled, a careless Soul to be awakened, an unthankful Soul to be convinced and rebuked, a backsliding Soul to be recovered, a froward, selfish, passionate Soul to be broken and meekened, he can leave them for a season unto the sore exercise of a prevalent corruption, which under his holy guidance shall contribute greatly unto his blessed Ends. It was so in the Temptation of Paul,