Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

Now mark, these are the times and seasons, wherein a man is to stir up the strength of all these graces; you see they come in season one after another. Put case, a man exercise one, and leave another unexercised in its season, there is a deformity and want: when a man useth other graces, and not temperance; suppose a man will do any thing, but when he is to suffer, he will baulk the way because of the Cross, he is loath to suffer, he wants patience: here is a thing wherein his weakness is seen; therefore be strong, that is, in every thing, in the practice of all the graces we receive, that they may have their perfect work.

Well, the use of this in a word is, To put us in mind ¹of our duty, and to quicken us, that we may all remember what person we sustain, what we have to do, for what ⟨p. 218⟩end we come into the world, and to do it: for that which the Apostle saith here to Timothy, we have all need to have it repeated to us, and to be put in mind of it upon every occasion. Now be strong to do this, and this; for all the actions of a mans life are divided into these two main heads: Either they are such actions as are bestowed in ²gathering strength; as when we pray, & keep the Sabaoth, and read and are occupied in holy duties, now our business is to gather strength. But now there are other actions that stand in converse, in doing the business and works of our calling; when we are to grapple with troubles and temptations, when we fall upon change of our estate, &c. these are times of spending and not of gathering, these are times to use strength: now we must be as careful to use our strength as to gather it, we must be as careful to stir up our strength, as the Apostle saith to Timothy, Thou my Son be strong in the Lord, we must stir up our strength. I say, we have need to be called upon, for you must not think that the Lord doth all. It is true, he puts life in us, but when we have life once, then we may move and stir our selves: he kindles the sacrifice from heaven at first, but when the sacrifice is kindled, when you have got fire, you must keep it alive, and blow it up, and put fuel to it. Therefore