Ouranos kai tartaros= heaven and hell epitomized. The true Christian characterized. As also an…

Examine thy soul by this; Doth the spirit within thee combat with, and conquer thy corruptions? Doth it enable thee to cast them away with shame and detestation? Hath it turned the bent of thy heart, and stream of thy affections, after spiritual and heavenly things? The waters of the sea (as some write) though by their natural ⟨p. 159⟩course they follow the centre; yet in obedience to the Moon are subject to her motion, and so turn and return, ebb and flow. So though thou by nature didst follow the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life, yet in obedience to the Spirit dost thou now follow its motions? Hath the interest of the Spirit an actual predominancy in thy soul, above the interest of the flesh? Canst thou say, that the interest of the spirit, and the interest of the flesh, do often meet together, on a narrow bridge, where both cannot go forward together, and usually thou sufferest the Spirit to go forward, and the flesh to go back? When two Masters walk together, and a servant followeth after, it is not easy to know to which of the two the servant belongs, but when the Masters part, the servant is discovered whose he is; When religion and the world have their interests together, thou mayst be hid; but when thy credit and Christ, thy pleasure and the spirit come in competition (as they will very often) thou mayst discover thy self clearly, whore servant thou art. Speak friend, and let thy conscience witness, whether it be thus or no; thou mast deceive and thereby undo thy self, but thou canst not ⟨p. 160⟩deceive God; for if the Spirit do not sanctify thee, the Son will never save thee. Pharaoh's Court admitted of Frogs and Lice, and Noah's Ark received unclean Beasts into it; but no such vermin can crawl into the heavenly Court: Into it can in no wise enter (observe Reader) in no wise any thing that is defiled or unclean, Revel. 21.17. These are the words of the true and living God. Canst thou think that thou hast the Spirit of God, and shalt be a gainer by death, who art a servant of unrighteousness, who hast vain-glory, covetousness, hypocrisy, carnal-mindedness within thee, and never mournest under them, as one heavy laden with them, nor longest after,¹