The Godly Man's Picture

2. Let a Christian pursue his duty: There are two duties required of believers, 1. Love. 2. Labour.

1. Love. Will not the Lord quench the smoking flax, but make it at last victorious over all opposition? how should the smoking ⟨p. 341⟩flax flame in love to God? Psal. 31. 23. love the Lord all ye his Saints: The Saints owe much to God, and when they have nothing to pay, it is hard if they cannot love him: O ye Saints, it is God who carries on grace progressively in your souls: He is like a Father who gives his son a small stock of money to begin with, and when he hath traded a little, he adds more to the stock: So God adds continually to your stock, he is every day dropping oil into the lamp of your grace, and so keeps the lamp burning: This may inflame your love to God, who will not let the work of grace miscarry, but will bring it to perfection: The smoking flax he will not quench: How should Gods people long for heaven, when it will be their constant work, to breathe forth love, and found forth praise?

1. Love. Will not the Lord quench the smoaking flax, but make it at last victorious over all opposition? how should the smoaking ⟨p. 341⟩flax flame in love to God? Psal. 31. 23. love the Lord all ye his Saints: The Saints owe much to God, and when they have nothing to pay, it is hard if they cannot love him: O ye Saints, it is God who carries on grace progressively in your souls: He is like a Father who gives his son a small stock of money to begin with, and when he hath traded a little, he adds more to the stock: So God adds continually to your stock, he is every day dropping oyl into the lamp of your grace, and so keeps the lamp burning: This may inflame your love to God, who will not let the work of grace miscarry, but will bring it to perfection: The smoaking flax he will not quench: How should Gods people long for heaven, when it will be their constant work, to breathe forth love, and found forth praise?