Gods husbandry

and if yet the evil thought follow him, as oft it will, he must not be weary of renewing the same requests, saying, O I must not yield, I will not yield, but, Lord, without thee I cannot resist; Lord, beat down for me these wicked desires and inclinations, according to thy promise, and so still (though it cannot be without exceeding much wearisomeness of Spirit) continuing to raise up holy wishes and holy affections, (seeking and taking the first opportunity of getting alone to his solemn prayers) he shall be made strong in Jesus Christ, and in the power of his might, and shall be a conqueror over the tentation. For (brethren) we must conceive the case to stand thus with all the members of Christ; without him they can do nothing, and all their sufficiency is of him: he doth indeed implant in their souls, at their first regenerating, an ability of turning away their wills from evil things, and of departing from iniquity, but yet so, that there is necessary to their performing of these holy actions, a special cooperation of his sanctifying Spirit; and they must know that they do good, and shun ⟨p. 94⟩evil by a borrowed power, not a power originally in themselves, and by a borrowed power given of grace above nature, not dwelling in their nature of it self. And whilst they do acknowledge this dependence upon the Lord, by making him their refuge in the time of tentation; and therefore do not alone stir up their own strength, and set their own good affections and desires on working: but withal, send to heaven for aid, and (as utterly distrusting themselves) implore present assistance from God: (because they do indeed give honour unto God) they seldom fail to get the victory: but when in these spiritual encounters they satisfy themselves with their own endeavours, and think it sufficient to set their own spiritual strength on work, forgetting to beg help of Gods holy Spirit, because this is a manifest demonstration of self-confidence, and of a spiritual kind of self-conceitedness; therefore the Lord, to make them know themselves, doth withdraw his special grace, and so, (after a few faint resistances) because they renew not their strength by running unto him their strength, they are in some degrees or other plainly foiled and overthrown.

and if yet the euill thought follow him, as oft it will, he must not be weary of renewing the same requests, saying, O I must not yeeld, I will not yeeld, but, Lord, without thee I cannot resist; Lord, beat downe for me these wicked desires and inclinations, according to thy promise, and so still (though it cannot be without exceeding much wearisomenesse of Spirit) continuing to raise vp holy wishes and holy affections, (seeking and taking the first opportunity of getting alone to his solemne prayers) he shall be made strong in Iesus Christ, and in the power of his might, and shall bee a conqueror ouer the tentation. For (brethren) we must conceiue the case to stand thus with all the members of Christ; without him they can doe nothing, and all their sufficiency is of him: he doth indeed implant in their soules, at their first regenerating, an ability of turning away their wills from euill things, and of departing from iniquity, but yet so, that there is necessary to their performing of these holy actions, a speciall cooperation of his sanctifying Spirit; and they must know that they doe good, and shunne