But now know thou that these conclusions are false. I tell thee the quite contrary in the name of the Lord: It shall not be in vain to strive against sin: the husbandman will prune the branches; and shall not he be able to bring his works to pass according to his promise? Tell me from thine own feeling: do not these sins vex thee more and more, and art thou not more and more angry and discontented against thy self for them, and more and more out of love with thy self because of them? if so, as sure thou canst not deny but it is so, then all is safe; this is to be in pruning, now the sin is dying: only do thou make use of Gods words to Joshua, fighting against the Canaanites: Faint not, nor be discouraged, but take to thy self a valiant spirit, ⟨p. 131⟩to continue praying against, meditating on the Word of God, and the death of Christ, opposing the first motions of it, and using all other good ways that God hath directed thee unto, for the subduing of it, and I say unto thee, thou shalt prosper: go up and fight against these Philistines, and the Lord will deliver them into thine hands. Our want of being sufficiently purged, doth come from want of sufficient endeavours to purge our selves; and this want springeth from a want of faithful assurance of Gods assistance, and good success in our endeavours. But now I beseech you all that be members of Christ, set in earnestly and with a good courage, and you shall vanquish them, you shall more and more prevail against them, till at last you have quite overcome them, in the overcoming of the last enemy, which is death. If we did labour against sin alone in our own strength, we should find indeed, that vain is the help of man, and the labour of flesh and blood in this behalf; but the God of heaven, he is the husbandman, and he pruneth. The Lord is present with thy prayers, to make them effectual for the killing of thy lusts. The Lord is present in his Word, to make it a two-edged sword, to cut off all carnal affections, and to wound the body of death more and more. The Lord is present with thine holy meditations, to make them effectual to weaken any of thy sinful passions. Faint not therefore, but stir up thy self to work with God in those holy exercises, & know, that thy success shall be, as often ⟨p. 132⟩it hath been with Gods people in the natural battle, far beyond thine expectation.
But now know thou that these conclusions are false. I tell thee the quite contrary in the name of the Lord: It shall not be in vaine to striue against sinne: the husbandman will prune the branches; and shall not hee bee able to bring his workes to passe according to his promise? Tell me from thine owne feeling: doe not these sins vexe thee more and more, and art thou not more and more angry and discontented against thy selfe for them, and more and more out of loue with thy selfe because of them? if so, as sure thou canst not deny but it is so, then all is safe; this is to be in pruning, now the sinne is dying: onely doe thou make vse of Gods words to Ioshua, fighting against the Canaanites: Faint not, nor bee discouraged, but take to thy selfe a valiant spirit, ⟨p. 131⟩to continue praying against, meditating on the Word of God, and the death of Christ, opposing the first motions of it, and vsing all other good wayes that God hath directed thee vnto, for the subduing of it, and I say vnto thee, thou shalt prosper: goe vp and fight against these Philistims, and the Lord will deliuer them into thine hands. Our want of being sufficiently purged, doth come from want of sufficient indeuours to purge our selues; and this want springeth from a want of faithful assurance of Gods assistance, and good successe in our indeuours. But now I beseech you all that bee members of Christ, set in earnestly and with a good courage, and you shall vanquish them, you shall more and more preuaile against them, till at last you haue quite ouercome them, in the ouercomming of the last enemy, which is death. If wee did labour against sin alone in our owne strength, we should finde indeed, that vaine is the helpe of man, and the labour of flesh and blood in this behalfe; but the God of heauen, he is the husbandman, and hee pruneth. The Lord is present with thy prayers, to make them effectuall for the killing of thy lusts. The Lord is present in his Word, to make it a two-edged sword, to cut off all carnall affections, and to wound the body of death more and more. The Lord is present with thine holy meditations, to make them effectuall to weaken any of thy sinfull passions. Faint not therefore, but stir vp thy selfe to worke with God in those holy exercises, & know, that thy successe shall be, as often ⟨p. 132⟩it hath been with Gods people in the naturall battell, farre beyond thine expectation.
