Subjection to Christ in all his ordinances, and appointments, the best means to preserve…

Only be cautious here; I told you there is an incomplete victory, the Lord never sets his people at variance with their sin, but they have victory, but it is an incomplete victory, Saith the Lord, I will drive out the Hittites, and Canaanitess, and Perizzites before you, but I will do it by little and little. There is many a Christian that finds within himself a Spirit of warfare against his sin, and did he examine himself, he should find a Spirit of victory; but he thinks he hath none because his victory is not complete. If he had a heart so to believe as never to doubt more, and such quickening as never to be dead more, never to depart from God more, now I should think the Word comes with power; but I find that these evils prevail against me. There is many a one does scorn the kindness of Christ, because he finds not complete victory, but darkness remains still, and sinful lusts remain still, therefore the Word doth me no good at all, saith he. The Lord he hath given thee a Spirit of Conflict, and hath set thee at an everlasting distance with thy sin, and he doth give thee some victory. Beloved, a Christian may decay in the power of the grace of Christ, which he hath, received from the Word, and voice of God in the ⟨p. 186⟩Word, and he may decay and grow to a very low estate; yet be shall find this, the Word of the Lord hath come with power to him, it will recover his soul again, and so the efficacy of the Word is eternal. Psal. 72. its said of Christ, that his People shall fear him so long as Sun and Moon shall endure, that is, continually, all their life-time. It may be said, there he many that find decay of their service and obedience, and they lose their fear of the Lord, and their dread, and their humble walking before him, He shall come as the rain on the mowen grass: many times a Christian hath his flourishing time as the grass, but when the grass is mowen, it is as a dry chip; so the soul it may grow dry, as dry as a chip. Now where is your sap and savour? but I tell you, if you belong to the Lord Jesus, the rain it will fall again, the Word of God set on by the Spirit of Christ, it shall fall up. on you as the rain on the mowen grass, and you know that it recovers little by little, and puts on a green coat again. Here is the eternal love of the Lord Jesus to his People, and thus the eternal efficacy of the word does continue.

Only becautious here; I told you there is an incompleat victory, the Lord never sets his people at variance with their sin, but they have victory, but it is an incompleat victory, Saith the Lord, I will drive out the Hittites, and Canaanitess, and Perizzites before you, but I will do it by little and little. There is many a Christian that findes within himself a Spirit of warfare against his sin, and did he examine himself, he should finde a Spirit of victory; but he thinks he hath none because his victory is not compleat. If he had a heart so to believe as never to doubt more, and such quickning as never to be dead more, never to depart from God more, now I should think the Word comes with power; but I finde that these evils prevaile against me. There is many a one does scorn the kindnesse of Christ, because he findes not compleat victory, but darknesse remaines still, and sinful lusts remaine still, therefore the Word doth me no good at all, saith he. The Lord he hath given thee a Spirit of Conflict, and hath set thee at an everlasting distance with thy sin, and he doth give thee some victory. Beloved, a Christian may decay in the power of the grace of Christ, which he hath, received from the Word, and voice of God in the