Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	heart_n	love_v	sin_n	9,337	5	4.8347	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55570	Tsofer bepaḥ, or, The bird in the cage, chirping four distinct notes to his consorts abroad I. of consideration, counsel and consolation, II. some experiences and observations gathered in affliction ..., III. the lamentations of Jeremiah ..., IV. a true Christians spiritual pilgrimage setting forth his afflicted and consolatory state in another metre : and as a preface hereto, an epistle to the Welsh churches, and a brief narrative of the former propagation and late restriction of the Gospel ... in Wales ... / by Vava. Powell.	Powell, Vavasor, 1617-1670.	1661 (1661)	Wing P3078; ESTC R19436	71,339	204

after him Com. A saint sometimes is like a little Child in the Arms of the Father or Mother who may have Suger offered to it by a stranger which it may looke upon and have some liking to yet he will not thereby be drawn from the Father or Mother to the stranger So the bait of Temptation or Corruption cannot and shall not draw a Saint quite from Christ My soul bear up with Christ bear off from Satan and the world bear down thy corruption and bear forth thy Testimony The present Afflictions upon Gods people are partly for their sins let them thank themselves yet God too for their Sufferings ☞ It s strange and a very bad Sign to see Saints look more upon the sins of the wicked to ripen them for misery then after self-humiliation and holyness to ripen and fit themselves for mercy Com. And 't is the Sign of a hard heart to desire the wickeds Eternal destruction for the obtaining of our own temporall and corporal liberty safety and honour As if one should desire to have another cast into the fire and be burnt that himself may be warmed He that cannot pitty the Sinner and hate sin doth not reprove out of love to Christ nor from a gracious Spirit He that loves not a Reprover and prises not his reproof neither profits thereby is more his sins than his Souls friend Com. As a spoonful of Strong-water will be much prized though but small when one is fainting or a little knap of Sugar after a bitter pill so will a little comfort in or after affliction be esteem'd by a Christian If thou hast faln into sin through violent Temptations seek speedily for Repentance for it recovery out of it and reformation from it If God hath kept thee from falling still fear watch pray and live by Faith on Christ I have experienc'd sometimes that thoughts of Gods goodness and my own vileness coming in at once have drawn tears of joy mingled with sorrow No power can keep him in bonds whom truth and innocency acquits Our end in being in the world is not to be to our selves Though the people of God may be kil'd yet they can neither be hurt nor overcome Christians though disagreeing in opinion should agree in affection and differing in Controversie yet should agree in Charity It is a very sad thing neither to be careful to do well nor to repent for doing ill The Potion that Christ gives us is not near so bitter as his Cordial is sweet Com. Christ deals with a Christian as a man would with his wife who made him drink a poyson'd cup for her sake puts a drop of it upon her hand or face which causes a Blister onely to make her sensible what he suffered for her Christians sufferings are but as a drop to the Sea in comparison of Christs sufferings or a little water put over the cup of poyson whereof he drank As the nature of man doth seek prosperity to likewise it doth abuse it Sain●s may partly know one another by grace as well as by face Com. The Sun clouded makes the Sun more desired to Christ Fear not fire if sin be not the fuel that maintaines it Com. That Physick works most effectually that removes most bad humors and purges away most Excrements so doth that effliction that purges the heart and life most from sin Com. Christians are like Rivers when they come near the Sea the Tides come forth to meet them so doth Christ by his fain and comolation those Saints that are near heaven and the greater floud there is in the River the faster is runs so Chris●●ans the more their Persecutions are he swifter they fly by faith and run in Holiness Heaven-wards Com. That 's a sorry Child that obey's his Father sooner for correcting him then out of love to him or in obedience to his command and yet such naughty Children are too many Christians Things are not to be beloved for the place sake but the place for the things sake ☜ as Gregory Bishop of Rome said A good observation for those that put holiness in places The fear of Death is ingrafted in the common-nature of all men but Faith works it out of Christians Nothing will be terrible where the love of God is apprehended and nothing grievous where love to Christ is exercised Learn to prefer Christ before self and suffering above sinning Look for suffering as for exaltation for it is an honour to be accounted worthy and a double honour to be enabled and carryed through safely I would not dye as long as I might live to honour Christ nor live unless I might either live to doe or suffer for him Com. As the little Infant will not be content with the Mother without the breast nor the breast without the Mother so a Saint will not be content with Christ without his Ordinances much less with the use of Ordinances without Christ Com. As a Physitian leaves a man that he sees after all means used growes worse and desperate so doth the Lord the hopeless sinner that hath rejected all the Meanes of his own Salvation Com. As the heavy Milstone turns easily and swiftly by the strength of water so doth the heart of man by the powerful water of Gods Spirit Christ hath more to do to bring men to be reconciled to God then God to men And that 1. Because God is willing and inclinable thereto but men unwilling 2. Because God is Satisfied with his Son which men are not Com. As course Cloth though put into the same Fat and continued there a like time with Cloth which is finer yet will not take so perfect a colour so a man that is of a bad nature though he be converted will not appear so gracious as he that hath a better nature viz. one that is quiet or meek by nature Com. As the Olive though it be grafted into the Vine yet still brings forth Olive his own fruit as well as Grapes so a Christian thats grafted into Christ brings forth some Fruite of Nature as well as of Grace If every Christian did follow closely his own work the Trade of Religion would go better on It is a great part of a Christians trouble that he can be no time what he would be viz. sinless and serviceful nor at all times what he is some times viz. slighting sin judging self loving Christ and despising the world greatly Com. As a young Bird before his Feathers grow hops from one Bough to another and returns to his Nest againe ☜ but when his feathers are grown forsakes the Tree so a Christian till his Faith be grown goes from signe to signe turning in to his own righteousness but when his Faith or assurance is grown he flyes off himself to Christ Com. As ground that is rough and full of roots requires more strength and skill in Plowing so old sinners hardned in sins will require more skill and power to convince and convert

till the Lord gives them some fresh Grace to act Grace formerly received Let none marvel that a Cloud covers and hides the splendor of the Stars when there hath been such an Eclipse upon the Sun no more that such small sufferings should befall the Saints when the Son of God did suffer so much Christians should take heed lest God should sue them upon an Action of Waste for wafting Time and mis-spending Mercies c. Likewise lest they over-shoot themselves in things lawfull for mark this most of a Christian's failings are either from good ends or excess in lawful things Sence of Misery must precede sence of Mercy There are two degrees or sorts of Miseries 1. sinning 2. suffering for Sin And two degrees or parts of felicity 1. Freedom from Sin and Suffering and 2. Fellowship with God in Grace and Glory At the day of death but specially at the Day of Judgment a Saint will wish he had sinn'd less serv'd God better ☜ and suffered for him more He is a strong Christian that seeks God's Glory more than his own Salvation ☜ but no Christian that seeks neither As it is the character of all Hypocrites especially these of the latter days to love themselves and their pleasures more than God 2 Tim. 3.2 4. So of true Christians to love God better than their own lives Revel 12.11 Satan is said twice to be cast out of Heaven and once cast down Rev. 12.9 10. Duties ill perform'd or carnal Duties are spiritual sins Take heed of Unbelief for 1. It cuts you short of Christ and all his benefits and promises 2. It binds all your other sins upon you It is both Humanity and Christianity to be courteous kind and merciful to all but not to be friendly with all much less to confide in all or commit your counsels to all Christians are apt often to be most weary of that condition that doth them most good It is a great evil in Christians to desire to come out of Affliction before it hath wrought Gods end upon and in them As a man that is weary of his Physick whilst it is working Com. As a husband that bestows Jewels upon his wife when she delights more in them than in her husband takes them away again from her So Christ doth with his People when he sees them abuse the good things he besows upon them When and where Wickednesse is most then and there the godly should strive to be most godly Com. As the Snow covers many fowl and dirty places and things yet when it is melted those things will appear So profession covers many corruptions which when men fall from their base wickedness will appear God doth never out-speak or out-promise his Power Truth and Faithfulness If Gods people could be diligent at their own work and leave God at his work they need not fear successe Com. As the Stars the higher they are the swifter their motion So Christians the more spiritual the more Active in the service of God Want of love to the Saints and sensible thoughts and consideration of their Condition makes us pray so seldom and so strait-hearted for them Godliness is an eying of God owning of God and imitaing and respecting of him in all our waies Nothing comes amisse to a Godly man but Sin Sin undiscovered or unconsidered becomes Sin unrepented Christians may with Godly boldness and reverence as well expect through Christ that God will do his work which he hath promised as he requires they should do the work they are commanded There are many that serve themselves of Christ but few that serve Christ for his own sake It is hard to be skilful in the work of believing and diligent in the work of sanctification at once because there is a double self-denyal therein of our righteousness and sins A Christian should learn to discern the Good and Evil and strive to improve the Talents he hath received better If Gods people were not sometimes afflicted they would forget both themselves and others for affliction works humiliation in men themselves and compassion towards others Christians should labour to see so much bitterness in Sin as may sweeten Christ and so much sweetness in Christ as may imbitter sin to them and labour to attain to more knowledge in the Covenant of Grace and to such a measure of true Repentance and Reformation as may make believing easy and Holiness delightful It is a hard thing for a Profane man to attain to the shaddow a carelesse though true Christian to the substance of Religion So for the true Saint that hath the substance to keep up the sence and savour either of good Jesus or bad Sin in his heart alwaies Oh what time do Saints mispend what duty neglect what Mercy slight what Corruptions imbrace what Temptations lye under what corrections undervalue Oh what heart-qualms and fleshly weakenesses cry upon them to make ready and yet how unready how unripe unwilling unmindful and unthoughtful are we of our latter end and this because we are unassured of grace unweaned from the world unweary of Sin unbroken from self and unapprehensive of the glory to be revealed and enjoyed hereafter Christians should be alwaies pressing for some clearer and fuller Tokens of Christs love for more of his constant and continued presence for more sence and experience of the inward workings of his spirit and for more of his likeness and Image in Heart and Life Com. As a corrupt breath darkens a transparent Glass so doth corrupt communications or a carnal conversation the Gospel and Godliness Gods people have the love of God shewed to and set before them shed in them and sealed to them Com. Christians should be like fish in salt water keeping themselves among the wicked pure and uncorrupted and not as glow-wormes making a shew of having light but not having it indeed in them Let not a Christian leave off his running till he comes to the end of his Race but like the Moon though she be eclipsed yet forsakes not her Orbe nor discontinues her Course at all Men that are converted may say as the woman of Samaria faid Joh. 4.39 c. Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves That though the Preacher tels them things outwardly they come also to see and hear Christ himself in their hearts Christ hath sufficient power to propagate his Gospel and work in the World though all his Messengers should be slain or shut up And therefore they should not do evil in hope of doing good comply with mens Ceremonies under the Notion of propagating truth or pretend their ministry when they intend their maintenance It is a sad thing to be armed with knowledge but not with power against Sin I have often experienced the truth of that Scripture Psa 46.1 That God is a present help in time of trouble especially when I cry unto the Lord for help even in the hour and moment of violent

generation But we have esteemed this good Word and bread of Life as the Israeliles did the Manna f Num. 21.5 light bread we have been sto-mach-ful sick surfeited with the sweet and fat things of Godshouse yea as 't is said We have been almost in all evil in midst of the Congregation and Assembly g Pro. 5.14 We trampled and trod under foot the good pastures which God had provided for us and which the Saints and Martyrs of former daies would have greatly Prized The fire of Religion was much vanished into the smoak and air of brain Notions and self-conceited opinions many taking up profession as they do fashions because they would be in the Mode of the times and like the Gibeonites feigning themselves to be what they were not becoming Proselytes either for fear as many became Jewes when they saw them prevail for fear of them h Esa 8.17 or advantages creeping through Churches into Councils Armies Custom-houses and other places of honour and profit And others under pretence of being for Reformation Uniformity Order and Church-Disciplin drove on as it may be wel suspected their own particular designes for now being themselves persecuted they urge the same Scriptures arguments for liberty of conscience which they then would not allow to their dissenting brethren How also hath the name of the Lord been blasphemed by the sad principles of some who under pretence of higher attainments endeavoured to root up the very foundation and main principles of Christianity And others by their loose and licentious behaviour and practices have given cause to God to say as once Jacob did to his Sons Simeon and Levi Ye have troubled me to make me stinck among the inhabitants of the Land i Ge. 34.30 Hath not Christ been again wounded in the house and by the hands of his friends Yea pressed k Amos 2.13 wearied l Esa 7.13 43.24 and his heart broken m Ezek. 6.9 with the sins of his own servants Was he not forsaken as formerly by his own Disciples Did not the chiefest of his Ministers too much imbrace this evil world by removing from lesser to greater Livings did they not over dispence with their own principles to comply with the contrary where Earthly booty did byasse choosing that end of the Scales that did weigh heaviest of the World And did not the Rulers yea those that pretended to be the greatest Reformers make it a great part of their work to get to themselves and to give to one another and their friends not only the chiefest and gainfullest Offices but the Estates of their Ememies nay have not some been delinquifyed and decimated more for their Estates than for their Crimes Ah! how miserably did most men forsake their principles and former practices building what they did once destroy and deny what they had before in words and writings professed and when they had dismounted and dethroned their enemies and got up into their Saddles and seats and trampled upon their pride with as great pride till God had rejected their confidences and suffered them to crumble to nothing and their strength which was made an Idol to depart from them And not only they but the gathered Churches though encreased with Members Gifts and Wealth did decline and decay in Love Zeal Spiritual watchfulness Self-denial Humility Pitty to and praying for others and how bitter sour and selvish were we grown besides the secret sins which God our own consciences only knew our apparent sins became a stumbling block to the poor world And God had cause to say to divers of his Churches as he once did to Israel How art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto me u Jer. 2.21 And what hath my beloved to do in my house seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many and the holy flesh is departed from her o Ch. 11.15 Consid 3 3. Consider how necessary the present tryal upon Gods People is if need be saith Peter you are in heaviness through manyfold temptations p 1 Pet. 1.6 God saw a need of it before it came and we see a need of it now it is come It came as seasonable as ever Frost did in Winter or Rain in Spring We should account this preventing Grace and say with Job Thy visitation hath preserved my Spirit q Job 10.12 The heat of prosperity would have burnt us if God had not sent this Cloud of affliction to cover us Oh where had the most part of professors been in a short time if God had not stept in Our wise Physitian Christ knew by our complexions that we were running into a dangerous distemper and therefore hath given us preventing Physicks and this is the way that God sometimes takes to heal his People He went on frowardly in the way of his heart mark that I have seen his waies and I will heal him r Esa 57.17 18. God hath brought us into the pound not to starve us but being shrewd Cattle to keep us from further mischief According to that saying I will hedge up thy waies with Thornes and make a Wall that she shall not find her pathes Hos 2.6 and she shall follow her lovers and shall not overtake them Consid 4 Let us consider the time of prosperity Peace and Liberty we have enjoyed we have had a late Jubilee a long Vacation and as good and seasonable a Harvest to provide and lay up in store against the Winter as any could desire And now we should consider what stock we have gotten and laid up For every true Christians heart Can. 7.13 laies up somewhat for Christ and something for himself and he is like the wise Scribe or Housholder mentioned in the Gospel able to bring forth things new and old out of his treasury t Mat. 13.52 The time of Prosperity ought to be a time of gaining and the time of Adversity of spending grace and of bearing and enduring A Christian should never do any thing for Christ v 2 Tim. 1.11 12. but he should expect to suffer for so doing for how can an enemy that flings a stone or shoots an Arrow against his Enemy bene facere male audire but expect the same flung or shot to him again and every Christian is so to the Devil and his Kingdom Consid 5 All afflictions and tryals as they are the Appointments Ordinances of God are profitable to his people that are exercised therewith And for that end chiefly doth the Lord lay them upon them as the Apostle saith That they might be partakers of his Holinesse w He. 12.10 God blesseth this Ordinance to do good when other Ordinances fail and God prepares by this fire such Physick nay indeed it is Physick it self as removes and cures those Cronical old and long continued diseases and sins of the Soul which are not healed otherwise or by other means And David experienced this

to justifie God and to judge himself under the greatest Afflictions Christ and Sin are most magnified in the eyes of Believers in their Affliction but in a different manner and to a different end and then Christ is most desired and Sin most despised It is the duty of a Christian to suspect and search himself when he doth not know evil by himself It is and should be the care of a Christian not to suffer for Sin nor sin in suffering Account the least spiritual thing better than the greatest and best outward and temporal things There is no real bondage but what is either from or for Sin Christians will sooner overcome their outward Enemies by praying for them than by praying against them Bad times well improved are far better than good times not redeemed or mis-spent The heaviest afflictions on Earth are but light in comparison of Christ's sufferings Sins deserts or the punishment of the Wicked in Hell Let not Christians by their own prudence think to prevent Afflictions for they cannot avoid them 1 Thess 3.3 2 Tim. 3.12 The World's Jury may find Christians guilty but God can forbear pronouncing the Sentence or reprieve and pardon the Condemned Shut thy eyes from beholding thy ears from hearing and thy heart from entertaining Sin He hath a good command over his spirit that can stop it when moved with passion over his Affections when they are under sail and over his Tongue that can silence it when he will Compar All Christians must be brought into the fire before they will be brought to close for it is impossible to joyn cold pieces or one cold and another hot Compar As the Iron when it looks red in the fire seems to a looker on to be fit for the work-man to work it yet the workman may put it into the fire again and adde coals to heat it more So may the Lord do with his suffering People when they and others may think they have suffered enough yet God that knows best may not think so In the way to Heaven there are three narrow and hard passages the entrance into the new birth herein a man must leave behind him sinful self the entrance into assurance therein a man must leave and deny religious self that is look off his own evidences and lastly the gate of death then a man must part with natural self religious self and sinful self The two first I have experienced the last I expect He that is willing to part with his dearest Lust will be willing to part with his dear Life also If a Christian be made free to lay down his Life for Christ or his Cause yet let him sell or lose it at as dear a rate as he can for Christ A Christian will have but little comfort to suffer for that which is but a Notion in his head and not a setled Truth in his heart Yet ☞ Note that the lesser the Truths are which Christians do suffer for if rightly the more their love doth appear to Christ therein God's Minnums or least things are better than the World's Mountains or greatest things The Saints are to bear a three-fold Testimony to and for Christ and his Truths Breath-testimony Life-testimony and Bloodtestimony Speaking words maintaining Opinions and the outward performing of Duties and partaking of Ordinances are but the least things in Religion Affections Parts or Applause from the World or from Christians are very dangerous and not to be trusted in I never trusted Christ but I found him faithful nor my own heart but I found it false In looking upon the Scriptures and good men I did learn oft to know what I should be but I found it hard to be what I knew I ought to be From the first change wrought in a true Christian he may fear and suspect himself to be a Hypocrite but he never intends to be never approves of being a Hypocrite nor never countenances himself in Hypocrisie Let God's hiding thy infirmities and secret sins from thy Enemies make thee the freer and willinger to confess them unto him Learn to know Sin disallow of it dispise it overcome it inwardly and to put it from thee to fear its return and to be more estranged towards it more watchful to avoid Temptations and wise to shun Occasions that lead to it The strength of all Corruptions sometimes appears in one and do but overcome your Master-sin and you overcome all The power and strength of Corruption is but seldom known to wit when Temptations Opportunities and Occasions of Tryal come The best way to keep from Sin is to set God in his Power Purity and Glory still before our eyes to fear our selves to keep near to Christ to fast and pray privatly to engage other Saints for our help to cherish the holy Spirit to keep up constant practice of Holiness to provide contrary means against it to resolve strongly to withstand it to eye God's Promises Commands and Threatnings to withstand the first occasions to reason it off at a distance to believe it away when it comes near to avoid all occasione thereof When you would repent for some secret sins you have committed it is better and safer sometimes to do it in a general way than to think and speak of the same particularly for Satan and Sin will be ready to step in when they know we are attempting any thing against them It is advantagious for a Christian to disclose Satan's secrets to God and to his People but to keep his own secrets from him as much as he can That soul doth soon grow empty that is alwayes letting out but not carefull to lay in It is not for one that hath but little Grace and particularly knowledge to be too forward among more able and knowing Christians for then is his time to learn Christians should not be to learn their Duties when they should be doing them nor doing them when they should be suffering for them Com. Take heed Professors lest you be alwayes wooing Christ and yet never married to him Of being Concubines and not Queens Cant. 6.8 Com. Be not as the untilled ground bearing grass for the beasts of your Lusts but be like the Field or Garden bringing forth fruit for the Husbandman and Dresser Com. Be not as the Rock or Stone-wall which have savoury medicinable Herbs growing thereon for others but the Rock and Wall themselves never the better for them Having gifts to edifie others but your own hearts never the better Sin to a man before his Conversion is like cold Iron which he can hold in his hand without trouble Com. but after Conversion Sin heated by the fire of the Law is like hot Iron which a man will willingly cast away Lay in lay up and lay out for Christ Remember that you will shortly reach Immortality but never Eternity Make Christ your All and you will be sure to lay down your self All. ☞ Com. Keeping from Sin is Soul-Preservative-Physick Repentance for

all his works in and for God Joh. 3.21 Rom. 6.10.1 Cor. 10.31 4. To bring his will to submit to the will of God in every thing Mark 26.42 Heb. 10.7 Take heed of sinning presumptuously i.e. 1. Knowingly Luke 12.47 Heb. 6.4 6.2 Pet. 2.20 2. Willingly and wilfully Hos 5.11 Heb. 10.26 3. By contemning the Law and Love of God Prov. 3.13 Rom. 2.4 4. By flighting Jesus Christ's Person Power and his Blood Mat. 12.24 Luke 19.14 Heb. 10.29 5. By blaspheming and doing despight to the Spirit of God Luke 11.15 Heb. 10.29 6. By falling into the hands of God without Christ and true Sanctification Heb. 10.29 Com. A Christian in Affliction if he understand not what God intends thereby should believe God intends not to hurt him As a Wife or a Child that a Husband or Father brings into a Wood or Water ☜ yet they are confident it is not to hang or drown them It is a sign that People do not repent when they grow worse Rev. 16.9 11. A passionate and troubled spirit is like a little Pryll of Water which every showre of Rain or Beast that passes thorow doth change the colour of it and make muddy Quick Onsets and Endeavours to Reform are far better than many Purposes and Resolutions It should trouble a Christian much to have such Graces which he receives from God beget so little good in him Oh my soul will neither great Love great Mercy great Forbearance great Intreaty nor great Wages prevail with thee to serve Christ freer and better A deep sence of sin begets deep sorrow for sin and true sorrow for sin leads to wel-grounded Faith from hence flows inward Peace Joy and Holiness The Lord would soon turn from his Wrath if men were turned from their Wickedness A Christian is not only to be contented with any condition but he is to be religiously contented or in a religious manner not as a meer man and to see that the least things he hath more than he deserves and the worst things that he endures yet sweetned and sanctified to him Com. As a Husbandman when great Rain comes unyoaks his Oxen and turns them home where they are feeding and gathering new strength to work again So God doth his Children in time of Affliction and Persecution Com. A Christians time of Affliction is like to a Womans washing or scouring day when the Cloaths or Vessels are all out of order but it is in order to set them in a better frame speedily Of all men a Christian may be freer to lose or to part with any thing than another man for he loses nothing but either what is hurtful to him to wit his sins or what he shall regain and recover of a better sort and in a more abundant degree As if he lose a small temporal ESTATE he hath in reversion an Eternal INHERITANCE If he lays down a body that is full of Corruption he shall have another free from Corruption and therfore he may say better than the Heathen could What I keep I lose and what I give or lay out I save The Lord hath I am perswaded done more by the Afflictions which he hath lately brought upon his People than either was done or like to be done by any other wayes or means Viz. 1. He hath driven his People more together and made them more one * Vnio in Larine signifies Vnion or a Pearl Oneness among Saints is a Pearl of great value 2. He hath separated more between them and the World like winnowing drives the Chaff further from the Wheat 3. He hath convinced them more of their miscarriages both towards him and toward one another 4. He hath made them to know persons and things better 5. To prize Spiritual Priviledges and Ordinances more Such a fulness as Christians had of Ordinances made them despise them like the Israelites the Manna 6. To experience their own weakness of Faith together with their great misbelief by checking the over-much Confidence of his Saints 7. To cry more earnestly to him and wait more constantly on him 8. They are unloaded and much discharged of the burden of the World A Christian should take heed lest he be giving way to his heart to steal out now and then to sin and get some sweet-bits thereof between Duties He should be careful also to fence that Gap most by which the strongest Temptations do enter oftenest in There will be a reviving of old sins if there be not effectual Repentance for them and a care by Faith through all Duties and Ordinances to get new strength against them and a constant watch kept over them When God makes the World too hot for his People to hold then they will let it go A Christian comes not to know the weakness of his Grace till the Spirit ceases to work in and by it nor the power of his Corruption till Satan works therein by his Temptation A Christian's flesh shonld keep from the shew and his Conscience from the guilt of Sin Sin 's best is before but its worst is behind and the sting and tayl of it longer than it self Where Sin is not killed it will kill Sin was condemned by Christ to save the sinner Rom. 8.3 Oh then let not the Sinner seek to save the Sin to condemn Christ again As the natural Sun the nearer it is to us and the more direct over us the less shadow it casteth So Christ the nearer he is to us the less Darkness and Sin we have Christians should account restraints from Sin great Mercies to them but Recoveries out of Sin with advatage greater Sin hath no mother but a man's heart nor father but Satan Sin draws the Soul into it either by power of policy by force or by fraud Christians should not give offence carelesly nor take offence causelesly Fear thy Friends more than thy Foes thy Sins more than thy Sufferings and Liberty more than Bondage Some Christians have four Thorns that grieve them a Thorn of Affliction from God a Thorn of Persecution from men and a Thorn of Temptation from Satan and of Corruption in themselves which is the worst and that which should trouble them most Though a man may be bled in time of self-ostentation both by God and men by God in Affliction and by men through Persecution Reproaches c. yet that Vein is apt to fill up still Christians should desire to be handfasted and heart-tied to the Lord and to be strong in Faith on Christ Love to him and Resolution for him Self-loathing destroyes self-love much and the more we loath our selves the better we love others Christians should not envy the patience of God towards their Enemies for it is nothing in comparison of what grace he shews to them If Affliction doth us good we should not desire to be free from it till it does us more good much less if it hath not done us any good at all The reason why men do not more magnifie GOD's Grace