Pains, or Endeavours on our part. We must Diligently make use of, and Confcientiously attend on the means which God hath Appointed, and fo doing, expect the fulfilling of his Promises. Hence it is that Watchfulness, and keeping of our hearts with all Diligence, and Communing with our hearts, and Examination of our felves, and Attendance on theOrdinances of God,are fo much Enjoyned and Recommended to us in the Holy Scriptures. In vain fhall we expe& the fulfilling of those promises, while we are Remifs and Negligent, and while Indulging to our own Sloth, we take no pains in making use of the Means which God hath ordained to be made use of for attaining of what he hath promifed. As in Temporal things, the hand of the diligent maketh rich,Prov. 10. 4: But the idle foul shall suffer hunger, Prov. 19. 15. So'tis in Spiritual things. If a Man be willing to take Pains, if he be Diligent and Induftrious, he may expect to grow and thrive in Grace, and to be still gaining ground of his Corruptions; but if he will Indulge himself in a Slothful neglect of the Means, he may Want, and Starve, and Perish, and Everlastingly mifcarry

for

for lack of that Grace which another Man that is Industrious, attains.

2. He must not think to attain sensible Increases of Grace, and Spiritual Strength presently. He muft be contented to wait on God in the ufe of Means for fome time, and perhaps to wait long, before God will be pleased to Answer his Prayers, Pains and Industry in those fenfible Advances and Improvements of Grace and Spiritual Strength, which he defires and longs after. But if he grow not weary of Waiting and taking Pains, he thall be fure to Reap in due Seafon. Though the time that he Waits may feem long, yet he fhall not lofe his Labour in the End.

3. He must not expect a thorough Abfolute and Compleat Victory over Sin here. There will be ftill Remainders of Corruption while we are in the Body, I mean in this Body. 'Tis only Death, or that Change which shall at the Coming of Chrift be in ftead of Death, that will put an End to Sin, and perfectly deliver us from it. And as there will be Remainders of Sin while we are here, fo there will still be Imperfection and Defects of Grace: Perfe

&tion is reserved for another World,when
all the Remainders of Sin fhall be Abo-
lished when we fhall be Clothed in
5
White Rayment,all the Spots and Stains,
the Pollutions and Defilements of Sin
being done away, Rev. 19. 8. Then
all your Prayers for Grace, and all the
pains you take in the pursuit of it fhall be
fully anfwered, and not till then. But
though our Attainments in the mean
time be imperfect, yet are they comfor-
table in divers Refpects.

1. In regard we even here Attain to be in fome measure freed from the Dominion of Sin, and from the Reigning Power of it, though it still continues its abode with us as a troublesome Inmate which we cannot be rid of. And this is a great thing, that though we cannot be wholly delivered from it, yet it hath loft its Domineering Power, and cannot any longer Exercise it without Control,It doth indeed still attempt to Command and Rule in the Soul; but the new Nature in the Regenerate Man refuseth to Obey, Gain-fays, and Contradicts its Commands. And though in the Conflict between the Flesh and the Spirit, Sin may fometimes prevail, yet in the Iffue, 'tis a lofer by its Victory.

For

1

For hereupon ftronger and ftedfafter Refolutions are taken up against it, and it afterwards meets with more Vigorous and Conftant Oppofition from the Regenerate Part.

2. Our Attainments here though Imperfect are Comfortable,because in what we do attain we perceive that our labour is not loft; we gain fomething though, not as much as we defire; and what we do gain ftill incourageth us to go on and perfeverè in the use of means.

3. Our Attainments here though Imperfect are Comfortable, in regard that what we Attain, is a pledge and an earneft of that future Perfection which we are preffing hard after, and waiting for.

But you will fay perhaps, I have no fuch Grounds of Comfort; for I gain nothing at all; I rather feem to go backward than forward. All my Conflicts with Sin, end in my greater Difcouragement. The more I ftrive against it, the stronger it seems to be, and the more unable I find my felf to be to master it, or to give any Effectual check

unto it.

Anfwer. To this I Anfwer, First that if it fhould be fo indeed as you apprehend the matter, and as you reprefent Gg 2 your

your Condition, your cafe would be very fad; and the caufe of what you complain of, muft of neceffity be within your felf, and no where elfe. It cannot be, that instead of going forward you fhould go backward, that Sin fhould be stronger in you, and you ftill more and more unable to mafter it, I say this cannot be but from your self and through your own default. There is nothing furer than that 'tis either the neglect of the means, or the Careless, Formal, and Inconftant use of them that is the true caufe thereof. This I fay upon a Suppofition, that there is Reafon for your Complaints, and that things are really as bad with you as you apprehend them to be.

2. But 'tis poffible that you may be much mistaken,and that your Condition may be far better than you Represent it to your felf. We fometimes apprehend Sin to be stronger in us, not because 'tis fo in it felf, but because we are more fenfible of the Power and Prevalency of it. It was, it may be, as ftrong before, and perhaps much stronger; but then you being a willing Slave unto it, were not fenfible of the Power and Dominion of it in your Soul. And the fame

may