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for a large practical improvement, in various ufes of the subject.

I AM, then,

I. To fhew what is that weakness which paves the way for fpiritual ftrength.

1. There is in it a holy bent of the heart to that work, to which ftrength is required, with an honest desire and refolution to go through with the work. If a man hath no mind for the work, it is all one in that refpect, whether he be weak or ftrong: Matth. xxvi. 41. " Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation; the Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. But the Chriftian, however weak,

(1.) Aims honeftly at the performance of every duty. Like David, he has refpect unto all God's commandments, Pfal. cxix. 6.; he dares not baulk any of the laws of Chrift; the whole law is written in his heart by divine grace, and he labours to write it over in his practice; he has no objection to any duty he knows to be enjoined of the Lord, but fays, "I efteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right," Pfal. cxix. 128.

(2.) He is honeftly refolved to refift temptation, and mortify lufts. This is what must be done, tho he knows not well how; he concludes, that though there be a lion in the way, he must be forward: "I have chofen," fays he, " the way of truth," Pfal, cxix. 30.; his feet are fhod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; he dares not think to fail with every wind, nor to go back and lie down in the embraces of his lufts, for it is to be fuppofed God has fet fire to his reft there.

(3.) He has laid his account with the cross, and refolves to continue his weak shoulders under it,

at Chrift's call: Matth. xvi. 24. "If any man (faid Jesus) will come after me, let him deny himfelf, take up the crofs, and follow me."

He is refolved to follow the Lamb, though he fhould lie at the end of it, and never to leave the way of the Lord, for all the ftorms that Satan may raise in it; he prefers Chrift's cross to the world's crown; and what he cannot keep with a good confcience, he will reckon himself better without than with it.

2. A fense of utter inability and infufficiency, to go through with that work, or any part of it: 2 Cor. iii. 5. "Not that we are fufficient of ourfelves, to think any thing as of ourselves, but our fufficiency is of God." Though his defigns are noble and generous, he knows he has nothing in himself to accomplish them; for ye muft know, that the Chriftian's confeffion of weakness is no compliment, they are children that will not lie; it is no prepofterous modefty or diffidence, that blinds a man to his own ability. But he fees things as they really are, and believes himself no more weak than he is. When he looks over all his inventory, of what he is, and what he has in himfelf, he fees nothing to depend upon, either in point of doing or suffering.

The Chriftian lies faireft for fpiritual ftrength, when he is fo low and weak in his own eyes, as that he dare not truft to any thing for his throughbearing, that is not Chrift's or in Chrift: "They are the circumcifion which worship God in the fpirit, and rejoice in Chrift Jefus, and have no confidence in the flesh," Phil. iii. 3. A man is no more weak in his own eyes than he has reafon. The Chriftian confiders himself as weak,

(1.) When he dare not trust to his own ftock of natural or acquired abilities for suffering for Chrift. Thefe

These things may fometimes carry a man through what is duty for the matter, but oftentimes they leave a man in the lurch, and can never help a man to do any good thing that God will accept; and no wonder; for faith Jeremiah, ch. xvii. 5. 6. "Thus faith the Lord God, Curfed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whofe heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath, and shall not fee when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a falt land not inhabited." See alfo, Ifaiah, xl. 29.-31.

(2.) When he dares not truft to the principles and refolutions of his heart. Nature is mighty ventrous in religion, when it is flushed with vigorous refolutions. The Scribe faid unto Jefus, "I will follow thee whithersoever thou goeft," Matth. viii. 19. But when the temptation or trial comes, they fall down like the walls of Jericho; the fire-edge foon wears off the fpirit that is not stayed on the Lord.

(3.) When he dares not trust to vows and engagements. Every gracious foul will give itself away to the Lord, but they will not trust to these bands, but to him to whom they are bound: Ifa. xlv. 24. "Surely fhall one fay, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength." If men trust to their own vows, they will find them a forry fence, that will go like Samfon's withs when he heard the Philistines were upon him.

(4.) When he dares not trust to his own endeavours: Pfal. cxxvii. I. "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it." A Chriftian must be as diligent and vigorous in his way of duty, as if he were to do all alone; but if he would fee the fuccefs of these endeavours, he must look for it from another quarter, as if he had

T 3

done

done nothing. If the faint will not learn this leffon otherwife, God will let him work on, till he work himself out of breath, and fo lie down at the Lord's feet, as the church did: Ifa. xxvi. 8. " We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have, as it were, brought forth wind, we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth.”

(5.) He dare not truft to the good frame he fometimes finds his fpirit in. A good frame is a precious ointment to refresh the weary traveller, but is not a staff to lean upon, 1 Chron. xxix. 17. 18.; it may be quickly loft, Pfal. cvi. 13. "They foon forgot his works," it is a tender bud of heaven that is easily nipped, as Peter at the voice of a maid. It is a heavenly fire that needs continual fupply, or else it will go out; if the Spirit of God ceafe to pour in oil, that lamp will foon be extinguished. Frust

(6.) He dare not turn to habitual grace. Paul had a good ftock of it, but he durit not venture to live on it: Gal. i. 20. « I am crucified with Chrift, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." The grace within the faints is a well, the streams of which are often dry, but to the grace without them in Chrift; they can never come wrong, for it is an overflowing fountain. How quickly would the branch wither, if it were left to the fap within itself, but the fap in the ftock keeps the branch green : "He that eateth me, (faith Jesus), even he shall live by me," John, vi. 7.

3. There is the weak foul turning to a strong God for ftrength, in the way of believing, 2 Chron. XX. 12. "O our God! wilt thou not judge them?

for

for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us, neither know we what to do; but our eyes are towards thee." When the ftrong man goes into himself, and mufters up all the forces and powers of his foul, for the duty, or against the temptation, the weak man, that lies fair for ftrength, goes out of himself to mufter up the forces of heaven by faith.-I may take up this in three things.

(1.) The weak man that becomes ftrong, truly believes that God has treasured up in Christ the ftrength and furniture of all the heirs of glory, for their work, 1 Cor. i. 30. " But of him are ye in Chrift Jefus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and fanctification, and redemption." "And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace," John, i. 16. Since Adam fell, he never trufted any of the faints with their own ftock, but has made the Mediator the great Trustee of divine grace, that if they would be fupplied, they must go to him for it.

(2.) Jefus Chrift, with all his falvation, being offered in the way of the everlasting covenant, the weak foul by faith lays hold on that covenant, and Chrift therein, for fanctification, as well as juftification. Thus the weak creature is joined to a ftrong God, the empty foul is joined to him in whom all fulness dwells; so that in this sense, tho' he have nothing, yet he poffeffeth all things, viz. in Chrift his head; they are complete in him, Col.

ii. 10.

(3.) He believes the promises of the covenant, and, on the credit of them, ventures on duty against fin, and takes up the cross: 2 Chron. xiv. 11. "Help us, Lord our God, for we reft on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude."

Though

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