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4. It is in the exercife of thefe principles, each of them, in their feason, that the protecting, fupporting, comforting presence of God, may upon Scripture-grounds) be expected, and enjoyed in every condition, fo as our Souls may profper in it, and by it, whatever it be. We read, Jer. 9.24. That the Lord exerciseth Loving-kindnefs, Judgement, and Righteousness in the Earth, and that, in these things he delighteth. Now thofe whofe hearts are most bufied in this exercise, have the cleareft grounds from the word, that he will exercife them in their behalf, 2 Chron. 16. 9, The eyes of the Lord run to, and fro, through the whole Earth, to fhew himself ftrong in the behalf of them, whofe heart is perfect toward him. His Providential eye is over them, Job 36. 7, He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous. He looks to them by night, and by day, that no evil touch them, Job 5. 19, He shall deliver thee in fix troubles; yea in seven shall no evil touch thee. i. e. So as to hurt thee. Pfal. 105. 15, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. i. e. In their fpiritual eftate, and what concerns, the well-fare of their Souls. That's fecured to them that live in the exercife of the love of God. That's the good that Text fpeaks of, Rom. 8.28, All things fhall work together for good, to them that love God. The good whereby

their Soul profpers. But let a Man through the prevalency of his corruptions, difufe himfelf from this exercife, and fuffer these principles of godlinefs to lye, as it were, Bedridden, choaked, and oppreffed by the principles of ungodlinefs, and his own Confci ence (if it be awake) will give check to his hopes, if he expect that God fhould favour him with fuccefs, either in his goings out, or comings in, the beginning, or ending of any thing he takes in hand. God may do it, and often doth it; but it is more then any such person hath ground to expect, or can expect, with any good hope to fpeed, or plead with God for. It is obfervable, what we have in the fore-mentioned place, 2 Chro. 16.9. in the latter part of the verse. Herein, faith the Prophet to the King (to King Af it is that he fpeaks) thou hast done foolifbly: Henceforth, thou shalt have wars. Now wherein was it, that he had done foolishly? See ver: 7. It was in this, that he had not exercifed his faith, that great principle of godlincs, in relying upon the Ged of Ariel, but had relyed upon the King of Syrra

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5.There is no way like this, for the growth and exercife of thefe principles, wherein as I told you in the explication of the point, the profperity of the Souldn fifteth efpecially: It is well known, they do not always prove the richest Menj that fet Vigo $

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up with the greatest stocks, but thofe that exercise themselves with diligence, honefty, and integrity in their Callings, though they begin with little. And likewife, The beft Wits do not always prove the beft Scholars, unless their ftudy be anfwerable to their parts. It is even fo in this cafe For certain it is, that lefs degrees of grace, well managed in daily exercife, will thrive and grow, when greater meafyres neglected will wither, and decay, Prou. 10.39, The way of the Lord is ftrength to the upright. Pia a ad pietatem eft intra pietatem. But for this, I refer you to what was fpoken in the third Exercife, on this fubject. Only I add, that as Natural life becomes more lively by action, even fo are the principles of fpiritual life, Job, 1. 49, Believest thou for this? Thou Maht fee greater things then thefe, faid Christ to Dathaniel. This is according to Luk. 19. 17hdThou hast been faithful in a very little, bave thou authority over ten Cities 20 The reality of the in-being of thefe principles in the Soul, is by this means best means difcerned if ever they be fenfibly felt, it is 3. be! when they are most in exercife When is a Man, more likely to know that he hath faith and that he hath Repentance, then when he is actually believing, and repentang 3 Confider|[welli Pet;|5q|9,90 AA. In the fifth and forth verfes, he exhorts not

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only to add more degrees, but also to exercife those principles they have received. In ver 9. he tells them, that if they do not, they may, in all probability, in a little while, not be able to fee any thing of God, that is fanctifying and saving in their Souls, they may forget that ever they were purged from their old fins, & question all again. But if they add the exercife to the principle, then as verf. 11.) an entrance may be adminiftred to them abundantly into the Kingdom of Heaven. It is worth our noting, that the Scripture fpeaks of fome that are far from the Kingdom of Heaven, touched with no care of Religion at all, but, care for nothing of that nature,

like Gallow were fometime afar of

Eph. 1. 13, who

are made night of others, that come near, but never enter, taking up with a half-converfion, Mar. 12. 34, Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God. Of others that enter, but with great difficulty, 1 Pet. 4. 18, And if the righteous fcarcely be faved they make a hard fhift to get thither. But others, as ye fee, in this of Peter enter in with full Sail, triumphantly laying hold on Eternal Life. They are thofe (though perhaps all thofe may not) that add the exercise to the principle. They know in themselves by what they find working, ftirring, and acting in their Souls, that as it is faid of thofe, Heb.

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10. 34, knowing in your felves, that ye have in Heaven a better, and an enduring subftance: that they have a right and title to Heaven, and when they dye, they go to take poffeffion of it.

Thus I have given you, what I had to fay, as to the reafons, why we ought to exercise our selves to godliness, and that by this exercife, Soul-profperity is promoted, and that it cannot poffibly profper without it. I fhall only add two words more.

1. For the time paft, we may, if we look back, fee the reason, why though these principles be of a thriving, growing, nature, yet for all that, they do not profper as they ought. It is either because we deceive our felves, and think we have them, when there is no fuch matter, or that we neglect the exercife of them, fo as not to do that work, and bring forth thofe fruits they were given for; but we do with them, as that flothful Servant did with his Talent, Matth. 25.18. he digged in the Earth, and hid his Lord's money: For which he received his deserved doom, verf. 28, Take the Talent from him. Profeffing to live in the fpirit, but walk only as Men, who have nothing but nature in them, as the Apostle chargeth it upon them, 1 Cor. 3. 3.. This is the great reafon, if not the only reason, why they thrive no more. For to him that hath (i.e. useth what he

hath)

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