SERMON VII.

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Aving spoken fomething to the firft Particular: That every one ought to see it, who defires that his Soul fhould prosper, that he

be Spiritually alive.

I now proceed to the fecond, wherein two things are to obferved: That if indeed ye are spiritually alive, then to fee to it.

1. That your Spiritual life be lively, and profper.

2. That when it begins to be better, than it hath been with you, in the inward Man, then to take heed that ye lofe not the things ye have wrought, 2 Ep. of Joh. verf. 8.

I fhall enter upon the former of these, at prefent:

1. To fee to it, that your Spiritual life be lively, and profper; for therein the profperity of your Souls confifts. And, because every thing almost, that I have to speak unto, in handling this great, and neceffary Dotrine, needs much enforcement, because much neglected, I fhall, before I come to the Directions, fpeak fomething, by way of argument,

(1.) A Soul, that is alive to God, though burdened with a weak, Confumptive Body, and with a confiderable fullness of outward bleffings (both which, many times, are great disadvantages) yet may profper. We fee it exemplified in Gaius; He was but of a weak; and crafie Constitution, that's implyed in the Text. And he was withal, a Man of some Estate, in the World: That's implyed verf. 6. Which have born witness of thy charity, before the Church. Yet neither the one, nor the other hindered, but that his Soul did profper. It was as John faid; for doubtless John was as far from giving Blattering titles, as Elihu faid, he was, Job 32.22.

(2.). Our Souls ought to be as dear unto us, as the Soul of Gaius was to him. If Gai us made Religion his bufinefs, minding, above all things, that one thing which is neceffary. If he kept his heart above all keeping, So that neither Corruption from within, nor Temptation from without, could fet his Salvation-work backward. If he laid

up his treasure in Heaven, valuing both the beft things, and the worst things of the World, as fomething, or as nothing unto kim, farther then as they might be improved to promote the Eternal well-fare of his Soul.

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Soul. All which, without doubt, in a great measure he did, and more then all this too; otherwise, he had never received this testimony from fuch a Man, as John was; which, to his honour, hath stood upon Record, thefe 1600 years, and fhall do to the end of the World. For as our Saviour faid of Mary, Matth. 26. 13. So wherever this Epiftle fhall be read in the whole World, this that Gaius did, fhall be told, for a memorial of him, That his Soul did profper. Therefore, as our Saviour faith, Luk. 1o. We ought to go, and do likewife. For he was under no more obligation to do what he did, then we are: And our Souls ought to be as dear to us, as his was to him.

3. There is not one word to be found to the contrary in all the Scripture, but that how fhort foever, we come of this pattern, at prefent, yet if we fet our felves to do, as he did, our Souls may profper as much, as ever his did. Jefus Chrift, we are fure, can make them profper, Joh. 10. 10,-I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 2 Cor. 9.8. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that though he were rich, yet for our fakes he be came poor, that we by his poverty might be made rich. Eph. 3. 20,-He is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that we ask, or think, according to the power, that worketh in

·us.

us. Neither, (which is much to be obferved) doth he fpeak of his abfolute power; by which he is able to do more, then he will do, but of his Ordinary working power, for fo it is, in the latter end of the verse. [According to his power that worketh in us.] So that we may conclude, that he hath not out-acted the greatness of his power, in, or for the profpering of any Man's Soul; but he can work as much again, for another. Eph. 4. 10, He that defcended, is the fame alfo that afcended up, far above all Heavens, that he might fill all things. As he filled up the whole work of his Mediatorship, which was to be done upon Earth: So he afcended up to Heaven, to fulfil what remains, and that is, for ever to fill even all the living members, of his myftical Body with the Principles of Spiritual life, fo that every one fhall receive according to his measure, Eph. 4.7, But unto every of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Chrift. Neither doth he tell any Man, that he hath given him fo much, that he will give him no more. No Man knows, how great his meafure may be; The grace that Chrift intends to give, he gives not all at once; fo that a Man may hope, his works may be best at laft; as was faid of them, Rev. 2.19. For, (1.) There is no particular grace, though it be in the Soul, at prefent, but as fmoaking

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Flax

Flax, but it may by daily exercise, and good ufage, grow to a great eminency.

(2.) There is no Corruption,though more deeply Rooted then others, in a Man's narural Conftitution, but that, in time, by walkingin the Spirit, bringing it to the Law of Chrift, to the death of Chrift, and to the love of Chrift, and joining his own endea vours to the Spirit of Chrift, he may get an eminent victory over it, and fee it, by degrees, fall down before him.

(3) There is no particular duty, how backward, and indifpofed foever he may be to it, at prefent, or hath been, a long time heretofore against it, but he may grow to an eminency in the practice of it.

(4.) There is no one temptation, of what kind foever, or how often foever he hath been overcome by it, but by taking to himself the whole armour of God; and strengthening himself in the ftrength of the Lord (which is every ones duty to do) but he may fo refift it, and conquer it, that the Devil fhall fly before him.'

(5.) There is no condition, how many fnares foever, it may be compaffed about withal, but through the exercife of grace, it may be managed to fuch Spiritual advantage as may exceedingly promote Soul-profperity. (6.) There are no doubts, no fears, no finking difcouragements, arifing from what