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Godliness is a supernatural thing; by nature, we inherit nothing but evil, Rom. vii.
God must light up the lamp of grace in the heart; weeds grow of themselves, flowers are planted. Godliness is a celestial plant that comes from the New Jerusalem: therefore it is called a fruit of the Spirit, Gal. v. 22. A man hath no more power to change himself, than to create himself.
zeal is a mixed affection, a compound of love and anger; it carries forth our love to God, and anger against sin in the most intense manner.
we are rightly thankful, when we put God’s mercies out to use; we turn our enjoyments into improvements; the Lord gives us health, and we spend and are spent for Christ, 2 Cor. xii. 15. He gives us an estate, and we honour the Lord with our substance, Prov. iii. 9. He gives us children, and we dedicate them to God, and educate them for God; we do not bury our talents but trade with them: this is to put out our mercies to use. A gracious heart is like a piece of good ground, that having received the seed of mercy, thrusts forth a crop of obedience.
we give thanks, when we live thanks;
While Christians are debating, grace is abating; as the spleen grows, health decays, and as hatred increaseth, holiness declines.
As God cannot be deceived by our subtilty, so he cannot be excluded by our secrecy.
As God will reward secret duties, so he will revenge secret sins.
That bread eats most sweet, which is got with most sweat;
Do we think walking with God can do us any hurt? Did we ever hear any cry out upon their death-bed, that they have been too holy, that they have prayed too much, or walked with God too much?
If the water be foul in the well it cannot be clean in the bucket; if the heart be full of sin, the duties cannot be pure;
Behold the deplorable condition of all ungodly ones in the other world, they shall have a life that always dies and a death that always lives: may not this affright men out of their sins, and make them become godly unless they are resolved to try how hot hell-fire is.
