Page:Comer's conflict, or, The beginner's battle with the devil, when essaying to come to Christ by faith.pdf/14

 14 The Comer's Conflicct ; or, ſure is, there will your heart be alſo, Mat. vi. 21. The heart of the Jews went after their covetouſneſs, Ezek. xxxii. 31. when they were hearing the word they could not keep their thoughts where their bodies were, but they would be where their love was, and where their treaſure was. 3. Let not the world be your familiar friend, for fami- liar friends come in without knocking or aſking leave ; therefore be thou a ſranger in this preſent world, Heb. xi. 13. They were not ſtrangers in this or that part of the earth; but in the whole earth; be a ſtranger to the world, and the world will not viſit you in prayer. 4. Make prayer your delight, not your taſk. Children are ſubject to look off their books, becauſe they delight not in them, but when they are playing, they are eager and earneſt. The bird ſlutters in the cage, but fits quietly on the tree, and ſings there : I will go to God, ſays David, to God my exceeding joy, Pl. xliii. 4. When our thoughts find ſatisfaction, they ſet np their habitation, and wander not. 3dly, They are temptations of Satan with reference to omiſſion of duty: as for example, he repreſents to them the difficulty that there is therein. O, I cannot pray nor hear aright; I cannot meditate nor mortify aright; therefore I may let it alone. Now, in order, to fortify againſt this temptation, conſider, 1. That this is neceſſary; you muſt be exerciſed into godlineſs; exerciſed in keeping a conscience void of offence towards God and man, and be sledfast and immoveable; always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour ſhall not be in vain in the Lord; Cor. xv. 58. As for the wicked, who are otherwiſe diſpoſed, having no heart nor will to the Lord's ſervice at all, what can we expect at his hand, but this, take theſe mine enemies, that would not that I ſhould reign over them, bring them bither, and pay them before me? yes, he will come in flaming fire to take vengeance or them that know not God, and obey not the goſpel. It is therefore abſolutely neceſſary. 2. Confider, that it is poſſible to ſerve the Lord accept- ably by his own grace. Tho' duty be difficult to nature ; yet if you get the Spirit of God to help you, you will do well enough; and God hath promiſed his help, Iſa. xl. 29, -31. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might be increaſeth ſtrength, &c. They that wait on the