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B03891
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Now and ever; shewing, where the work of conversion is thoroughly done, it is done for ever. / By William Jemmat, preacher of the Gospel in Reading.
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Jemmat, William, 1596?-1678.
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1666
(1666)
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Wing J550A; ESTC R178967
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36,525
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49
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done which are quite contrary David failed so far in Charity toward Uriah that he contrived the murder of him Peter failed so far in Charity toward Christ that he denied and forswore him and that under a Curse So of the Drunkenness of Noah the Incest of Lot the rage of Asa against the Prophet and other mad moods of good men wherein it was strange to discover so much weakness and it is an horrible stumbling-block to the world that the Cedars of Lebanon were so shaken which is seen now and then even at this day For comforts they may seem sometimes to be utterly banished from an holy heart and despair set in the room witness the time of some spiritual desertion Oh the Lord hath forgotten to be gracious and shut up his loving kindness in everlasting displeasure Psal 77.7 8 9. David laments mournfully before he recovers the joy of his salvation Peter weeps bitterly before he gets a good look from Christ again and then he is shrewdly puzzled with those vexing questions Peter lovest thou me Peter lovest thou me Peter lovest thou me more then these Good Documents for all the Lords Darlings to be chary of their joys and take heed of lashing out at any time take heed of security take heed of wantonness take heed of quenching or grieving the Spirit It may cost thee the setting on Time may be that neither thy self nor others can afford thee comfort Neither Reading nor Praying nor Fasting nor all good exercises together can speak a word of peace to thy heart that is the work of God and he will take his own time both to chasten thy disloyalty and to turn thy captivity as he did for Job Here some may be inquisitive to know what it is that thus takes away the strength of a true Christian Whereto I say 1. It may be he wants his ordinary meals and then we know a strong man will grow weak quickly It may be he is removed from a powerful Ministery which sometimes he lived under or hears not good Preaching so often as he was wont to do while he heard duly and daily he was kept in flesh and good heart Or it may be he hath cast off his private exercises of reading the Scriptures and other good Books which should both fasten and renew the things delivered in the publick Ministery Or it may be he prays not by himself so often as he used to do but is a stranger in the Court of heaven the Father that sees in secret doth seldom see him in his Closet in respect of former days Or it may be the exercise of fasting is now wholly neglected he cannot intend it or it is an harsh exercise whereas indeed the only cause is his heart is not so holy and sincere as it was Or it may be he adventures too much to stand alone in the profession forsakes the Assemblies of Saints and so meets with that wo Wo to him that is alone 2. Too much eagerness upon the world slacks the love of heaven and heavenly things as hath been said Amor amore impeditur Carnal love either extinguisheth or lesseneth spiritual Where earthliness is predominant there is no love at all in sincerity these Thorns choak the seed of the word Or where it creeps too much upon a good heart the love is but weak low Thorns do some mischief to the Corn as in Demas who for a while forsook the Apostle and embraced the present world 2 Tim. 4.10 Many a good Christian hath found by woful experience that having too many Irons in the fire or taking too many cares into his head he hath much withered of his former greenness and liveliness in grace the world hath proved a Step-Mother to better things as in Martha who was encumbred with many things So of Ambition itching for repute and credit in the world till a reproof comes Seekest thou great things for thy self seek them not So complying with evil and carnal men till the Lord say Shouldest thou help the ungodly or be friends with them that hate the Lord This is one general cause why they are not so zealous in age as when they were young Converts 3. Scandalous or presumptuous sins do waste the Christians strength apace as in those holy men before rehearsed All sin is of a deadning and hardning nature and sets the Christian back a little that he is not so zealous as he should and would be as a Dog at his heels keeping him from running But while it is only of infirmity it little hinders him in his course God is easily intreated to assist him and continue the guidance of his Spirit and even by such rubs he gets ground daily But when the conscience is deeply wounded when the light is notoriously resisted when the heart smites and yet he will rush on this shall cost him dear now grace goes away exceedingly and comfort with the grace now he is become weak as another man and God hath some sharp correction in store for him to set him in his right wits again You know what evils followed David upon those scandals God will redeem his own glory and the honor of holy profession with the sorrows of his evil servants 4. Sometimes it is not for scandalous or presumptuous sins that the Lord forsakes his servants but their unthankfulness for former graces and comforts and mercies received They used them securely and gave not him the glory as he expected and deserved and therefore he leaves them for a while and it may be whips their own consciences They shall learn by the want what it was to have so much grace and comfort and may say as Psal 102.23 He weakned my strength in the way he shortned my days He takes a kind of revenge for the great unkindness This is the ordinary case of many who keep their ways and lives somewhat fair yet heavy and heartless Having been unthankful they are now left to this indifferency 5. Temptation may do much Never were the Philistine so watchful to bind Samson and know where his great strength lay that they might deprive him of it as the Devil is busie to rob and spoil us of our spiritual strength For this he watcheth continually and if he can come unobserved while we are secure and mindless of him he preys upon us exceedingly So he weakned our first Parents when they were much stronger then we are and David that he numbred the people and Peter that he was almost blown away like chaff These are the ordinary suckers that draw out much of the Life-bloud of true Christians It shall be our wisdom every one to examine his own heart and estate so to see how far he is decayed in the Trade of godliness and find out the true and proper cause of such languishing that so he may do afterward what is fit to be done by repentance prayer and more care in the use of holy means appointed for the regaining of his strength Consider it is