he apprehend himself at present to be Spiritually dead that his Soul shall never live So there is no sufficient reason for any Man to doubt who is really though weakly alive to God but that waiting upon God and keeping his way his Spiritual life may grow to be lively and his Soul may prosper as much as ever the Soul of Gaius did Therefore let us up and be doing and the Lord will be with us Phil. 2.12 13 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure This is that which slackens many Mens endeavours that because they think they shall never attain to such an height of Soul-prosperity as others have attained unto therefore they stir not up themselves to reach after any prosperity at all as is charged on them Isa 64.7 There is none that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee As some poor Men because they think they shall never get beforehand as many of their Neighbours do whatever others get they shall never be worth a Groat and therefore mind no more then to live from hand to mouth But we have not so learned Christ This is all that I shall say by way of argument to perswade I now proceed to speak of the former of those two Particulars mentioned but now That those that are spiritually alive ought to see to it that their Spiritual life be lively and prosper because therein the prosperity of their Souls consisteth The great matter to be enquired into is to shew what is to be done in order to the carrying on of this holy and blessed design In speaking unto it Let this be considered That there is a Rule for and a Regiment of Health for the Soul as there is for the Body And what in a natural way may be prescribed and ought to be made use of for the wel-fare of the one may be prescribed and ought to be made use of in a Spiritual way for the well-fare of the other Of this kind there are five several things which I shall speak to in order 1. In reference to Bodily health upon good advisement the seasonable use of Physick is necessary This is an Ordinance of God and ought to be used in faith and obedience to God Sometimes for preventing of Diseases which otherwise might prejudice our health and sometimes for curing and removing of them which otherwise may endanger our life Answerably to this we find in the Scripture which is the Magazine and Store-house for all Spiritual Receipts Physick prescribed for the Soul by Jesus Christ himself the great Physician of Souls without the due and seasonable use whereof it is impossible the Soul should prosper Before I tell you what it is it is fit to premise these three things 1. That the Soul of every Man Spiritually alive to God is as subject to Spiritual Diseases as the Body of any living Man is to Bodily Diseases And it is sin alone and nothing else but sin which is the sickness of the Soul and which if it be not cured will be the death and destruction of the Soul It is the resemblance by which it is frequently set forth in the Scripture and that most fitly as all Scripture resemblances are For as sickness hinders the operation of Nature wasting and consuming by degrees both the Natural heat and Radical moisture often changing and altering a Man's countenance as Job 2.12 And when they lift up their eyes afar of and knew him not Often causing much pain so as the sick Man grows worse and unless happily recovered by the blessing of God upon the use of Means untill death seize upon him So that sickness upon this account is truly said to be contrary to Nature an Enemy to Nature Even such a thing is sin to the Soul It is contrary to the well-fare and prosperity of it It Wars against it 1 Pet. 2.11 It hinders the gracious actings of it Rom. 7.21 I find a Law then that when I would do good evil is present with me It puts even living and good Souls under such a disguise that they neither speak nor do like themselves As Job's Wife though it is believed that she was a good Woman yet she spake as her Husband told her as one of the foolish Women Job 2.10 So 1 Cor. 3.3 Their unmortified lusts put them under such a disguise that they walked as Men as those that were still dead in sin and never had received any principle of Spiritual life And farther As sickness causeth pain so guilt following of sin often causeth intolerable pain in the anguish and chargings of Conscience In a word sin being indulged consumes and wastes what is of God in the Soul so as it is said of the worst of Men 2 Tim. 3.13 it grows worse and worse and if not happily prevented it ends at last in Eternal death Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye 2. As in all these respects sin is such a thing to the Soul as sickness is to the Body So that we may be the more affected and take the more notice of it It is fitly expressed by the same name As Pride is fitly compared to a Tympany Earthly-mindedness to a Dropsie Carnal security to a Lethargy Unruly passions to a Frenzy Apostacy and Back sliding from the ways of God to the Falling-sickness Envy to a Consumption An unquiet discontented Spirit to the grief of the Bowels Sore Diseases all of these are And besides all these Original sin is as a Leprosie over-spreading the whole Soul This evil Disease which is indeed all Diseases in one cleaves unto all Adam's posterity as Gehazi's Leprosie did to all his Seed for his Son if he had any and his Son's Son and so from generation to generation were all Lepers 2 Kings 5.27 3. Though this be generally acknowledged That sin is the sickness of the Soul therefore the Soul prospers only so far as it is well rid of it yet this would be farther observed That though sin have such evil effects upon the Soul as Diseases have upon the Body and that the names of Bodily Diseases do so fitly resemble the Diseases of the Soul yet the difference is great as to that which is required to dispose the sick in Soul and the sick in Body toward a recovery In the Diseases of the Body it matters not much it may perhaps something but much it doth not whether the sick Man know the name or nature of his Disease so he have a faithful and skillful Physician Nor whether he know the virtue of what is prescribed him or the composition of it Or whether he be able to judge of the increase or declining of his Disease by the beating of his Pulse Though perhaps some insight into these things might afford to some persons at least some satisfaction yet they are left specially to the care and wisdom
impression upon his Spirit That though Christ suffered only in his Human Nature and though therefore all his sufferings were but finite yet because the Human Nature was United in one Person to the Divine Nature hence what the Human Nature did suffer though but for a time was of sufficient value to ransome from Eternal death In such a case nothing else could have done it Nothing else can support any Soul in such a condition But this may and this will if believed and wrought upon the heart that the Lord hath laid help upon one that is mighty Psal 89.19 2. Consider Christ in his Offices 1. In his Priestly Office He is a great High-Priest Heb. 4.14 Great both in respect of his Satisfaction and of his Intercession which are the two special parts of his Priestly Office From both which much Spiritual Food for the nourishment of the Soul unto the highest degree of prosperity it is capable of may be received 1. From the satisfaction he hath made to the justice of God for all the wrong that sin hath done him by the sacrifice which he offered which was Himself unto death With this God was well pleased Eph. 5.2 And for this he shall see the Souls of all his Seed to prosper Isa 53.10 Hereby his flesh became meat indeed and his blood drink indeed This clearly manifests that Christ is such an object for Faith to rest upon as we may safely adventure our Eternal state upon For let any Man conceive himself in as sad a condition as the fears of an awakened Conscience can suggest Suppose he sees the guilt of all his sins before him with all their aggravating circumstances and apprehends God coming out against him to require satisfaction to his justice for them all This is a dreadful sight but in the midst of all the heighth and depth of that terrour which this may impress upon his Spirit if God give in a sight of Christ as the great High-Priest as he made his Soul an Offering for sin this is enough to draw forth an hearty act of dependence upon him as able to save to the uttermost This supported David when he was in great depths that he had a sight of him that in the Lord was plenteous Redemption Psal 30.1 2. with vers 6 7. This was the relief of the hunger-bitten Prodigal That in his Father's house was bread enough Luk. 15.17 And it was the speech of a gracious Woman of whom I have heard not long since that upon her Death-bed being under great uncertainties as to her Eternal condition Did not ye tell me said she to those that stood by her that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sins And with that her Spirit Revived and she slept sweetly in the Lord. This indeed may well satisfie Conscience for it satisfies God himself yea so far satisfie Conscience as to go boldly to the Throne of Grace for what grace or mercy soever is necessary for the life and health well-fare and prosperity of the Soul Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need 2. As from Christs satisfaction which he made to the justice of God whilst he was upon Earth so from the other act of his Priestly Office his Intercession which he makes in Heaven for sinners much Spiritual Food for the nourishment of our Souls may be had What should hinder the receiving of it but our daily repeated failings and often renewed infirmities But against the guilt of these Christ's appearing in Heaven for us prevails that even when the Law is broken the Covenant is not broken so that what Food for our Souls may be had from the Covenant and there it is all to be had 1 Joh. 2.1 2 If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the righteous And he is the propitiation for our sins His intercession is as effectual as his satisfaction for he intercedes in the merits of his blood Heb. 12.24 The blood of Christ speaketh 2. To shew further That all in Christ is for the food and nourishment of the Soul much yea very much may be said of that which his Kingly Office affords and likewise his Prophetical Office For his Kingly Office he hath an absolute Soveraignty over all both Men and Devils Eph. 1.21 22. Far above all Principalities and Powers c. He hath all things under his feet He is head over all things to his Church Understand it of the Invisible Church especially which is his Mystical Body whereof he is the head Eph. 5.23 For the Husband is the head of the Wife even as Christ is the head of the Church And he is the Saviour of the Body This is full of Spiritual Food I will instance only in three things by which the prosperity of the Soul is exceedingly farthered 1. As he hath power over Satan This affords great relief to a conflicting Soul that he both can and will break the Serpents head and tread him under foot Rom. 16.20 That in Manlius is memorable to this purpose Satan as he tells the story appeared to a godly Man that was sick in the habit of a Priest with Pen Ink and Paper in his hands and told him that he must confess all his Sins to him he would write them down and then he would absolve him The Sick Man was stricken with fear and no marvel but recollecting himself and perceiving who he was If thou wilt write saith he write this first The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head and with that the Devil vanished 2. As he hath Soveraignty over the Heart He can take away the heart of stone and give an heart of flesh Ezek. 36.26 A great relief this when the Soul is mourning over the hardness of his heart to remember that Christ is exalted to be a Prince to give Repentance Act. 5.31 3. As he hath the Keys of Hell and Death Rev. 1.18 A great relief to a troubled Soul that is under the fear first of Death and then of dropping into Hell when he is dead Those that have obeyed the call and are still obeying the call of Christ they shall none of them dye till it be better for them to dye then to live for death is theirs 1 Cor. 3.22 And for dropping into Hell Christ hath secured them against that Joh. 6.39 40. Every one that believeth on him shall have Everlasting life and Christ will raise him up at the last day 3. The Prophetical Office of Christ is likewise a fruitful food-bearing Office He is engaged by Office to make all his Seed wise unto Salvation Isa 54.13 All thy Children shall be taught of God And he is faithful who hath promised it 1 Joh. 2.27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and
unto you 1. Wherein the prosperity of the Soul consisteth and when it may be said to prosper I told you then that the prosperity thereof is to be considered both in its first rise and foundation Or in its growth and progress As to the first rise of it it was proved that if we look upwards we shall find it begin in God's Eternal Electing love which is without beginning But if we look inwardly so as to discern it in our selves The first foundation of it is laid in that day and hour though the very day and hour hath I think not been discerned by many though perhaps by some But however discerned or not discerned in that day and hour it begins when by the word of Christ and by the Spirit of Christ the whole Man both Soul and Body is brought into a state of Union with Christ For then the Soul receives the first Seeds of Heaven-born principles of Spiritual life and then begins to be in a capacity of prospering 2. As the first foundation is laid in these principles So the growth and progress thereof consists in their increase As they increase so the prosperity of the Soul increaseth So that if ye give up your selves to be guided by right reason your work for the substance of it is first to see that your Souls are Spiritually alive And secondly that they thrive and prosper in that wherein they live In reference to the former of them I have two things to say 1. To all and every one of you that you would set some time apart seriously to debate the matter between God and your selves alone and none else with you whether ever ye felt the day of God's power upon your spirits to prevail so far upon you As 1. To cast you down from the good opinion which ye had of your selves by a thorough conviction of the woful mistake wherein ye were about the state of your Souls That ye thought them alive when they were as now ye see dead in sin pleasing your selves with the Religion of your Education as Paul did before his Converson That ye thought ye had good hearts toward God whereas now ye see that as Psal 5.9 your inward parts were very wickedness That whereas ye thought not of any danger ye were in of the wrath to come now ye see ye are condemned by a holy and righteous Law And that what by reason of your Actual sins and what by reason of your Original sin ye utterly despair of Salvation in that state wherein ye pleased your selves and see clearly that outward Reformation will not serve your turn but ye must be inwardly changed into the Image of God and be born again by the Spirit of God else ye can never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This is such a casting down as Paul experienced when he said Sin revived and I died Rom. 7.9 2. Whether besides this casting down ye have also experienced the day of God's power so far to prevail upon you as to raise up your hearts to a willing and hearty acceptance of Christ to all intents and purposes in order to Salvation To kill and destroy that enmity which you find in your hearts against the ways of God so as to bring you into a state of Reconciliation with God and to all the means of conformity to him and Communion with him to impute unto you the merits of Christ's death for a full and free discharge from the guilt of all your sins and to impute unto you his Righteousness that ye may be accepted as righteous unto Eternal life To mortifie all your corruptions to quicken your dead hearts with the principles of Spiritual life those principles of true holiness without which ye know ye shall never see God with a sincere resolution in his strength to wait upon him and keep his way That he would do all this for you and work all this in you and that ye are humbled for defects in living no more upon him that he might be all this unto you Verily so far as any person can really assert this that thus he hath been cast down and thus he hath been and is raised up though he may sometimes be in the dark as to the safety of his estate for Eternity he hath good Scripture ground thò he may not see it to believe that he is called into fellowship with Christ 1 Cor. 1.9 And that his Soul begins to live and is in a capacity of prospering For when the Soul it may be after a long shutting up under unbelief thus opens to Christ then Christ comes into the Soul as Rev. 3.20 And when he comes he brings the principles of Spiritual life with him 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life This is the first Particular A word to all 2. I have a word to some to those I mean that know nothing as yet what either this casting down or lifting up means And it is a word of advice That as ever they desire their Souls should live and be in a capacity of prospering that they would break off from all their dead works and resolve for this end that they may be thus cast down and lifted up To be swift to hear as Jam. 1.19 And to attend unto the words of this life so as it is said to be Joh. 5.20 The word whereby dead Souls are quickened Joh. 5.25 the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live And that in order hereunto ye would take the right way of working what ye hear upon your hearts thus or to this purpose reason the case with your selves 1. Soul-prosperity I am now convinced is the most desirable prosperity And if my Soul prosper not all the sooner possibly it may never prosper for this night it may be taken from me And if it do not prosper nothing will prosper with me so as to turn to good whilst I live and when I am dead I shall be one of the most woful and miserable Creatures to all Eternity that ever God made next to the Devils 2. If my Soul be as I have reason to be asraid it is still in its unregenerate state then it is spiritually dead in sin and while it continues so it is in no more capacity of prospering then a dead Tree while it continues dead is in a capacity of bringing forth ripe fruit This I now clearly see though I did not so much as think on it before 3. If I do not so receive Jesus Christ as that Jesus Christ may receive me into a state of Union with himself my Soul can never live for so I hear from 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath not the Son hath not life 4. If I would so receive Jesus Christ as that he may receive me into Union with himself and I receive life from him I must so receive the word as to be so cast down and so lifted up as I have heard Therefore by his help
allusion to that tree Gen. 2. which was called the Tree of Life not for any Natural or Physical excellency in it to preserve life more then other Trees but only as it was a Seal of the Covenant of works a conditional Seal of that Eternity of Life which Adam might with all fullness of confidence have expected if he had persevered in faithfulness to what was required of him But it is upon another account that Jesus Christ is called The Tree of life because he hath life in himself and quickeneth whom he will Joh. 5.26 And with the Food that he affords nourisheth and preserveth that life where he hath quickened it unto Eternal life so that it never runs into death Revel 22. He is said to be a Tree of Life on both sides of the River of the Water of Life But one Tree yet reacheth to both sides of the River so that all from what quarter soever they come may receive Food and nourishment from him And though but one Tree yet it bare twelve kinds of Fruit which setteth forth the variety of Spiritual priviledges and graces which Jesus Christ hath to give forth for the prosperity of the Soul according to all its concernments Thus as he is the Tree of Life he is for the Food of our Souls 2. He is so as he is said to be The hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 Manna ye know was their Bread in the Wilderness fourty years together It is said Psal 78.25 to be Angels Food whether for the excellency of it that it was for them to have fed upon if they had stood in any need of it Or whether it was prepared for them by the ministry of Angels This need not be disputed This is certain it was a Type of Christ who saith of himself That he was the living Bread that came down from Heaven And he is said to be The hidden Manna possibly alluding to that Pot of Manna which was hidden in the Ark of the Testimony pointing at Christ as hidden Food altogether unknown to the unbelieving World who never had so much as a real taste of the unsearchable riches of his grace of the efficacy of his Death or the power of his Resurrection But as it was in reference to Manna All those that in the exercise of Faith did eat of it under that consideration as a Type of Christ it was spiritual meat to them So the water out of the Rock to all those that in the same manner under the same consideration did drink of it was spiritual drink 1 Cor. 10.3 4. Even so is Jesus Christ at this day and will be to the end of the World his flesh will be meat indeed and his blood will be drink indeed to all those that feed upon him by faith And this leads me to the second Particular 2. That Jesus Christ is this Food which is appointed for the nourishment of the Soul as he is a Crucified Saviour Even as we read of the Manna Numb 11.8 that it was prepared to be eaten by being first ground in the Mill or beaten in a Mortar and so baked in a Pan. And as the Rock was smitten with the Rod of Moses before the water gushed out so it was at first by God's appointment Exod. 17.6 And the Paschal Lamb was roasted at the fire before it was eaten Even so Jesus Christ was wounded for our transgressions smitten of God unto death that so he might be spiritual Food for Souls according to the Father's appointment This was the ground of Paul's resolution He determined to know nothing i. e. to make known unto them nothing comparatively but Jesus Christ and him Crucified And indeed the first comfortable sight that a humbled sinner hath of Christ when his heart works after him for the life and Food of his Soul is as he was clothed with his Garments of Blood made a Curse for sinners as obedient unto death This was always the scope of Paul's preaching first to set forth Christ as Crucified Gal. 3.1 So he preached him and so he desired that those who were his hearers might receive him So the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper wherein spiritual Food is administered to a believing Soul the scope thereof is to shew forth the Lord's death till he come 1 Cor. 11.26 And this upon the highest ground of reason for as Jesus Christ by his blood redeemed our Souls from a state of spiritual death to a state of spiritual life breaking down the partition-wall not only between Jews and Gentiles but also between God and Sinners Eph. 2.13 So he purchased thereby not only a full discharge from the guilt of sin by the imputation of his own righteousness but power to communicate from his own fullness continual supplies of spiritual life for the daily progress of Soul-prosperity For whatever we receive for our All is to be received from Christ as rising again from the dead as ascending into Heaven as making intercession for those that come to God by him and whatever influence Christ in his Offices as King Priest and Prophet hath into the life and nourishment of our Souls the foundation of all was laid in this that Christ was a Crucified Saviour His intercession is effectual because his blood speaketh Heb. 12.23 As the great Prophet of his Church he reveals the counsel of his Father in all that is necessary to be known to make us wise unto salvation for that he merited this by his blood Rev. 5.5 6. Because the Lion of the Tribe of Judah was the Lamb slain therefore he prevailed to open the book of God's secret Council which no man else was found worthy to open or to read or so much as to look upon so Rom. 4.24 His resurrection is for the declaring of our justification but that is because he first dyed for our sins Thus you have the second particular under the first head proved unto you That as Jesus Christ himself is appointed for the food of our Souls so Jesus Christ specially as crucified Even as at this day those living creatures which by God's allowance we feed upon must first lose their own lives before they can be for support to ours Even so it is here No life from Christ but by the death of Christ Therefore saith Christ Joh. 6.53 Verily verily I say unto you that except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood ye have no life in you I now proceed to what in the second place was proposed which was to shew 2. What are the ways and means by which Jesus Christ conveys this spiritual life unto the soul that it may live and prosper Ans It is by the powerful working of his Holy Spirit sprinkling all Ordinances all Providences and the Soul it self that receives nourishment from Christ with the merits and efficacy of the blood of Christ 1. All Ordinances in the use of them he is said to set meat before us Hos 11.4 Meat which is compared to those
away without any observation from under the power of all obligations to the contrary Relapses of this nature though they do not presently make any great noise in the World yet it will not be long before they will be seen in sad effects and be discerned in more visible miscarriages If they be indulged they are great enemies to Soul-prosperity and will prove the very bane and break-neck of that thriving and prosperous frame the Soul was grown or growing into This is then seriously to be considered of by all those whose Souls begin to prosper and when it begins to be better with them then it hath been in respect of their inward frame and temper of the hidden man of the heart as ever they desire they may continue so and lose the things which they have wrought to beware of relapses Ye have heard that ye are not exempted from them nor exempted from a possibility Heb. 3.12 Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the Living God As if the Apostle had said That which I speak to one I speak to another I speak to all therefore let every one take heed Now that which I find in Scripture pressed upon us for preventing such relapses is to have a watchful eye over and a constant hand upon all the inward workings and stirrings of the inward Man for from thence they have their rise as ye may observe in several sorts of Trees their decay is first observed in the withering of the boughs but it begins in the root which fails in sending up sap into them as formerly Even so it is here which way soever relapses are discover'd they begin from within Psal 44.18 Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way Professours first fall from their apprehensions of the necessity of circumspect walking their convictions of the goodness of the ways of God wear off and their affections decay and the works of the flesh break forth and manifest themselves by degrees Therefore as ever we desire to hold fast what we have received be sure to keep the heart with all diligence as Prov. 4.23 Where 1. Our personal care is required Keep thy heart 2. Our principal care Keep it with or above all keeping As it is with the heart naturally considered if that begin to tremble or be in fear or apprehension of danger the blood and spirits as it is observed will forsake the outward parts and run to that to guard and succour it the least wound therein being mortal if it be but with the pricking of a Pin. Thus the heart is kept in its natural capacity but the matter we are speaking of is touching the keeping of the heart in its spiritual capacity and keep it we ought with all diligence watch it by night and by day at home and abroad when we are in company and when we are alone at all times and in all places yea as the Apostle presseth it on Timothy Watch in all things 2 Tim. 4.5 Now this keeping this watching the heart hath special reference to the inward workings and stirrings of corruption 1. To prevent in the strength of Christ so far as may be prevented in this state of imperfection the first risings of them of any one kind whatsoever however to prevent if possible and possible it is that the Corruption and the Temptation may be kept asunder Matth. 26.41 Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation Otherwise there will be sad work and the prosperity of the Soul will begin to fade and that upon the sudden Though Hezekiah as holy a Man as he was and how much soever his Soul did prosper and prosper it did exceedingly yet he had always a root of pride in him which though it did not stir him to shew his Treasures to every body yet when he fell into the temptation by occasion of the visit he had from the King of Babylon by his Ambassadours then the Corruption and the Temptation did meet and ye may read in the history how much the well-fare of his Soul was prejudiced by it So it was with David he had though a Man after God's own heart the same root of the same corruption in him yet it did not break forth so as to abate any thing of his Souls prosperity till the temptation met with it To have his subjects numbred neither had it then if he had watched as Peter did to keep the temptation and the corruption asunder See Act. 8.20 Thy money perish with thee said Peter to Simon Magus The temptation was suitable for Peter was out of money Act. 3.6 Silver and gold have I none And Peter was not so perfect as to be beyond the power of the temptation but he kept the temptation from mingling with what corruption soever was in his heart and so the gracious frame of his heart continued untoucht by it So David 2 Sam. 16.10 And the King said what have I to do with you ye Sons of Zerviah so let him curse c. He was subject to the same passions with other Men but by the assistance no doubt of the Spirit of God he kept the temptation and the corruption asunder and so his Soul prospered the better for that tryal 2. If there should be as there is great danger there may be a sad meeting so it is and so it will be found betwixt the corruption and the temptation then endeavour by the assistance of the spirit that your own spirits may immediately rise up in indignation against it and after some hearty ejaculations for the present with the first opportunity with hearty loathing and inward self abhorrency bring forth the temptation and the corruption to the law of God and see them there condemned and to the blood of Christ and see them there pardoned and to the spirit of Christ that thereby all may be subdued and mortified Really a Soul that desires to prosper and to continue to prosper should as kindly work in a heart-melting and a heart-humbling way for these sinful stirrings of the heart before God as for sinful words and sinful actions before Men Psal 73.22 So foolish was I and ignorant even as a beast before thee It is or should be with the Soul that prospers as it is with the eye if a small dust get into it it will never leave twinkling and watering till it be out 2 Chron. 32.26 Hezekiah humbled himself greatly for the pride of his heart Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death He speaks of the law in his members warring against the law of his mind vers 23. This is the way to prevent relapses into sin which is the Soul's sickness and if not prevented or timely healed will overthrow the prosperity of prospering Souls SERMON XIII 2ly AS Souls that begin to prosper and have any desire to continue so ought to keep themselves