(1.) To a vain world: Whether there is in you a heart to row against the stream or no, Rom. xi. 2. Be ye not conformed to this world; but he transformed by the renewing of your minds, &C.—If ye have no heart for it, but must go along with it, be ye young or old, ye are no good Christian, Gal. iv. 14.—The world is crucified to me, and I to the world.——And young communicants leaving that gap open, make mighty and ⟨useless⟩ old ones after.
(2.) To the sin that most easily besets you.—If you have no heart to thresh that mountain, ye have not the spirit of worm Jacob, who is one that keeps himself from his iniquity, Psal. xviii 3. And ye will be buried under it at length, like the young man who was grieved at Christ’s discourse about self-denial and the cross, and went away from him, and never returned, Mark x. 21, 22.
(3 ) To the crook in your lot:—Have you no heart in yourselves to wish for a Christian-like bearing of it; but must needs have it evened to your mind, if ye have not. ye are not of the spirit of the worm Jacob: for, the LORD hath said, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, Matth. xvi. 24.
Secondly, Yet they are but worms in their own eyes; and therefore, an unequal match for the least of the mountains.—2 Cor. iii. 5. We are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.——This casts the legalist that minds nothing but binding himself to duty, reckoning himself man enough for the duties of Christinity.
The sum of the mark is,—the Christian communicant is resolute and peremptory for doing all; yet h⟨e⟩ is convinced that he is sufficient for nothing?
Use 2. Here is likewise a ground of comfort to such—Let not the high rockiness nor bulk of the mountains discourage thee, nor yet the felt unsuccessfulne⟨ss⟩ of thy attempts hitherto.———GOD hath said, Wor⟨m⟩
Jac⟨ob⟩
