heart k." Without this, our services are of no value. Look to it then, my Brethren, that ye get your hearts quickened by the Spirit of God. You must not be satisfied with seeking : " you must strive to enter in at the strait gate1." You must "take the kingdom of heaven by violence"1." Beg then that you may be " renewed by the Spirit in your inward man," and be en- abled, so to fight as to conquer, so to run as to win the prize n.]
2. Those who profess to experience " the power of godliness" —
[Astonishing is the deceitfulness of the human heart. We all see in others defects, of which they themselves are not con- scious. And can we suppose that we ourselves also are not blind to our own defects ? Yes : and perhaps the very locks which we think our greatest ornaments, are full of grey hairs. Our graces perhaps are rather the resemblance, than the reality, of virtue : our humility may be affectation, our zeal pride, our confidence presumption. Let us " be jealous over ourselves with a godly jealousy0." Let us search and try ourselves? ; and beg of God also to search and try usq. Let us be careful that we set out well, and then labour to " go on from strength to strength, till we appear before God in Zion r."]
k Prov. xxiii. 26. 1 Luke xiii. 24. m Matt. xi. 12.
n 1 Cor. ix. 24, 26. ° 2 Cor. xi. 2. p Lam. hi. 40.
4 Ps. cxxxix. 23. r Ps. lxxxiv. 7.