be of admirable Use, if you would take an account of
your hearts.But when Men and Women are stirr'd sometimes, and
go away and never call their Hearts to an account what
is become of them; no marvel though the things of the
Gospel do not abide, but vanish all, and are as Water
spilt upon the Ground.And further, Take heed of secret sins: Thou hast no
power to purge thy Heart, but thou may'st in great mea∣sure
abandon the Acts of sin. That Man or Woman
that lives in a Secret sin, I say, that Secret sin will either
Eat out the Truths that he hath heard, or the Truth
will Eat out that sin. Thou comest to hear the Word,
and hast many Blessed things Revealed to thee, I say,
they will either Eat out thy Secret sin, or thy Secret
sin will Eat out them: And which of the two do'st thou
think, thou hadst best be rid of?And if thou wouldst have them abide, turn all into
Practice; that is, fall a Doing: Do not content thy
self with Affections and Resolutions, but fall a Doing;
and that doth mightily settle the Truth, when it comes
once to be Practised. As now in a Temptation, the
Temptation is not settled until the Devil hath got some∣thing
done according to the Temptation; and when
something is done, then the Temptation settles. So
concerning the Truths of the Gospel, a Man it may
be hath some Resolutions and Desires, but till there be
somewhat done, some Duties set upon, some Reforma∣tion
in thy Way and Life, the Truth doth not settle;
but the doing somewhat according to what thou do'st
hear, that doth mightily settle the Truth upon thy Soul.
O think thus, There is such and such a thing made
known to me; O, it may do my Soul good for ever:
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