nger, and men never
stir out of their nest till it be on fire. We can behold, or hear of our
neighbours, spoiling and violence done to them, but till the voice of a
cry be heard in our own streets and fields, nobody will take the judgment
to themselves. It is well said, that which is spoken to all, is spoken to
none, so what is done to all in general, is done to none. The voice of a
general rod speaketh not particularly, and maketh not men apprehensive of
sad things, and thus men are not pressed unto prayer--are not put out of
themselves, it is only necessity that saps the roots of it, and makes it
green.

II. Security is lazy and not active, putteth not forth its hand to work,
and so dieth a beggar, for only the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
Laying hold on God is a duty that requireth much spirit in it; men do not
grip things well in their slumbering. There is no duty that needeth so
spiritual and lively principles. If a man do not put on such a piece of
resolution and edge upon him, he cannot come to the wrestling of prayer
and violence of faith. Although the exercise and acting of grace dependeth
more upon the Spirit of God's present influence, than upon the soul of
man, yet this is the way the Lord communicateth his influence, by stirring
up and exciting the creature to its duty, as if it could do it alone.
Grace is one thing, and the stirring up of it is another thing. For when
we lie by and sleep over our time, and go not about the matter so
seriously as it were life and death, it is but a weak hold we can take of
God. According to the measure of a man's apprehending necessity, and
according to the measure of his seriousness in these things, so will the
hand of faith grip, and lay hold with more or less violence. As a man
drowning will be put from sleeping, and when one is in extreme hazard all
his strength will unite together in one to do that which at any ordinary
time it could not do, so ought it to be here. A Christian assaulted with
many temptations should unite his strength, and try the yondmost.(324) O
but your whole spirits would run together, to the saving of yourselves, if
ye were very apprehensive of necessity! The exercise of faith is a dead
grip, that cannot part with what it grippeth. Therefore, 1. We must say to
you, it is not so easy a thing as you believe, to lay hold on God,--there
must be stirring up to it. And when the Lord speaketh of our stirring
ourselves, certainly he meaneth this likewi