on Adis z4. 16. 91 Bate or way, is but like a dream, that bath no reality in it ; he feedeth on afhcs; and fuch an one will fome way make more Confcience of, and take more pleafure in that wherein he is deluded, than in any other piece or pra &ice of religion ; as it was with the f ews in perk- outing the apoftles ; and with the Scribes and Pharifees in feeking to gain a profelyte : And yet, in all that they do, they are but licking froth or fcurn ; Ephraim feedeth on wind, Hof t z. t . What exercife of Confcience they have 'about religion is without any fan &ifying e:feét ;it itriketh not at the body of death, nor loth it promove godlinefs: It is readily fume frivolous thing that they are fo much taken up with, and are fo eager in the purfuit of, which proveth but wind and allies ; to whom it may be, in fome refpe&, faid, as the apoftle doth to the Galatians, Chap. 3. 3. 2'e bega; in the Spirit, and leek to be made perfect in the ßefb. A fecond Mark of this is, There is always in filch a Confcience an undiftin&nefs as to the ground whence the man's confolation flow eth ; or, there is much more fúp_ poled peace, comfort, joy and fatisfa &ion, than he can give any folid reafon for; and they are hugely difpro- portioned to the foundation they are built upon. Ask an hypocrite, What is the ground of his fo firm per- fwafion, and of the comfort and joy refulting therefrom 3 he will readily anfwer, I think it is fo, or I hope it is fo; or, if he come to be fomewhat more particular in the account he gives, it will very readily be to this or fome Poch purpofe, ,God bath been very good and kind to me. in loch and inch providences, he hath beftowed on me fuch and filch gifts and benefits, which yet are but things external and common : Or he will, it may be, fay, I prayed to God in filch and loch a ¡trait, and he heard and delivered me, and I take that for an earned that he will hear me alto for heaven and eternal life; as If .Ahab's deliverance from a temporary judgment, on his humiliation, had been to him indeed the earneit of hea- ven : Or, it may be, he will further fay, God bath kept me from many fins, and beflowed many bleffings on me, .(which he may do unto, and often loth to mere natural men) and therefore be will be merciful to me. Such 'ors
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