Perkins - BX9318 P47 1613 v3

A may vf<. .. Om fight; 'ifnot, 'Ne may nOt vfc it, Secondly , ~e mHfr mak! ow eiet , nrJf the 2. Ruf('. wcapomof m1JJinne ;but: the mj}!umentJof Gods l ~:d~~~u:. worjJtp mHj:"'YHzce. Th1S wcfhalldo", tf wcc employ them thus: L In bchol d10g Go~s l words are a lofde kind offpecch, cal!cd H;per– bo/e , whereby dlUs much is GgnHlcd:Relhaine and goucrne it a:o!l carefully, though it be tO thine o.,.vnc grCac painc ,)ofle, 'lnd hmder:tn"Cc; For /;etter it is fo'r rhu ,/that·bn~ of th] m~mbers petifh, tlmr•tlmtthJ wholebodiejboHidbe CP.f/'in- 'r. hell, J Thcfc words,coutaine a Rea(on of the former cXhortation,to this effeCt: IriSbet– ter for thee to v1ant the bcn'cfic:..and vfc o'f 1 ' thh1g$ moll rtctious and pcerc vnt'o tht_c', in this lite, and fo to be faued; then by haurng & vfing rhcm to pcrilh for cucr : >SO chat the tnicJ 1tnCat1ingof ehis 'place, is this: as if our Saui.. Pmphrafe. oUf Chri!t had faid, Go thro!egh the whole courfo ofthy life, and rakf avin•eof ,i/fthJ wa;n, and thereinfoe what--rbini is an octuJ!on offmte Vnto thu; tiJat toll~{: hude of, andavoide, thqugh the vftthdiof bee~ moftdeerevnto thee: for it r5bet– fer th.tt thou fboH1dft want thevft t herenf,r:mdfo be {.111cd; then b; it topcrijh etc-maay in hell. ctCltureS m hc:luen and earth, that m d'cm we I '' ·· may fee Gods glorJC, WJf~dome, mcn:tc)pow- !l:.<acr,lodlpfeUJdencc, and thereby ra~t occ2fion to ~nagntfie the nlme <;>fG?d. ~.In_beholding i Geds. iudgemCnts ~Vefywifhly an~ 'harrovvly, that thCrein ~·e mav f(.e his iufticc and. wrath a– gainIt tinne,and fo'bc humbled in our fclucs,& terrified from finnel 3'• In beholding of the Eka1cnts of GodsSlcr~rllCnts , efpccially the bread&nii wine in the LOrds Supptr, \'.hkh bC. , .Alfo ifth;righth•nd nu/;ftheeto~!fend, cut it off for it i' -/;b~ur f•r lhee ,' &c. Here the fame exhortation and Reafon is againe repea– ted, vvhich \·\ C muft not thirikc to bee a thing ncedclc!fe and friudlous; for fuch Rcpititions in Scripture haue fpccial vfc,to lignific rh:u the things fo dcfiuercd, bcbffpeciaH importance,– wonhic all carefUl obfliruation andobedience.~ Now bJ right httnd, here is meant j any thing th3t is motl profitable vmovs, ..what etier it be, if it caufclvs to"finne againfr God,itmufl: be a– voided,at d left•offmofl carefully. v£>. By this E~hortationofour Sauiour Chrilt, Guard the we are taught to carric a firi8:. watch ouer all fcnfcs. our fcnfcs~ and oucr 2ll the parts ofour bodies, efpecially the eye and hands, that they become not vnto vs occafions of finning againfi God: and for the gouernment of the eyes, there be ~~l~s:onhe :ha~[~~~~~~ ~~~~·u:!:~'e;:s7t!b~:::/it,~:; God. Salomo;r giuing Rules for the well ordc'– iring of the tongue, fight, and foote, faith thus :a Pro.4-14. ofthe eic, :1 Let thin( rye beho!dfherighr, rwd 2 5' th; C)'C liddct direfJ theway before thee: which words fccmc to caric this fcnfC,Thac we f11ould order our fight according to the fhaite Rule of Gods word, for th:lt is the way ¥\'herein "''CC ought to walkc. Now the neccffirie of obfCr– .uing this Rule, may appdre by fimdrie cxamb Gcn. 1 ) 6 ' pies :EucSb lookjug vpon theforhidde;--Jruit,with ddlrc to cate thereof againll Gods com– mandcment, was the doorc- and entrance of c Gen, 9 .1:. that finne into her heart: t-vas not c Cham acl :tJ. . , curfed for looking vpcn his Fathers nakcdncs? was not Lot.t v.;jfc turned into a pillar .of t:tlt, 1 d Ccn.l?·l6' fOr rl iookjng6nc/z.towardt Sodome?Fifrie thOH{and I I thrufcore t~nd tcm:e men of Bethfhcme{b were I Jlaine c fOJr !ooki.trg i!!lv the Ark.tofthel.~rd,ae I.Salll6,Iy. j gainft hU rcHea/cdwill: by :1.1l which it is plainc, I that \o)'e ought to vfc our fight ia obedience to God: for which ende, it will be~ good before I j we lookc on any thmg, to conhder wf1ether the fame ,~,il bee f~r Cods g16rie , the good of _ . ~~~u:s, _~ne! of our brethren:- if it bee, \o\'t B vifibtc words,wh,ercin we-may fcC our Sadour Chiift, as it were crucified before Our eyes. 4• In vfing them as inflruments of!nvocarion, by If ~ !tftingdrt!mvp f to hett1!en, to tefl:ifie the lifting . "'P ofour hearts vnto God.This vfe of the eyes fpf''"'"!·~~•· naturc-tcachcth vs;f~r whCr.c2s other c!'eaturcs · haue but fowre mufcles in chcir eyes; whereby Cofum.l f• their cyesGre turned round abOut}' nlan oncly upq. aboue them all bath afifr:h n:mfdc, whereby his cic is turn~d vpward'!o.v\':trds heauen.And this which is faid,for the wel!'ordering ofour eyes, ' muG be obfcrued in the rcft of the fenfcs, and in all other parts ofthe bodic;thcy multa!lhce implG:lyed and fet ·a! worke.-in obcdicmcc to· God, and continually obferucd, that t heybe• C cdme not the weaponS offi.nne>but the iofiru.l tncnts of his glorie. . · · Secondly, this Exhortation of'Cbrifl, m'ult teach vs tOavoide all the occafi.ons of eucrie fin ne ; though it be with great lolfe ·vnto out fclues, in the things of this life. This is the chcife pornt thai our Sauiour Chrifi aimeth ag in this pla,e;& ther.efdr.e it ought with fpeci:rll regard to be lCarilcd, & remcmbred. Mans na.. natur..c is like to driC wood,or towe,which \'\'ill burnt fo Coone as fire isptit vnto it; giuc a man the Icafi-occafion ofany fin,& he is as readic ro cOmit it)as dry wood is t9burne,though thcrby he doe as much as in himlieth,tocafiaway his ownc foulc for cucr. Look therefore, a! Maii-· hers on the Seas, haue confiant and continuall l care to avoidc both rocks and fands; whereby AvciiJe j1 occaficm o? Mno.e, .D they may fuffcr lhipwrackc; fo mull: we moll I warily auoidc the occafions of eucry finne. A mofi worthy example hereof we haue in lf-fo– fu, who w:.ts brought vp in Phar'aoh.s Court,till he was fourtic ye1resolde, where he cnioy('d oil earthly plc,fun·sand hcnours that hls heart · coui<~with; and 10 might hauc ccmtinucd ifli.c ""ould, for hce \\'as the adopted fonnc ofPh..r– Yr!obs daughter.)but )'Ct Mofcs Jefrfhcm au;~nd ;chofo r"ther roftffer affliEUot~ "'thrhepeopfeof ~ ll<b.u. God in Gofhen, rPm ro eniOJ a!lthep!Mjttre.rof E15,:~. gypt. And this he did, becaufo thry were bm the plc't:fmw?f f nnc)which he could nqt cnioy,v nleifc he would forfake the true feare and wor ... lhip ofGod, ond all good confcicncc : and hi, (:;-:ample we ought to followe. Now that we may avoidc all rhc occ~fions - - F z -----------~[

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