Chap.2.SeCl: 4· 11Df mmtte.s tn <!OeneraL enough to torment? Are there no Plagues to confound him? Yes: \ Vhy fins he then? Oh! h~prays to G.od ~or forg1veneffe ; he forrows,and repents m fccret(as h~ Ruth)and this bears him out mh1s lewd pranks. Take a moral man, he knows he hath h1~ fa!lmgs, and his fins, as the bell: have, and is overtaken fometim,es, as the beft.a:e; Why doth he not remove thefe fins then ? Why IS he not more humblednnder hts fins·? The Rpfon is, he conftantly obferves Evening and Morning prarer, and then he craves forgiveneff~ for his failings by which courfe he hopes to make h1~ peace With.G,od: And l1ence he finneth withou; fear, and rifeth out of his fall i1H<:> fin without forrow; he maintaif(eS'}1is finnes by his Duties. Take a ProfeO:or, fuch a one as may be ,excecdtng\y troubled ~bo\1~ his fins , as endeavours very much after mournmg, repentmg, reforming, and .other~ ' ' · .... ~ ·I ., .· ... commend him for ;t diligent Chrill:ian,. Do you not fee how he m011rm, and weeps, and prays? and now the wind is over, the; tempeft down, and ther~ is a great calme in his foul how comes he to this quiet? .Oh! ..his PffeEtions were crdarged, he hathrc;.chetl f~ higl;, as to a very large proportioncf ru~ntance, and te-ars, andfo.rru'!';"'andfaft~ng, &r.'and this bath given him cafe, this bath took;an·ay the bt.rdm, •'I'd lmd hufottl at rcft: .O.poor foul is this all the remedy to rid thee of the !hng and guilt of fiR ? Haft thou no ri10re pantings, but only after bitterneffe, ~eavineffe, mourning, me_lting, extraordinary enlargements? \Vhy then, let me tell thee, all thy righteoufneffe (though it were more perfect than it is) is but a filthy rag. Could' I!: 'hou weep thy heart out, !hould thy m. 6 <· 6 • heart melt like wax, diffolve into water: Cott!dft thott defire and pray ttll heaven and Sbepbmls .· earth jiJo.k_, till tholt hadft worn thy tongtu to theftumps; Couldft thon faft tt!l thy skin a.nd Sinr.c.-<:Con· bones cleave together : Cottldft thon promife and purpo[< with f~tll rejolmton to be better; vc1 <,., • Couldeft thou rcformc thy heart, head, life,tongue,feme, nay, allfins; Co,Jldeft thot< live ltk,: an .Angel,jhineliks a Stm, walk.)tp and down the world likJ a dif/-rejfed Pilgrim; Conldcjl ,.,:, c-:. thou die ten thoufand death!, lie at the fire-back_in Hell fo many mr/lions ofyears, a-s there , ..• : 0 b. piles ofgrafs on the earth, or famls on the feajhore, or (fars in Heaven,. or motes in the , ::;_,. · 1 Sun ; 1 tell thee, not one JPark,of Gods wrath againft thy friJ, can be quenched by all thcfe ' • O<l•• · Duties, nor by any ofthcfc forrows or tears. It was .At,(fins faying though it founds har!h, that Repemancc damns more thanfin; meaning, that thoufands did peri!h by refting therein: It is no digging within our felves, for power to leave fin, to be more holy, and humble, and religious, and con· fcientious, and fo to think to work out our felves in time out of this ll:ate: The words which the Prophet put into Ifratl·s mouth, if they would truly turn unto God,_were thefe,-- .Ajlmr jiMll notJavCitt, we will not ride upon horfes, q. d. We will truft n0 HoC. 14 , >i more tO thefe outward meanes, we will not favc our feJves, by OUr graces, or our abilities. · · But how !hall any m_an know, that he rcll:s io his Dttties ? I anfwer, By thefe fignes following: . I. It is a figne that a mal) rell:s in his Duties, if he; never found it a hard ma~t2r.to c?me out of his Dums: Examine, if thou never yet fawell:; 'if thou canft notteli the time when thou dtdll: reil: m DutieJ, and then dii:llt groan to be delivered from thefe entanglements, thou haft jull: caufe to feare. 2. It is a figne that a manrell:s in · Duties, ifne exceedinglz prize the bire perfor– mance ofDu;m; tho~e D~t'"" that carry thee out of thy felf unto Chrift, maket hec topnze Chnll:. Now tell me, Doll: thou glory in thy felf? Doll: thou fay, Now 1adz fome body? 1was bcfore ignorf!nt,forgetful, hard-ptarted, bnc now I Hnderj/1!11d better, now 1can ferrowfo~ my fins, I <an pray wuh fome life, now I have done very well. Alas_llOot foul ! thefe.thmgs do argue only . Spi;itHm movmrem, non inhabitlilltem, the Spirit c:Jf God b:eathmg on thee, not dwellmg m thee. Ifthou refteft here, if thou thus i[\~ancei,l: ~ •. i SiRns·or'mans rcftJng. in Du... ties, ; 1 ··~· ... Shepherds Sin.. cere Convert.. ,, . l the pnce of Duttes, -th~t thou begmn'ft to dote on them ; then do 1 pronoutice froiu God!That thou doll: •·eft tn DJtties: Thefe things (faith Pa~tl) 1 accountrd gai'n (i:·'b-.!fore · his Converfion) bnt now ilf(~ottnt them loj{e: This is the reafon why a childe'ofGod i'hil. 3 ' a: commhnly after hts prayers ~ou.~tsmuch of God's love towards him: whereas an<ither man t at falls !h~rt ofh1m, never fo mucli as qudhohs his e!bte: The.firll: fee'th tnllch rottenne!Te an~ vtlenefs m.htsbeft•.Pt•[iss 1 andCo a.di}(dgcthmeanly'ofhltnfeli';}ilt".tf\c other ts Ignor.nt of any fuch vtleneife, an~ therefore he pnzeth and ell:eetns h!glily of :.."; ,:\· ;- them. · ' · ~ · 3· It is a figne that a man reftsid~is'iJ;,tics, 'if he never ca;:ne to 9~ fenfibitof''tnelr " • ,•• • poverty, and utter emptire!lf o~ a.ny,g9?:dlnth_~m. Didll: thou never feel 'tn'lff,lfin ·' Jhts.manner? Oh ! I am as tgnora~t {IS any beaft, as vile as any drvil; what :.i neft':m'd fiifer cf
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