588 pal merchants in forraign parts keep up Serra. z6. finners defpife the goodnefs of God and trample upon his grace and mercy, and fcorn his love and kindnefs , and kick at his bowels, and fpit in his face, and flab at his heart, who is our God, our Father, our Friend, our good and gracious Lord and King : This mull needs make the beleeving foul cry out , Woe is me that I live among fuch. Let us fuppofe a perfon that hath been hugely obliged by a Prince to love him, and that indeed loves him as his life, if this Prince Mould be driven from his Throne, and an ufurper get into his place, would it not "be great efllit` ion, and fadning to the fpirit of fuch a perfon, to live among thole who every day revile,reproach, fcorn and abufe his gracions Prince ? Why Sire,, if you and I be true bcleevers,we know that the Lord is our Soveraign King and Prince, filch a one who bath infinitely more obliged us to'love him, than'ris pof iible for any Prince to oblige a fubje& ; & we4 lóve the Lord as our lives,nay bet - ter than our lives, or elfe we love him not at all ., & mutt it not then be matter of grief, to hear ungodly finn:rs, who have driven God away from their hearts and fouls,where hisThrone fhould be fer up,ar.d who have let that grand ufurper the Devil let up his throne within them, and among them, and who daily fay unto God as thofe wicked ones, yob 2 r. 14. Depart from su, for we defire not the knowledge of thy wayes, to hear fuck curfe and fwear and blaspheme God, and in their lives by wicked ungodly comics do him all the defpight & difhonour that they scan, bring his Name to the Tavern, to the Stews upon the flage, and there foot and defile the great and glorions Name of God with the worft of polutions ;Certainly Sirs, he cannot account God his Friend, his Father, his good and gracious Prince, whole eye Both not run down with Rivers of tears to fee men fo far from keeping Gods Law. 2. It is a trouble to good men to fojourn, &c. with reference to thofe wicked ungodly perlons among whom they live , it grieves their fouls to fee finners run into aX excels of riot, eagerly purfuing hell and damnation, greedily guzling down full draughts of the ve- tiome of Alps, and the poyfon of Dragons ; it pities them to fee finners flab themfelves to the heart, and laughing at their own plague fores, ¡caning away God, and heaven, and eternal happinefs. If any of us fhould 'fee a company of men fo far befotted and di- flra &ed, as that one fhould rend and burn the Evidences of a great - loheritance which others labour to deprive him of, another fhould *ft ineflimable pearls ànd jewels into the Sca, anotherdeagerly
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