MM...°e Serte, 26. the life of Religion without pablick ordinances ? 58, drinking crown that which you knew to be the juice of Toads and Spiders, or hugging a Viper, and Scorpion in his boforne, ano- ther nabbing hitnfelf in the brean, another laughing at, and licking his own plague fores, and all of them reviling, curling, f }riking, (pitting in the face, and ítabbing at the heart of thole that any wages endeavour to hinder them from de[1ro ing themfelves or that will not do as they do, and be as read as themfelves, should we nor pity them, and with grief of heart fay, We is me that Ilive among fuch ? Why Sirs, He that bath had any ferions thoughts of Eternity, that hath foberly confidered the worth of an immortal foul, that be- the Holinefs , plaice, and Power of God, that underftands the evill of fin, what a plague, what a venome, what a dagger at the finners own heart, fin is, he cannot but fee and know that every ungodly prophane firmer is much more an object of higheft compafti.- on than any I have now mentioned, and therefore-cannot,butcry out, Wa is me, &C. 3. It is a trouble to good men to fojourn, &c. with reference to themfelves, and their own concernments, becaufe they are fenGble that fuck a condition layes them open to ,a great deal of danger; and that i, In regard of their graces; fos; the want of the fociety of good men, and the Ordinances of the Gofpel, is like the want of dew and rain to the grafs, or food to the body ; and therefore thofe who have tated of the fweetnefr and fatnefs, and know what a pfal. 36. a. bleffednefs 'tis to be fatie feed with the góodnefs,of Goods houfe, can- 65.4. not but mourn over the want of Gofpel Orchna es; s, the pref nee of the Sun beams make the flowers to be frePb,and boutifall', and yield a fragrant finell:. whereas the want thereof' -Makes them look pale and wan, and hang the head ; even fo the enjoyment of good fociety and Gofpel- Ordinances, makes the graces of a beleever amiable and lovely, and give, %rth.th,eir; ,pleafa-n;t fmell, the want of whichmakes them very much to droopand iárrnguifia. And then oryeheeother fide, the fociet,yof wiicked men, the vea name and poyfon of an evill example, the alluring flatteries of the world on one hand, and its frowns andOreatnings on the other band, are of great force to nip and blaít, to dead and dull the graces of good men. And therefore he who knows the worth and value,of truecgrao4 that accounts it his riches, his treafure, his jewel, I ilfiii a et id is fenfible how much depends upon the life and vigour; of cGriaço ?ud Luke 0,211 F f f f a Religion
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