'Ihe Danger of Projjmity. of Man with difficulty changes its _end; the outward actions may be fufpcndcd or overruled for a rime, bu: rhc love t~1at JS natural and predominant in the Heart to the prefcnr ~ii~~~~a~~~~~ ~~~~J~~fiac:d~:~~~~~~~~~~u~~:;.en,~~r;~o;l~~;l~~~v~~~~!~~ia~!~l~~ ~~~;~sa~f our Saviour; Wbat will it profit a Man, if he gain the wbole World and lofo };is own Soul) But . l~ow few in hearing them, have found their Souls that were loft in the corrupting Vanmcs of ~his ·world i' The mofr fecm not to know they have immortal Souls, whilft rhcy live as 1f they had none. The Rcafon is, rhcy will nor confider duly their unvaluable Worth, and the woful Folly in neglecting them. When the Bird ofcen firagglcs from the Ncfr, the Eggs arc clul'd and unprolifick, f0r wam of its warmmg Incubation. J?i~inc Truths arc without li.fe and vigour, when they only lie in the Memory, without fer_wus and frequent ReAeC:hons on them. Many arc enlightncd, bur not affected; or :::tflec:ted, bm not rcfolved; or rcfolved, ?m their Refolutions are not prevailing and permanent, bcaufc the \Vord does not fink tnto tbeir Minds, by deep Confideration. 2. The oth~r external means. of. recovering a Sinner from the fnarcs of Death, is private AdmonitiOn, either authonranve, or mcerly charitativc, by fhcwing him his Sins, and the fearful Confcqt:ences that attend them. The !1-c~;lcd_ of this Duty, is a fign and ~!~~no;,;lt~~;~:,te~~JJuff~~,S~~ ;~~~i~~~~:l~~;. of ~~~~n~~~F:;!.~~ ~;t~t~o~fcl:e;:~d::; a~1d Mccknc~s, with dear ~nd earneft Lov~, has a fpecial advantage and efficacy, being diCectly apphed to rho Pcrfon whofc Soul 1S concern d. The Reproofs of a Preacher arc levclfd in common againft the .Sins of M~n, but not applied in particular to every Sinner. "]~is the Office of Confctencc, to br~ng .home to every Man's Bofom, what is proper to lus CafC_; and lingularly_ to obfe~ve 111 hm1~elf, what is fpokenin the general. But in }~rivate i\dmomti.on, the Supenor or F nend fuppltes the J?uty of Confcicnce. And (in this icnfc) wo be to b1m that is alone! that wants a faithful Fnend ro fupply rhe Duty of ConiCtcncc, etcher to prcfCrve h1mfrom falling tnto Sin, or toraife him when down. Now a profpcrous Sinner is mofi unlikely to receive che Benefit dcfign'd by Admo9ition. If chc !~~~;~~1;uf,~;ls,'~f,~~(f~~ot~;it~~eclt~~, ~~~d~~;~~~~~~e?r~~~~~~e\~~J~'J~dn~~~t~~ 'A ~[;;1~/s :~~ Comempt.W.hcn a Sureri~ur, (like a.~ ather th~t holds a Child ov~r a Pit, to make ltim fear where there 1S Danger) w1th folemmty admomfl1es him of his Gu1lt and approaehingJudgJnems, he is apt to fllght Ius Perfon as cenforious, and his Admonition as impertinent. When a Friend by faichful Reproof endeavours to favc his Soul from Sin and Hell, he entertams.._ his Reproof wtth fcorn, or with convtC:bon and tndtgnation. Thus the wife Obferver of Men declares the ~arel~fs wretched Difpofition of Sinners in their ProfpcProv. S· u, rity, by their forrowful RcAeC:bons 111 Advertity: lbou ]halt mourn at tbe lafl, when t!J_J n, ' 3 • Flejh and ti.!J Body are co1tjumed, and fay, How IJave I hated lnflruE/io;t, a11d my Heart :E1J::1:ia~ef;ftfu~e17:~ ~al~fi:~df~{e:o ~:e:C~~ces%, m~~:';;i;~~ :~;r:;'~~~: 7:;;c ~~fr~~ gardcd with an implicit hatred, or rejeCted with abfolurc and exprefs hatred. To conclude this part of the _1\.rgument; Experience f:1dly proves that Sinners are never reclaimed from their fiubborn Folly but by fl1arp Afflictions. They will not believe the Evil of Sin, rill by a real and fenfible Conviction they take a meafure of the Evil they have done, by the Evil they fuffcr. Affliction tames the fiubborn Heart, and makes it humble and rclenring. Even Pharaoh that was a bold Atheifl: in his Profpcriry, and fl:ood \l pon high Tcn~1s \~irh (Jtofes, laying, Who is the Lord, that I fhould obeyl;im! ts:od. 9· 27, Yet was an humble Suppliant 111 hts DiftrcfS : And Pharaohfent, and calledfor Mofes anJ 28 · Araon, ami faid unto them, I have finned:- the Lord is ril,_bteous, aNd I and my People are 1vicl:ed.lntr~at the Lord that tberebe no more mighty lhu#drings, and Hail. This is fetforth Jer. i. 24. in a true and li vely comparifon by the Prophet Jeref1':J: As a wild Afs ufed to the Wilder~ fi~' ,~~~~{~~: ~{:';~~~;~b~::r~7rt~e,~i~h;~; :'id;; ;~h~~td~~u~~JCu:bYo?re'ri~:: her. All tbey tbat ftek her, will not weary themfelues; ~ut in ber month they fhall fnil ber ' 'Tts in vain to purfuc her then, but when fhe is bagg'd and heavy, they wtll tame her. Thus when Sinners are profperous, the Call of God, and Confcience, and of Teachers, do not frop them in their voluptuous Courfe, but Affiid:ion confines and reduces rh~m to Obedience. . ; . Profpcrity renders Men averfe from fulfering for the fake of Chrifi, when they are called to give Te11imony to his Truth, and fupport his Caufe. Self-denial, with refpett to rhe prefent Life, and .all the Ornam~nts, Comforrs, and Endear~ents of It, IS abfo~ ltJtely ncccff."y by the Law of Chrifiiamty, when the preferving of 1t is contrary ro che Moi. 6. '•· Glory of Chrifi, and !11C9nfillent ~!C~ c:mr Duty ro him. /hen fa id Jifus to his Difcipleft
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