The . Preface. Pleafures, and are unda the dom inion of Satan, taken captive by l1im at his WilL .A; if 4 Hor{e thAt tdes a cvur m. a pleafant Platn wue fru when the Bndlc ts ttJ his frlouth, and he is curh'd b) the Rtdtr AI hiJ plea{ure. The .Apojllu Jay of i dolaters, That what they facrific'd to Idols, they facrific'd w Devils: )Tis equalfJ trt~t, that whrn Mm ferve their Lujls, thq forve the Uevil, conjlruC!ivrly doi11g rhin._{ J plt~t:~ng to them. is ~;'::~n~h: 1;!t7~7n~~~e'Da~t'!ers?::~d:: J;::;;nc~a;1o~;;o~l:v;i; ~~~ ~n:;t:~:i~; infamotu Lufls; his Ajfiflions ar~ fetter'd _by infnar.ing Objdi; If no Man ~<tn fcn'c two Ma!lers, ho)/) wrnched is thrtr Conditzon, whofe mm)(YOUJ and jieru Pll/]ions exalt ~hin.e. s contrAry, and are their T7rants and 1'ormentors cominual&. St. Pett:r jpeak~ of tmprtr~ Perjo11s, Their Eyt:s are full of the Adulterers ; they cc~onot ce,tfe from Sm: This is true of ~tll Sinners, who{e Hearts are poff~fs'd h1 an! l.ind of Lufts. Thq are ht~rri~d hJ them .tgain(J the R~afon and R~fl of rheir Minds, to the commf/lion of Sin; which is th~ moft crttel a-;d contum~liom Bondage; and the more {hamefr~ ! hrcat~{e volunfaTJ· But t hq are in{enfible .of t ho{e (ubtle Chains that bind thr. Sotd, a»d think themfeivts to 6e the on/7 fra j!,Jen: As wben the Angtl awaken'd Peter, to rtlea{e him from Prifon, be thought he faw a Vi[ion ; fo wbm thq are excit r>d to ~;o ot~t of their dark Pri/on, thq thmk the freedom of Dttty, the t,raciotl4 LihertJ of the Sons of God, to 6e a mere lmA~inAtion. Like one in the Paroxifm of a Fever, who fin~s and talks hif!.h, 41 if/,~ wen in pufdl He.tlth, hut after the rtmi/lion of the Di{eafo , frets his ·Strtngth brolun wuh ftJins, and him/elf ntar Dtat h: Tb114 1vithin a liuie wlule, 1viJen the furious preci;itam7 of tieir Pll//ion s is ool'd 1nd chak'd b1 AJjltilions, thq rri/1 feel and jinl: rmd:r the wttght of their tvoft~l Bondage. .Another Ohj ellion and ptrnicious Pa!lacy·of the Ttmpur, where~! he friJ!.btS many JOH»f. Perfon • from the flritlne{s of a boly Lifo1 is, That Religion is a j01vrt M-verity ; the1 mujf renormce alt Delights, turn Cap11chins, if they {triorifly mgagt t htm{elves in a Reli~ious ~:;"{~~r:;~;e{h:;:~;~~p;;; ;[t,hej:;~z~:t;'{;fnd~o;~;f;m,~~Jeh:;;,/sFl:J:;{s ~~~~ make Mm j ayle{s, and !n th~ /eafl degru mi{erable, which is in in the highejl Per{tCiion in God1 who is infinitely iorft~l and blc[Jd. Religion does 110t txtiJtt,mf/; the joJ(ul .Ajfe!Jions, but tranfl-'tant them from Egypt to Canaan. The Ple:zfures of Sin (r!Jhicb are only forbidden) in tht firfl tajle, ravi{b tbe Carnal Senj(s: Hut like Jonachan's HaRry, they ktl/ bJ taflinJ!. when the .Swutne/s is vanijh'd, the Stin.I!. rtm<tins. J1lhertrY the Joy that proceeds from the e.xerci{e and im;rovtm-lnt .of Divine Grace, and rhc Love of God !bed abroad in the Heart by the Holy Ghofl, the Eternal Comforter , the prefent Re1vard of it is vital and re11iving, the forttajle of Eternal L ife. TU true, Carnal Men are Jlrangrn to tbis 'JOy , thq canno~ relifb Divine Dt!ights; but the rS'pirit of God ltlu a new Soul, inftires the /anBtfitd IVIIh new Thoughts, new lnclinatiom, ne1v Refoimiom , 11nd qt~alijirs t!Jfm, that !lP.iritual Objdls are .i'jnittfJ. pl~a{iny_ to them. .And rvhe:ea-1 C~rnai I le:~furts are but tor a fe::afon, and wuhm a itt~le ,,Jute dye, 11nd end in bttter dijlajle, (Amoon's exce/live Love W1U {11ddmly · ttunrd mto mort excf/]ive Hat~ed) Spiritu.al Joys ar.e increajing .and ever.·/1t is(yinz_ . LVow 'tis an mfallib:e Rule to dtrtrl our chotce1 1"/uu rs /Tilt Happtmjs, whtch the mort we rnjoy , tbe more htghly ll'e val11e an:llovr. I thougbt ~t fi! to {bt~v t!Jt Vnrta[on4hkmfs of theft Objec7ioJts, that are pcrverfe an.d po'[ono 'f:~ wluc b. if not remov'd, roJuld blaft my Deft?.», and defir d St~ccefs, in the {uhfequent Vi{cour{es. B111 'tis more eafie to pro'tlt our Duty to Lllow HolincfS, th.:n to per{t~ade Men to praEiice it 1 {ball on ly add, that t he Reward of Holinr{s bciny_ (o t .xcellrnt ~tnd. Ete_rnal, Otlr Z,ral [houid encounter and ovrrcomt 11U Dl}fi~,tfties tbat oppofe our obtainrnt 11. The (lron.~.{'jl and jivifttft liJ!ingJ are too jlo1V to dt{patch our way to Heaven. The Lord f.lt't hu /3/r(/ing to make Sacud T ruths tjftfl1~al t~Don t he Sos~ l: 4~ . 2 C 0 R. 555
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=