I>ireElions. Continue not in 1viljul fin ; I §· 2 • 1 know infirmities and itnperfeCl:ions _will not he fo eafily cafi off, hut will_clea~e r~ th~e in ~:r i_lli u~~~~.. rhy bdi obedience, till the day of thy perfectiOn corn<. But I fpeak,of groiS and w.tful fin . fuch as verfif!i~as "' then c•n}l forbear, if thoube butjincmry (though Imperfectly ) wrlrng. parit<c e.pc- ; funt, volup-; t:w:m & pr:rmi:t ~inutis ? raMJ. Teneb!t.te_ Di_a~ol~1 fub _fpecie li~n:uis :tddifium, ut Gt 6?jliberurit p~c~re; !'onv~v~re: G:lp~ •ivum re wtet a~uhor fcelerum,co~pedes ubt hb~Jtms Impofutt, & undtq; re fepfir armau. _cufiod1.:1 ; le&em nb1 deduut hc1tUW. p\l.tet ~mn~ 'luod nonJicct:, & vivum tc m reternx morm., foveam demerfit. HI,(,O Etbaiartus d( Allll1fttr. rtgrcjfo, cap. 9• Hall thou been a prophane Swearer or Cur-fer, or ufed to take Gods name i~ vain, Or ufed toback~ biting, flandering, lying, or to ribald filthy talk : It is in thy power to forbear thefe fi~s, if thou be btlt wiL'ing: S::ty not, I fall i~to them through cuflome beforeI am. aware: For t~at .Is a flgn that thou art not fincerely willing to torfake them. If thou were truly pemtent, and thy wtll fincerely oppo · flte ro thefe fins thou wouldll be more tender and fearful to otfend, and refolved a~ainft them, and. make a greater :natter of them, and abhor them, and not commit them, and fay I did it before I was aware: No more than thou wouldll fpit in the face of thy Father, or cur(e thy Mother, or flander thy deareft friend, oc fpcak Treafon againft the King, and fay, I did it through cullome before f was aware. Sin will not be fo played wuh by thofe that have bcen foundly humbled for It, and refolvcd againft it. . . . . 9· 3· Hall thou been a Drun...rd! or 'tipler, fpcndmg th~ prec1ous hours m an Alehoufe, pratmg ovCr a Por in rhe company of fooldh tcrnpung finners : It JS m thy power tf thou be truly JPtUmg t<? do fo no ~ore. If thoulovt and choofe fuch company, and places, and actions, and difcourfe, how ,canfi thou fay thou m wiCi11g to forfake them, or that thy heart is changed? If thou do not love and cboofe them, how caofi thou commit them, when none compells thee ? Noone carrieth thee to the place: No one forceth thee to fin: If thou t1o it, it is becaufe thou wilt tlo it, and lovej! ;,. If thou be in good earneil with God, and wilt be faved indeed, and art not content to part with Heaven for thycups and company, away with them prefently without delay. §. 4· Haft thou lived in wantonnefs, fornication, uncleannefs, gluttony, gaming,, pafiimes, fenfuali– ty, to the pleafing of thy fle01, while thou hall difpleafed God. 0 blefs the Patience and M<:r<y of .the Lord, that thou wall not <Ut offall this while, and damned for thy fin before thou didll repent! At.xl, as thou lovefi thy foul, delay. no longer; but makea fiand, and gono further, not one fiep fur... ther, in the way which thou knoweflleads to Hell. ~f thou knowell that this is the way IQ thy dam• nation, and yet wile goon, what pity doll thou defervefrom God or man? §. )• If thou have been aCovetous Wordling, or an Ambitious feeker of hrmoHr or prtfirment in the world, fo that thy gain, 0 1' rijing, or repHtation, h-ath been the game whic:h thou haft tollowcd, and hath taken thee up infiead of God and Jife eternal ; away now with thefe known deceitS, and hunt not after Vanity andVexation: Thou knowefi before hand what it will prove when thou hall overtaken ir, and hall enjoyed all that it can yield thee; and how ufelefs it will be as to thy comfort or happi• ncCs at Jail. §· 6. Surely ifmen were ..iCing, they are able to forbcar fuoh fins, and to make a !land and look betou: them, to prevent their rnifery : Ther~fore G.od. t~us pleadeth with _them, lfa. 1 • ;6, 17 , 1 g. fY.;jlJ )'Ou, mak,_t you clean, put away the evtl of your tkmgs from before mme eyts; ctafe tr~ do evil learn t11 do well, &c. Ifa. 55 2, 3· Wherefore do ye fpend mmey f or that which Unot brtatl; a,d you; labour fnr th&t which [ati4Jietb not ? Hearl{,en diligently unto me, and eqt )t that which is gOJ}(l, qnd let yt~xr folfl delight it frlf infatnrfs : Incline your ear, andcome unto me, hear t~nd) your fowljhafL.live., and I wiU mai(y .,, evcrlafting Covenant witb you. V. 6, 7· S"lr,.ye the Lord whileh• may be found : CaU )'Cupon him while be is near: Let the.wick!d forfak._e his way, and the unrighteoJH man bH thoughts, aml ltt him rctttrn untathe Lord, and ht will have m.ercy upon him; and '? oH,r God, for he will abundantly pmkn : Chrift fuppofeth that the forejigbt of judgement may. reflram men from fin, when he faith, Sin no more, lejt a wor[e thing come unto thee, John 5· 14· & 8. 1 l · Can the prefence ofmen reflrain a r·ornicaror ; and the prefence of the Judge reftcain a Thief, yea, or the for,efight of. the ~ll:rzes? And fhall not the prefence of God, with the forefight of judgement and damnation reftrain thee? Remember rhat itnpeniwzt Ji1' and damnatiiJn are conjoyned. If you will caufe one, God wiil caufe theother. Choofi one, and youjT~aUnotcho'!{ewhether you will have the .llber. Ifyou r;>iUhave the Str· pent, you jhaU have the fling. Direction r 5· IF thou bavefincerery given up thy [elf to God, and confentttl " bit Covenant jherr> it v· a 5 by turning the face of tbytndea1Jnurs andconvtr{ation qHiteanotberwa,b and by[tek; trt • 1 • ing Heaven more ferventry and diligently, than ever thou foughtejl the world, or jltjhly pleajurer. §. I• Holinefs confifieth not in a meer forbearance of a fenfual lifc, but prindpally in livingJ<Hto God. The principleor heart of Holinefs is within, and confifleth in the Love ofGoJ and of his Word and W'ayer, and ScrvaltiJ, and Hon~ur~ a~d ~nter.cft in rhe wor!d, and in the fouls d~ligbt in Gt~d,1 and. r~e 1-f/fJrd and 1Vayu of God~ and m 1ts mclmauon ~o'!ards h1m, and defire after him, andcar.e to p!eaft h1m, and loth.efs to, offend h1m. The expr<ffion of It m our lives, confifteth in,the oonllant diligent exerci{e of this internal life, according to the directions of the Word of God, If thou be a. belicver and hall fubjecteq thy fclfro God, as thy a?folute Soveraign King and Judge, it will then be thy work to obey and pleafe htm, as a Ch1ld hiS Father, or a Servlfht his Mafler, M.r. ,. 6. Do you think:
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