Temptations wl>;ch hinder Con~erfton, ivith their 11\fmedies. §. 45 . DirclJ. 22· But if men are rcfolved to joyn with the D ;:vil, and !hut their eyes, an~ cavil DireCt. 22. againh all that God fpeaketh to them to prevent their.mifery,_ an~ know ~o~, bec.mfe they -:v1ll not •. ow what remedy is left or who can fave men agamll thetr W1lls ? 1hu J-J the cJndemRatz_on, th<Jt ;.n ht i~ comt imo the WDrid, ~nd men loved:trk,.nefl rather tban lij!.ht, becaufo their dredJ art evil. He ,;;, d~th evil h.ltetiJ tbe light, mithcr comuh to the light, le(l hii deed1 jho~tld be rtproued. John 3· 19,20. In Scripture,/ome tbings are h:zrd to be unde_r{food, which they tb.Jt are unle~mcd and rmjlable, wrcjl to their own dtjlruDion, 2 Pet. 3• J6, Of paru~ulars read the end ot my_1reatifo o{Conuerfion. . . 9· 4 6. .TemJ:·_23· 1ea, s.atan will dohu wo:ft to ':'ake t~enc H_erettck.f, ~nd t~acf1 them f?rne d~~m_e Tempt. 23 • ofli.ccr.tiozrfnefs jmtab_le ta tbtzr lujli ·:Its hardb_c·mg wzck,Jd jltU agamft Confctcnce m !be ofen ltght: Tln1n k,jck,jng againjt the pnckf: tOo fmartmg work, to be eajily born: Tberefore the _Devtl ~tU m:~k_e them a Religion which j11~ll pleafe them, _and _do their jin1 !'o h~rm : Either aRc~igion mJde ttp of Iooft Opini· tms, li~e t/Je Famihfis, Ranters, L1berunes and An~mom1a~1s (and t~e Jefu1~cs tou much); or elfe madt up of trijlingfi!Tmalitiu, and a great deal of bodzly exercife and Stage~aDmgi aud ~omplemem, aJ muc~ oftbe Popij1J devotim is: And a liNiewiUdraw a canralhe~rt to btliive a Ctlrn.Jl dtJarme: !tJ t.t.(ier to get [uciJ am:w Religion, than anew hearr. Andthm the V evtl teUJ tbem th.:Jt now tbej are m the nght W.1J', and therefore tluy Jha11 be [.wed. -Agreat part of t!u world think.. their caft i1 go~d, becau{e they are of focb or Jitcb a Seer, or Parry, and ofthat wbich ( tbeyare told bytbeir Leaderr ) " the rrue Church and w•Y· · .. 9· 47· Direfl. 23· But remember that what ever Law yor< make to your[tlvn, God w~lljudge Dirc/1. 23 , you by his own Law. Falfifymg the KmgsCoyn tS no good way to pay a debt, but an addttJOn of 'Irea{on to your former miferr. It is a new and a boly heart and life , and not a newCreed, or a new Church or SeC! that is necdTary ro your falvation. lr will never faveyou to be in the[oundejf Church en earth, if )'OU be uufi und in it your fe/vu; and are but the duft in the Temple that mull: be (wept out: Much lets will it fave you, to mai(,e your felvu a Rule, becaufe GodJ Rule cloth feem too Hricr. y.48. Tempt. 24-. Amtberway ofthe Tempter i1, to draw men to t.;~e up witiJ meer Convit!ions, Tempt. 24• infleJZd of trueConverfion: when they havt but lenrnt that it i1Necelfuy to Jalv.Jtion, to be Regenerau, and havt the Spirit ofChrift, they are a1 quiet, as if thiJ wue indeed to be regenerate, and tQ have the Spirit : AI fome thin~{_ they have attained to perfeCl:ion, when they have but received the opinion that perfeCtion may lure be bad; JOabundance think.. tbty have fanCt-itication and forgivenefs, becaufe now t1Jey fee tbat they rnufi be had, and without fanaification therei1 HO fatvation: And thJM the knowledge of aUGrace andDutyJhali f!.O wit~ them for the grace and duty it .fclf; and their judgement of tfJe thing, inftead of the poffcffion of it • and in.Jle!td of having grace, they force them{elva to believeth~t they have it. . . . 9· 49· DirdJ. 24· But remember God wtii not _be mocked : He knoweth a convmced head from Dirdl. 2 4-. 3. holy heart : To think you are Rich, will not make f.OU rich: To believe that you are well, or to know the remedy, is not enough to make you weiJ. You may dream that you eat, and yet aWake huogry : Ifa. 29· 8. All the Land or money which you fee is not therefore your own. To know that you lhould be holy, maketh your unholinelS to have no excufe : Ahab did not fcape by believing that he lhould return in peace: Sdf-flattery in fo great and weighty a cafe, is the greatell folly. Ify ou i(,naw t!Jtji thiHgJ, bappy are >ye if yo~< dothtm, John 13. 17· §. 50. Tempt. 2 5· Anotlxr grw 1emptation it, by biding from men the imrinficl(, evil and odiouf- 1empt. 2 5 ; nefi offin. What harm (faith the Druni(,ard, and Adulterer, and voluptuour Senfualij!J ) iJ there in aU thU., that Preacher I mak._e fo great ado agliinjt it l 1JThat burt U thiJ to God or ma1t l that they would m'/(! U< believe we muj! be damned for it, and that Chrij! dyed for it? and that the Holy Ghoft mul1 mortifie it? When-fore, fay the Jewt, Jtr. 16. 10· hath God pronounced all rhis great evil againll us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our fin that we have comm_itted-He t"at k.._noweth not GodJ ~zoweth not n·hat fin againft God i1 : efpeciaUy when the Love ofit, and Delight in it hlindetb them. ~· SI· Dire[l. 25. AgainO: this I intreat you to ponder on thofe forty intrinfecal evils in fin, which n· {1 · I have after named, Chap. 3· Vir. 8. 9· 16. and the aggravations, 9· 17, 18. If the Devil can but "' ' 2 5• once pcrfwade you, that fin if harmleji, all Fai1h, all Religion, all Honefly, and your fouls and all are gone. For then all Gods Laws and Government mufi be fictions: Then there is no work for Chrifi Pf:tl. 40 • 12 • as a Saviour, or the Spirit as a Sanctifier to do : Then all Ordinances and Means are troubleforne Va~ Pfsl. s t. nities: and Godlincfs and Obedience deferve to be banifhed from the earth as unnece1Tary troublers of mankind ; Then may this poyfon be fafely taken and made your food. 'sue 0 how mad a conCeit is this 1 How quickly will God make the proudefi know, what harm it was to refufe the Government of his Makrr, and fee up the Goverment of his beafily appetite and mifguided will! and that fin is bad, if Hell be bad. 9· 32. Ttmpt. 26. 'the De>il alfo temptetb them to thin~(,, tbat though thty fin yet their goodworkf 2' 'i" 6 are a compenfotion for their bad; and therefore theypray and do fime atJJ of Pharifai~al devotion tl mak,.e em • 2 • God amend1 for what they do amiji. ' 9· 53• Direfl. 26. Againfi this confider, that if you had never fo many good works they are all v· f1 6 but your duty ; and make no fatisfadion for your fin. But wflat good workf can you,do that {hall trt ' 2 • fave a wicked foul! and that God will accept without your HtartJ! Your hearumull be firfr cleanfed Sec Prov.1.S 9 and your felves devoted and fand-ified to God: ' For an evil Tree ~ill bring forth evil fruit! Firfi Prov.1 p.6.8. make the Tree good, and the fruit will be good! It is the Love ofGod and the hatred of fin and Prov. 2 L 2 7· a holy and heavenly l_ife which are the goodwor~J that God chiefly ~a1!eth' for; and Fait!J, and R.epm. lfa.t. IJ.I<{. lance, and Convcrfion m order to thefe: And will God take your l1p-labour, or the leavings of your F fteth
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=