Temptations w/,ic/, hinder [Oifverfion, witl> tl>eirrJ\gmedies. fkfh by way ofalms, while the world and flefi1ly pleafurchave your hearts? Indeed> you do no work that's truly good ! The matter may be good: but you poyfon it with bad Principles and Ends. 'Ibt c;r;tal miud i1 f!OI Jitbjefr to the Law of God, nor indeed cJn Le ; but iJ enmity to God Ram. 8. 6, 7· • 1'unpt. 2j· §. 54· Tempt. 27· Som~ are ttmptrd to think._, that God wiU 110t condemn them bccau{t tb<y are poOr ~nd aJifiUcd in tbiJ lift., tmd bave their jilfferingl here: And that he that condemnetb the ricb for nvt fhen; . w.~ merry tti tbe poor, rvtll himfelfjherv them mercy. Diu(i. 27· §. )5· Dirrlf. 27. Hath he not fl1ewed you mercy? And is it not mercy which you vilifie and re~ fuie? Even Cbrill, and his Spirit, and holy communion with God ? Gr mull: God (hew }'ou the mer.. cy of Glory, without the mucy of Grace ? Which is a contradiction : Strange, that the fame men that will not be intrcatcd to accept of mercy, nor let it fave them, are yet faying, that God will be merciful and fave them. And for your poverty and foffcrinJ!., is it not a~ail# your wiU,? You cannot deny it: And will God fave any n\an,_ for that which is againft /,U wiU,? You would have riches, and honour, and pkafure, and your good thmgs in this life as well as others, if you could tell how: You love the wmld as well as others, if you could get more of it. And to be carnal and worldly .for fo poor a pittance, and t6 love theworld when you foffcr in it, doth make you more unexcufahle thaq the rich. The Devil.r have fi•ffmd more than you ; and fo have many thoufand fouls in Hell : And yet they !hall be faved . b never Chc more. If you are poot in the world, but ricb in faith, and holineji, then you may weU s=~He ;~~·6> cxpe<l: falvation, Jamu2. 5· But if your fufferings make you no more h1ly, they do but aggravate ~.~ ~ill~ ' 'tempt. 2 g, 9· 56. Tempt. 28. Alfo the Dtvil blindeth jinnm, by k,eeping them itnurant of t/>e nature and power ofFI1hm{! ofbedrl and. life. ! 1/uy Je:ow it not by any rxperience : And IJe will not let tbem fee it and jRdge nfit ii1 tbe Scripture, rrhere it if tobe fcen withou't any mixedconttarirJ; bztt be point! them 01tly to profefforJ ofboiiJrr[I,aJtd commo11iy to the weal<..eft and the worjf Rfthem,and tn that which i1 worjf iu tbem, and jherc.ith them the mifcarriages of hypocritu, and tbe {aU1 of the wea~r fort ofChrijfi;m, t~nd then tells them, ThiJ i1 their Godlincfi and Religion. ' 1'hey are all ali~. Direft. 28. §. 57· Direl1. 28. But it's caGe to fee, how thefe men deceive and condemn themfelvcs. This is as if you fhould plead that a Beaft is wifer than a man, bccaufe fome men arc drunk, and fome are p~ffionarc, and fome are mad. Dru.nkJnnefs and paffio;u wbich are the dillurbances ofReafon, ar.e l'lo dtfgrace toReafim, but to themfclves: Nor were they a difgrace themfelves, if Ria{on which they h,in– der Were .not honou,rable. So no mans fins are a difgrace to Holinefs, which condemneth them: nor were they bad themfclves, if holinefs were not good, .which they oppofe. It is no difgrace to the day-light or Sun that there is >tigl1t and dari(;trfr: Nor were dark,nefi bad, iflight were not good. Wifi you refufe health, becaufe fome men are fick? Nay, will you rather choofC to be dead, hecaufe the living have infirmities? The Devils reafoning is footifher than this ! Holinefs is ofabfolute nccefficy to falvation: Ifmany that do more than you, are as bad as you iroagine,. what a cafe then are you in, that have not near fo much as they ? if they that make it their greatefi care to pleafe God and be faved, are as very Hypocrites as the Devil would perfwade you, what a hopclefs cafe then are you in, that come far fltort of them' If fo, you mufi domore than they, and not lds, if you will be Caved ! Or elfe out of your own mouths will you be condemu6d. '1t»tpt. 29· 9· sS· Tempt. 29· Anotber way of the 'tempter if, by dra.,ing them dc[perately to Vtnlllrt theirfoul!; Come on the'JJ what wiY, they'le put it to tbe venture, rather than live fo jlriCJ a lift· Dire[/. 29 . 9· 59· Dirc[J. 29· But, 0 man, confider what 1thou dofi, and 'l'ho will have the lofs of it! and how quickly it may be too late to recall thy adventure! What lhould put thee on [o mad a refolu– tion ? Is fin fo good ? Is Hell fo eafie ? Is thy foul fo contemptible ' Is Heaven fuch a trifle ? Is God [o hard a Mal\et ? Is his work fo grievous, and his way Co bad ? Doth .he require any thing unreafo– nabJe of you? Hath God [et you i\,tch a grievous task, that it's better venture on damnation, than perform it? You cannot believe this, ifyou believe him to be God. Come near, and think more deliberately on it, and you will find you might better run from your food, your friend, your life, than from your God, and from a holy life, when you run but into fin and Hell. 'ftmpt. 30 . 9· 6o. Tempt. 30. Another great 'temptationi<, in mai(jng thtm btlitvt t/,.t their jin1 are hut fucb common infirmitiu aJ the beft havt: They cannat deny but they havt thtir faults :, but are not. aU men finnerJ ! They hope that they are not reigning unpardomdfin/. VireQ. 30• 9· 61. Dire{]. 30. But 0 how great a differenct is between a convettul and an unconturted finner! between the failings of a Child, and the contempt of a Rebel! betwten a finner that hath no grofs or mortal fin, and hateth, bewailcth, and firiveth againfi his infirmities; and a finner that loveth his fin, and is loth to leave it, and maketh light of it, and loveth not a holy life. God will one day lhew you a difference between thefe two, when you fee that there are finners that are juftified and faved, and finnen that are condemned,
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