By the Crofs of Chrifi. 165 you as you love your falvation ; and fear the fnare. The great enemy of your fouls bath not baited his hook with fo curious and coftly a bait for nothing. The cautelous fifh chat is afraid to (wallow, yea or ro tafte,or to come neer till he knows what is under it, Both lave his life, when that which boldly ventures and fearlefslydevoureth the bait, is deftroyed. its notfor no- thing t hat Solomonchargeth the manthat ss given to hs appetite, to put his knifeto his throat at a feaß,and nit to be deJrous of the dainties which are deceitfull, ProV. 23. r, 2, 3. A prudent man forefeath the evil ( even when it is covered with the pie fantelt bait,) and%behidethhimfelf andelcapeth, when thefmple pa(- feth on and is punifhed, Prey. 22. 3. It is part oftbe description ofthe fenfual apoftates in 7uáe r 2. that in their feafts , they fc.l themfelves withoutfear. And it is as dangerous a thing to cloath your felves wi bout fear, to leek after wealth and honours with- out fear, to poffels your houles and lands without fear; to lee any thing tints carnally pleating to you or hear your own prayfeswithout fear; when other men mull needs have things to their will, do yòu Rudy your duty, and let the will of God be your will, and ifhe giveyou a plentiful eftate without feeking it, or giveyou reputation and the praife ofinen without your affe- cting it ; receive them not without fear ; Think withyour felvec, 1. What a fnare is _herenow for my foul ? Though it begood in it fell, and as it comes fromGod, yet what an advantage bath the Deceiver hereagainft me ! How eafily may fuch a car- nal heart as mine be enticed to the inordinate loveof thefe, and to be more remits about higher and greater things, and tobe forgetful or infenfible about the mattersof my ecdlefs flare ! Howmany men of worldly wifdom, yea how many that feemed Religious have been thusdeceived , and perifhed before me ? Yea this is the common road to hell ! And is it not time for me then to look about me 1 ] The old Chriftians were fo jealous of the world, and afraid ofbeing mortally poyfoned by its delights, that they fold what they had, and gave to the poor , and volun- tarily thruft themfelves into poverty, as thinking it better to go poor to heaven, then to fayin Hell, that oncethey had riches I commend not any extream to you for indeed I have ever thought that its greater felf- denyal to devote and ufe our riches for Vod, then at once to calf them away or Phut our hands of Y 3 them ;
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