By the Graft of Chrito but if once they begin to fay, [ It iethe voice of a god, andnot of a man. j No wonder if he be fmitten by the hand of Divine vengeance , and he that would be a God , become thé foodof worms ; and God Phew them what a God they had magnified that cannot keep the lice or worms from eatinghim alive. God ufeth to pour contempt upon Princes, when they will not know and fubmit to the everlafting King. He taketh himfeif as en- gaged to break down all that would ufurp his honoursand tumble down the Idols of the world ; therefore hath he alway foab- horred the two grand abominations, Pride and Idolatry , above other fins : For he will not give his glory to another : He will not withpatience hear it fpoken of an Idol , [ Theft are thy Gode O Ifrael, that brought thee our of Egypt: ] The firft Command- ment is not meerly a precept for fome particular a& of obedi- ence, as are the ref} : but it is the fundamental! Lawof God, eftablifhing the very Relations of Soveraign and Subject: And as this is the firft and great command , and that which virtually containeth all , [ Thou Jhalt have no other Gode before me] or, [ Thou Jhalt love the Lord thy God Withall thyheart..] So he that breaketh this is guilty of all. When the Parent of the world would needsbecome as god, he made himfeif the (lave of the Devil. You fee then I hope fufficient reafon why the world muff be abhorred and crucified, when it is made an idol, and would be- comeour God ; andwhy this Crucifixionof it is-of abfolute in- difpenfable neceflity to falvation. If it had kept its place and di- ftance,and would have beenonly a dream from the infinite pow- er, and wifdom, and goodnefs, and a Meffenger to bring us the report of his excellencies, and a book in which we might read his name, and a glafs in which we might fee his face , then might we have efteemed and magnified it : But when the. Devil and the fíefh will make it their bait to draw away our hearts from God., and to flea! that love, delire, and care, which is due to him, and begin to rdl us of Reft, or Satisfadion, or Felicity here, its time to cry our , Crucifie it, crucifie it. When it would infìnuate it t fell into our boom, and get next our hearts, and have our moft delightful and frequent thoughts, and become. fo dear ro us,thae we cannot be without it when it is the very thing that our minds are bent upon, and that lifts us up. when we have it , and C 3 cafts.
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