Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .B39 1670

will not confeti that he thould love God with all his heart, and that Janice, Charity andSobriety are his duty ; and that hisfenfe fhould be ruledby his reafon, &c? The evidence be- fore given is not to denyed. And therefore fomething is marr'd in nature. Some enemy hath Ccduced man. And footle deplorable change bath befallen him. 6. Yea, if you had no great backwardnefs to this duty your (elf, confider what it muff off you faithfidy to perform ir, in fuch a malignant world as we now live in ? what envy andwrath, what malice and perfecution, what oppofition and difcouragements on every fide we muff expect ? üniver- fal experience is too full a proof of this. (Bcfdcs what it cofleth our reflrained flcfh.) 7. Proceed then to think further, that certainly God bath never appointedus fo much duty, without convenient Motives to perform it. It cannot be that he fhould make us more noble than the brutes, to be more 'inferable : Or that he fhould, make Holinef1 our duty, that it might be our lofs, or our cala- mity. Ifthere were no other life but this, and men had no hopes of future hsppindds, nor anyfears ofpuniíhment, what aHell would this world be ? Heart. wicttgdnefr would be but little feared ; nor heart -duty regarded : Secret fin againfi Princes, States, and all degrees, would be boldly committed, and go unpunifhcd (for themoll part.) The fins ofPrinces, and of all that have power to defeat the Law, would have little or no refiraint :. Every nuns intereff would oblige him, rather to offendGod, who Co feldom punifheth here, than to offend aPrince, or anynun in power, who feldom lets offences againfi himfelf go unrevenged : And fo man, more than God, would be the Ruler of the world, that is, our God. Nay ai'tually the hopes and fears of another life, among 'mofl Heathens, Infidels and Hereticks, is the principle of Divine Government, by which God keepeth upMolt of the order andvirtue which is in the world. Yea, think what you fhould be and do your feif; as to ene- mies, and as to fecret faults, and as to fenfual vices, if you thought therewere no life but this: And isit poflìble that the infinitely powerful, wife and good Creatour, can be put to govern all mankind, by meet deceit, and a courfe of lyes?/as if he wanted better moans ? By.

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