( 34) or reputation of a wife man, that bath rio t wit ·enough to fcape– er:ernal fire ? nor wit enough to forbeu laying hands upon hirn– felf,and doing all this againfl: his own foul ?'\Vhat think you,is not the cafe here plain enough ? Be not o·ffendcd if I fpeak yet plainlycr tO you; for in a cafe fo lamentable, how can we be too plain or fcrious ? Suppofe you .knew a Prince or Lord ~ that had an itch upon him , whith the Phyficion offereth fpeedily and eafily to cure; but he bath fo much pteafure in fcratching, that he doth not only refufe the c:ure,lefl'it deprive him of his delight, but he will give his ;King-– dom or Lordfhip to one that will fcratch him but a little while., though he be fure to live a beggar after it all his dayes. I put it to your felves, What nP~me you would give this man, or what dl:ecm you would have of him : Do you think that an1 ungodly worldlJ 1er{on is -wi(er than thu man ? Alas their cafe is fo much 'Worfe , that tfuere isnocomp.trifon: They are more.fo9li.fh then your hearrs can now conceive, orthen I am able fully to exprefs. You have now che itch of Pride and Luft; and your throats mufi be pleafed in your mcau, anddrinlv ; and you itchafcer riches, and hono~tr, .and recreations; and Chrifl: telleth youby his Word, that thefe arebut your fick... defires, and that thepleajing of them tends to kill you ; and he offereth you for nothing,'a fafe , and certain ~ and fpeedy cure : But you refufe it, and will not hearken to him : . Youmuft be fcratcht whatever it cofi you : You m.ufl: have your riches, and honour , and fl.e!hly pleafure , as the felicity which you cannot part with,though it co!l: you your falvation. Though God be negleCted, and his favour loft, and your fouls be lofi,and theOm thingneedful eaU afide, you mufi have your carnal ima- . gi.nations gratifie<;l :And is this yol!lr wifdorn ? The Lord blefs us ., from fuch a .kind of wifdom. Yet this is not the.worfi t I will {hew you one firai n more of · the difiraction of the ungodly world. If thefe men do but fee .ne perfonof an hu~dred that are more diligent for He~ven then tarth, to fall into Jtfela,ncholy·-, or difirefs of fo1:1l ; or fuppo~e it were into fome lofs ·.of rea.fon ; they prefently cry out agamft R~ligion, and flriilneft, and prer:ifenefs, and making fo rnBch ado · to be faved ; and fay it is the way to makj men mad: Hence comes the proverb of the Papifl:s [ SpiritHJ {al't!inianm eft ·JPiritru- ., melancholicus J ; and of the prophane amon,g our felves , £hat [ ~A P~r:itll,ne _id i PrQffjfJtt~t frightned ou_t of hiJ ..wits]: They : . . ·-- ... ·- ..-- " ·- - . ' - -- - da..r~ .:.
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