Jnduration. · As \Vater to.keo from the Fii"e, freezes fooner and harder, than if the thinner Parts had.never been eVaporated by the former f:Ieat; fo when Men are taken olt from rhe Fire of Affiietion, they are more confirmed in their vicious Coutfes than if rh( 2~ 1~<\;f[ei\;~~~~n~fll~~eaghter Srro~es, provokes God fometimes to bring more dreadfulJudgtllents.in this Lile upon Sinners. No Man can endure that his Love or ~~~:r~~~~J:t~ ~~~~:~~iw~~~;;!":':Ji;r;:;~~~in~~ th~~~~~u~''rl~e Pra~~~~~~~ 7j~~ Lcvlt. ,, • will not be reformed by theft .things, but wilt walk contrary unto me; Tben will [ a/fo walk I ' 3 ' '4i~~~s7~;;~~' a~f,~[{f.f;~!,f;;~~~:;~:::':t~J~~~ii'~be~fo;;~1 c!~?sg~l~~ei!:~~ · o f t hat Expailulation, Slu/1 owe take up t;S~atefrom tbeEarth, and have ·taken •otbi,ig, at. Am.S l· r. a!/1 Shall God remove his Judgments \yhileSmnernre carelefs a.nd uni·eformed, as if they might.be:final C!>nqueoors· over tbem.l no, he Wlll .mulr.ply and-gceiten them. It may be at fufr.God bfalls part of the Eflate, ·and the Sinner is not apprehenf!ve of his' Hand; then he .comes nearer and fnatches away a dear Relation: if fl:ill the Sinner is unaffeCted, ·he fl:<ikes liis Bo1y lvith a lingring, o.r acute D1feafe: if fiill he be not concern'd t<i..God's Difpleafure, he wounds his Spirit, .makes him fick in Senfe , and Confcienco1lo tho.fame time, fills him with Terror by. the RefleCtion upon his wicked }\lays, and ·the fare-fight of .that dreadful Tribunal befar.e which he mu(\ appear; fo that altho he c~nnot live, he dare not d1e; tho his Ea rthly Tabernacle be ready to f•ll upon hini, h'e is:a£-aid w go out and meet thefupreme Judg: and li this dothnot work a fincerethQrow·Change, God ~.afts him int~ Hell to the Company of t~e Gi~nts, thofe Prov. 1t. 11. bold Rcbels .thatfought ~g'!tnfi God. Dnefly,. as. under the Law, an mc~rng i ble Son t:hat negle&ed:hxs y athers R~proofs, was.to d1e \':ttho~·t Mercy,; fo an un~efonned Sin- vid M,r. nerwho kicks·-agamft the Pneks, and refufes to fubm1~ to·Gods CorreCbons, fhall be f~' 1a cut off in (1is Obllinacy; Jullice "~11 proceed to Excif!oil, and ACts ..of Vengeance a- ' gainfihim. - i . . :. . ( 3 . faintihg under Chafie~wgs1s pernrc10us to Sufferers: for 1t renders them lltterly indifpofed for the Performance of Duty, and uncapable of recctvmg the Comforts' proper for an ~fflieted State. . . , 1jl. It renders them utterly indifpo!Cd for the performance df D.iuy. Hope draws fort h all the aCtive P_owers of the Soul; 'tis_ the great Motive to Dthgence, an·d Iiifirument of Duty. Defpa.r, hke extremity ot Cold that checks the Sprmg, ~nd binds u·p the Earth that its Fruits cannnot appear, hinders the free Exercifc of Relfon and Grace and cuts the Sinews of Obedience. He that is hopelefS ofa good Iffue out of Trouble/ will neither repent, nor pray, nor reform, but indulges barren Tears infiead of reai Duties. Befides, -it often falls out, that the fame AffliCtion is lent from God's Difplea!ure up- ·On his People for thm Sms, and IS the EffeCJ: of the Rage of Men againfi them upon the account oftheirprofeiling his Name. Such is the Wifdorn and Goodnefs ofGod, that by the fame fiery Tnal he may refine hts Servants from the1r Drofs and Impurities, and render theGlory of the Gofpel more confPicuous. T he Hatred of Religion, and a blind Fury may tranfport Men to ACts of Cruelty againfl: the Saints; but 'tis by tho permif.: fton of the univerfal Soveraign, wbo hath the Hearts of all in his Hands, and fuffers their Rage for holy Ends. The Enemy def!gns againfi their Faith, but God's Aim is to make them reform their Lives. Now if either through £\rang Fears, or the flinging fenfe of Troubles upon the ac;, count of Religion, ·our Courage fails, we are prefently in danger offa!ling away, and denying our Mafrer. The famt-hearted Perfon is uwally falfe-hearted, and for want of Refolution, being frighted out of his Confcience and Duty, choofes Sin rather than Suffering, and thereby juflly deprives himfelf of the Crown of Life, that is .promiC<d only ,to thofe who are faithful unto the Death. Beftdes, not only the lofs of Heaven, but the Torments of Hell are threarn'd again([ thofe who withdraw from the Service of God to avoid Temporal Evils. The fearful and unbelieving are in the front of thofe that jha/l Rev." · 1• ha~e part tu t}Je Lake ofFire and Bnmj/one, which is thefecond Death. Now what Folly is it when two Ev1ls are propounded, tochoofe thegreatefi; that is, Eternal Death rather than Temporal: and of two Goods to prefer the lefs; a fl1ort Life with its Conve, niences on Earth, befo:"C that which is eternally Glorious in Heaven 1 By which it ap~ pears how muoh it concerns us to fortify and lix 0\U: Minds by a fiedfafl: Belief of God's !upporting Prefence with us in all Troubles, and of his gracious Promife, that in due time we il~al !.reap ifwe !aint not in well-doing. Yyyy :>. zdly. They ·
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