leads to it, mu}I fe fought in the ftrfl place. The highell Valuations, the moll inflam'd AffeCtions, the moll vigorous and conllant Endeavours are due to Heaven. Now the Minds and Faculties of Men are limited, and cannot with intenfe and equal Ardency applythemfelveS'to various ObjeCts. If the World be the mainObjeCt of their Care and Counfel, the Vigor of their leading ~nd inllrumental Faculties will be lefs free and aCtive for Heaven : And from hence 1t IS, that the Affms and Engagements of this :n~~tti~~0t~~=i;at;~~ ttl~:;l~ffenno~:e~~r~fre~,n ~!of~eh;i~nAle"lti~~s~iaJ~~ :~~fr ~~~ deavours to obtain it: they opprefs their Spirits, ingrofS their Time, tl1at they have no lcifure to work out tbe~r own Salvation: They m:1ke them recepttve .of many Temptations which wound their Souls to Death (or ever. The conllant Spnng of the Sins and Mife;y of Men is from hence, they have forgot the regular ufe of the Creatures, as Means and Motives of their afcending to God; they underiland not the Rule of Wifdom, to make Temporal Things fubordinate to Eternal; they have loll the happy Temper of ~~:;:~Ufo~l~~li~~cf ~~fy~fer~~dn~ ti;.f:~~;~~~~~i!fi:~he;;f~~i~c~~e!redv~u1~r~~: ture, That the Friends of the World are the Enemies ofGod, and that the Love of the World is inconfiflent with the Lo·ve of the Father. 'Tis a moll dangerous Sm, being fo hardly di{.. cernable, and hardly cur'd: for the more appearance there is of Reafon and the lefS of Senfuality in a Sin, tho more it iufinuates and prevails. We ufiially judg of Sins by the Foulnefs of the external ACt, but the Guilt of it principally arifes from its inward Contrariety to God. The Love of the World dethrones God in the Hearts of Men 1 other Sins difhonour him in breaking his Laws, this reproaches him as lcfs worthy of our Refpeets. Wh,en it has free Dominion, it will as certainly, tho filently, dellroy the Souls of thofe who are of a fm Reputation m the Eyes of Men, as the Riots of notorious Sinners will be their Ruin. 2dly. ThecorruptWorld, thofewhoarelliled the Children of this World, by their Example, and by their Oppofition, are Obllacles in the way to Heaven. ( 1.) By Example: for the broad Way IS beaten by the Multitude, and few firive to enter in at thejlrait Gate that l.aJs to Eternal Lif•. Now Men eufuy receive the Imprellion of Example. Of this there is palpable Evidence; for whenSins are common, the Numbers of the Guilty dimimfh the Senfeand Shame of the Guilt. ButifConfcience be fometimes unquiet, they fmother the Sparks ofConviCtion in their Brealls, and make a refolute Reckonmg they fhall be In no worfe COQdltiOn than others. Miferable Comfort! as if one tortur'd on a R•ck could receive any' Mitigation of his Pains by the fight of many others fuffering the fame Torture. So contagious are the Fathions and Manners of the World, that a .Principal end of our Saviour's Death was to deli-ver G•l. , ; us from this prefent evrl World: that IS, not from the Place, but from the depraved State, and finful PraCtices of the Men of the World. The Apoflle Peter remembers Believers Te know thatye are not redeemed with corruptible things, as Sil11er and Gold, from your 'Vai; 1 Prt. 1. CotMJerfation, received by Tradition frompmr Fatben ; hut with the precious Blood ofChrift as of a Lamb withont Blunifh andwithout Spot. So deep was the Pollution, it could only be wafh'd out in that precious Fountain. The Principles and Ways of the World have a mighty Influence to blind and harden Men in Conformity to them. The Heathen Idolatries and Impurities were continued fo long in the World, being commended and ellablifh'd by publick Cullom: and accordingly the Apoflle tells the Ephefians they in time pafl walked according to the courfe o{ tlu World. ' Now to apply this more clofely to the prefent SubjeCt: 'tis vifible by the Converfation of Men in the World, that their Aims, their Appetites, their Endeavours are termi• nated in the World : their Souls cleave to it, the Train and Tendency ol their A<'lions leads to it. A fuperlicial TinCture of Religion, a Complemental Vifit ro God tometimes in publick Worlhip, contents the moll; ·but their Thoughts, their Time and Strength are fpent to obtain and enjoy the preCent World; for 'us eileem'd their main lntereft, and Heaven is only fou!'lht by the by, as an Acceflion t~ their Felicity, Now we uCually approve and. effe<'l thmgs accordmg to common Opmwns and PraCtice, th 9 unreaConable and exorbitant. The Pfalmtll fpeakmg of the gathenng uncertain Riches obferves, this their way is their FoUy, yet their Poflerity approve their Sa)'ings; th~§ imi: Pial. 41 tate the Folly of their Progenitors, tho fatal to them. Men are vain in their Minds and fecure in their Sins, by Conformity to the numerous Examples that encompafs them. Nay, a regenerate Man by converfing with the unregenerate World is in danger to be tainted in his Judgment, and to be irregular in his AffeCtions to E~rthly ~h~~~ldl~~~cdfe~~i~~~c~~::,;fs ~~~k!~;"a~~ f~a~~~etf:'~~~~0~h:,"na~~~~~~~f~~~ Znz~ ably
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