39 The Prevalency ofSelfl(bnefs in allRelations. joyning themwith the bad I No : far be it from me to be fo in- jurious. For its evident that they can be no good men, nor have any true Love of God in their fouls, that are fuch in a predomi- nant fenie as I have here defcribed. It is not in my thoughts to lay this blame on any honed Godly MagiiIrate : for none but the ungodly would do as I have mentioned , and prefer them- felves before the Lord, and the bodies of men before the fouls. And, alas, if the Soveraign Powers of the Nations of the worldwere not too lick of the fame difeafe, gain would not be accounted Godlinefs, but Godlinefs the greateft gain : and car- nal Policie would not go for Piety, but true Piety would go for the fureft Policy : It would not be fo common in moll Nations to have theTruth and Caufe of Chrift difowned , and his fer- ants perfecuted, and their lives and blood to be made a facrifice to carnal Self and worldly interefts. Nor would the breaches of the Churches be fo longunhealed,and growwider and wider, and few much regard them but all have their own work to do which mull be looked after. Yea and the Caufe of Chrift and the Gofpel mull be trod down if it nand in the way of their own : And the Churches mull be let on fire by their wars and contentions for theirfelfifh interefls. And if Self were not too flrong among us, we thould not have had fuch connivance at dodrinal and pradical abominations, nor fomuch delay or neg- kd of healing the difcompofedChurches, and uniting thedi- vided Chriftians, or attempting it more effedually then we have done. But becaufe I defire to freak to none but thole that are within my hearing, I will return home to our felves. The holy orderingand inftrueting of families, and fupprefling fin in children and fervants,-is one of the moil effedual works, for the building up of theChurch, and the glory and flability of the Common-wealth. 0 if Parents and Mailers would but fan.. difie their houfes to the Lord, and teach their families the will and fear of God, and do their belt ( by puniihment, when in- ftrudionwill not ferve ) to hinder fin, how fail would Refor- mation then go on ? And what hindreth ? why carnal Self it were but for worldly commodities they would do more Would you have me prove ir ? Let experience freak. Let a fervane
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