The Epijile Dedicatory. ed and undone by Self. And conquer it you cannot without a coal : And the conflict muft endure as long as you live : And combating is not pteafing to the enemy : And therefore as long as fell' is the enemy, and felt-pleating fo natural to corrupted man , ( that fliould be wholly addicted to Pleafe the Lord ) self-denyai will proxie a difficult task : And if fomewhat in the advice that would engage you deeper in the contliel , fhould feem bitter or ungrateful, I thould not wonder. And let me freely tell you , that your profperity and ad- vancement will make the work fo exceeding difficult that fince you have been a Major General, and a Lord , and now a Councellor of State, you have flood in a more flippery perilous place , and have need of much. more grace and vigilancy, then when you were but Baxter's Friend Great places and employments have great temptations, andare great avocations of the mind from God. And no errour tcarcely can be fmall , that is committed in publike great affairs ; which the ho- nor of God, and the temporal and 1piritual welfare of io many, do, in fome fort depend upon. Theie times have toldus to our glief, , what violory and profperity can do, to ftrengthen the (elfifh principle in men : They have fwallowed Camels fince they-were lifted up, that would have (trained at Gnats in a lower ftate. The Miniftery, and Ordinances, and holy Communion that once were fweet to them , are grown into contempt. centaaryand Wormwoodare excellent helps to procure an appetite, and arengthen the ftomack ; but marrow and fweetuefs breed a loathing. The Vertiginous dif- eafe is not fo ftrong with them that are on the ground, as with them that ftand on the top of a fteeple. I had rather twenty times look up at them that are foexalted, ( b 2 ) then
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=