JB , The DoClrine if the S!ate I. ~heir fhan1c. There are others that fecretly a.p·prove ot re– ligion, and in religious company wlll prof~fs i_t; who, at other times, to he neighbonr~like,' are'athamed to own it; fo Weak ar,e. they, that they are blown over with the wind of t~e wicked'~ mouth. A broad laughter, an impious jeft, .a fi:Iy 'gibe, out of a profane mouth, is, to l'll;Jnyy an uoan~ fweraole argument againfi religion and ferioufnef~: for in. the caufe of religion, they are a.rjilly d~Jves without heart. 0 that fuch would confider that weighty word, ft!ark viii., 38.lfhofotvet· therefore jhallf!:~t ajhamed o.fme, andofmy ' words, in thif adulter_guJ.- andjirJul generation; of hi1R alfofhallthe Son o.fmcm beajhamedwben.hecomethinthc ~ glory of hi:r Fat-her, with th~holy angels. (3.) It reproves the proud felf- ·conceited profdfor, who admires b~mfelf in: Q girment be hath. pat'(l hed toge.ther of rag.s. There are n1any, who, when once they have gathered fome fc~apes of knowledge of religion, and have' attained to fome reforma– tion of life, do fwelt big with conceit of themfeJves ~ , a fad lign that the effects of the fallly fo heavy upon them, tha~ they have not as. yet come to themfelves, Luke )tV, I j. They have ey'es behind; to fee thei--r attainmenu ; b~tt no /eyes– wit4i_n, no e-yes before: lO f~e their wants, which wouf~ furely humble them: for true ~nowledge makes men to fee, both what once th-ey were, ~-and what they are at prefent; and ·fo is humbling, and will not fuffer them to be content with·any_me-afure ofgrace attained; but puts them on to pr.efs: for~ar~,fo~~etting the dings that are behind, _Phii. iii. 1 3:. 1 4· Byt thofe men are fuch a fpecracle of co.mrmferatwn, as · one would be that had (et his pat<~ce on fire, and were glory– ing in a cottage he had built for himfelf out of the rubhi!h,. tho' fo very weak, that it could not fiand againft a ftorn?. ' usE n I. O:f la:nentalion. H-er.e was: a {btely, ~u~ld ing;,. , man carved like a fair palace, but n0w lying in afh.es : let ns H'a-nd and lo0k on the ruins, and drop a: tear. This is a lamentatio-n, and fhall he for a lame!itation. Could we ~hufe hut to weep, if we faw our country r~ined, and.turn.– ed by the enemy into a wildemefs. ? lf we faw onr houfe5 '()n fire, and our houfeholds peJifhing in the flameS'?- But all this comes far iliort of the difmal tight, man fal!en as , a . fiar from heaven, ' Ah ! may not we now fayr 0 that we: t'Wfre as in. -m~n.tbJ pqfi, when. ther.e were no fi~ins in ou1r nature,
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