·I Vht CtJtrruption ifthe ll'il!. State rr. they are at ordinances, they are, a' Doeg, detained bifore the Lord, I Sam. xxii . 7. Evid. 3. Confider how the will of the natur,altnan ·doth rebel t,lgainfi the light, Job xxiv. ·I 3. Light fometimes~nters in, heca•ufe he is not able to hold it out: hut he /otJeth •ark'nefi rather than light . · ~sometimes · by ·,the force of trqth the outer-door of the unde rflaodiog i.s broken up ; but the inner•door of the will remains ,fafi ·· bolted. Th€n lnfis rife againll light; corruption and confcienceencounter, and fight as in the field of battle; till corruption getting the upper b-and, confdence is forced to give the ·ba.ck: convie-: tions are murdered; and truth is made and held ;prifaner, fo thU it can ct eate no •more difhi rbance. ·\Vhile the word is preached oi read, er the r'od ·of God is ~·pen the natural 'mant fometimes convifrions are darted in on him, :md his fpirit is woonded, in greater or ·ldfer meafure; but thefe convictions not being able to make ·him faH, !. he runs a1{'ay with the a~rows fl:icking in his.conf.ci t~oce; and at length, one way or other_, ,gets them out, and licks .himfelf whole again. l'hus, while the light fhines, men nat.ur•lly ~ver.fe to it, wilfully fhut their eyes : till God ·is provoked to blind them judicially, and they become proof againft the word · and providences·too: fo_rhev may gowhere theywill, they can fit at eafe: the re ,is never a word from heaven to thefn, that go-:: th deepe r than into their ears, Hof. iv. 17· Epbra– ·h>J iJ j oined lo idols, let him •a!otte. ·Evid. 4• Let 'us obferve the refifiance made by eleCt fou'!s, when the Spirit of the Lord is at work to bring them fro~ the ·prnJJ(r ofSat''an unto God. Zion's king gets no fubjeC:ts but by (hoke of fword, in thrJ day of his power, Pfal. C{' · 2. ·g. None come ·to him, btat fuch as are drawn bya divine hand, John vi. 44 .; Whe~ the Lord comes to the foul, .be .,finds the !hongman keeping the houfe>·and a .deep peace.and fecur ity the re, while thle foul is fa!t afleep in ·t:hedevil's arms. But the prey mufi he tP.'ken from the mighty, and·the cttpt-iv~ delivered. Therefore the Lord awakens the fiQQer, opens his eyes , ·and Hr ikes him ·with terror, while t>he douds are black abol! e·his head , and the "fword of vengeance i.s held to his·breafl:, Now he is at oo fmall pains 'to put a fai r face on a black heart ; to ·{hake gff his fea (s, to make head againfl: them, an• to divert himfdffrqm thir.kiogon the unp!eafant ' ai!d
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