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4
Grace
Abounding
9:
¥e~-'
fuch prevalency had the Lufts
·~d
Fruits
of
the
FleJh; in this poor Soul
of
mrne,
that had
not
a Miracle
of
precious Grace
preven_ted, I had
·not
oniy
perHhed
by
the,
Streak of
eternal
}uftice,but
had
alfo laid
my
felf open,
even
to
the
Stroak
of
thofe
Laws
which
bring
fome
to
Difgrace-and
open
Shume, before the
Face
of the
\N
orld.
1
o. In
thefe
days
the 'thoughts of
Religion
were very
grievous to
tne ;
I could
neither
endure
it
my
felf, nor
that
any
other lhould :
So
that
w.hen
I
have feen fome
read in thofe
Books that
concernedChriftian
Piety,it
would
be
as
it
were
a Prifen to me.
Then 1
f~eid
unto
God, Depart from
me,
for I
defire
no~
the
know•
ledg of
thy
ways,
·Job
21.
14,
15.
I
was
now
void
of all good Confideration; Heaven,
~nd
Hell were
both
out
of
fight
and
mind ; and
as for Saving
and-
Damn.ing,
they
were
leaft·
in
my
thought!.
0 Lord, thou
knoweft
my
Life; and my_
w~ys
were not hid
front.
thee.
.
I
I~
But
thls I
wen remember,that though I
coul<J
my
felf fin with the
greateft
Delight
&
Eafe,.and·alfo
take
pleafure
in
the
Vilenefs
of
my
Companions; yet even then,
if
I
have at
any
time
feen
wicked
things
by
thofe who
profeifed
goodnefs,
it weuld
1nake
1ny
Spirit
tremble. As once,
above all
the reft,
wh.en I
was in
my
height of
·Vanity
,yet hearing one
to
fwear ,that was
reckon'd
for
a
Rel!gious
Man,.
it
had fo great
a ftroak
upon
my
Spirit,
that
it
made
my
Heart
ak.e& .
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11.
13ut