··xiS \ . 4· And are end· Ieifo. ' · Ci~fes'Dfconfcience About Senterit:t Tak'e amans hands and his feet away, he is a Jiuggilh log, n.~ rher then a man; yft fe~r-doth no~ ·only cut off the thumbs and toes, as was done to Adonibe.:<::..ek_, but the very hands and legs; Now then, if fo be thefe finful dej.ections and tFou- ,blefome thoughts domore d!forder and indifpofe thee, put/ thee farther offfrom all the means of fincerity and truth of grace : thou art to be the more carefull to kill thefe young -cockatrices in the very fhell. It•s far better with Efther to venture into the prefence of this'great King of Heaven,then to be alwaies perplexed in doubts,Whether thou fh~lt be re• ceived or rio. Nimu timidm eft (faid Senec~) qui'maOet femper pendere, quam feme! cretlere; Jt•s better with Job to fay, Thoughhe ·kjlime I "Willtruftinhim,Job 13.15. then alwaics tobe complaining, why hatp the Lordforf.,/e!n? and "Will he bt gntciotU no more I ·· Confid~r then with thy felf, what furthe· I ranee and help do thefe dejected fears vouchfafe to thee? They do mgver~, but do they promovere ? There is a trou– bling of thy foul, but doth an Angel or rather the Spirit of Ood come down in them, and caufe healing of thy foul ? ;This will beof fome good confequence; other:wife to _fpend thy firength, and to weary , thy felf in tbefe perplexed thoughts, and to fet no fpirituall advantage thereby, is wil– fully to keep tby fclf iR the tearing briars, and not to be willing to get our. , · 4• Thefe ~ejecting fe.trs .tnd perplrxing douhu, 1hey are end!e!fe. , They become like ,the faod on the fu-fhore, you cannot tell bow to number them ; you heard, a dou~le·mind- . tdman, who is the not beleever, id uncon{fant in ~tll hu "Waio• . He is like the Dove that ·went out before the waters were driedup, there was no dry place to ftand upon; _By what reafon thou entertainefi oae perplexing doubt, thou maift do another, and then another, and ftill utother, till thou have no bottome. That as it is in the dotlrine 'of faith,' · when a mangiveth way to difpute fceptinlly of all things, and dot.k not be leeve i.n any thing, This man bath no center, _ _ no bottomc to .ftand upon, he thinketh at -Jafl there is no truth, no Church, no Ordinances, , yea, and no God; fo it is for the praCl:ife of godlioetf~, if chou beginneft to que• · · ·- · · fiion
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