S E e T. VII. of th4 dyearks Eßablifhrf*caat Any. tìdce. a man may take agreat deal of delight in his Opinions and Notions , and. be s« in- ordinately in love with them, as the adulterer is With his unlawful objeEfi The Scripture many times ufeth this expref ion, To go awhoring after the imaQinati- ónsof their ow» hearts : When the falfeProphets and feduced people commitred. any Idolatry, they took a great deal of pleafure andcontent in their imagina- tions and carnal reafonings, fo thaethere may becontemplative fornication,, as well as real. Men may fall into inordinate love with the conceits of, their own brain, as unclean men with a beautiful face ; or asPigmolion, grow inamoured withhis own face ; fo that a man may think he preacheth for God, liveth and dyeth for God, when all the while, itsbut for the apprehenfion ofhis own mincie, which is like a Dalilah to him : A fearful thing its thus to be deluded, but its a judgement foretold chat fhallbefall thofe, who receive not the truth in the love of it That they Jhall be delivered up to believe a lye, a Theft 2.11. Fourthly, A fourth general ground, why its better to minge Godlinefs then Difpsotes, is becaufe at the day of ud emenl, God will proceedaccording toour works we have done ; not fo much the knowledge and parts we have had e It will not be,what haft thou known? chiefly,but how haft thou lived ? Thus theScripture faith, Wemuff beall manifefied at the tribunal, togive an accountfor what hash been done in the flefh, z Cor.. as. Oh then, how fhouldeft thou fpend thy time molt about that, wherein the great queftion wil be at the day of Judgement : God will thenmake inquiryhow fruitful thy life bath been, of Love, tinmili- ,ty, Temperance, Sobriety, and othergood fruitsof the Spirit. Would it not be a vain thing in a fervant, who experts his Mailers coming daily, that will call him to give an account of his Stewardf op, and he fhould all the while imploy himfelf in babies, and unneceffary imployments, not a t all tending to thatwork which hisMailer doch moil expeft, what ftripes may he juflly look for ? Seeing then the endof thy calling is holinefs, and thou art createdto a godly life : Oh look to have this Oyl, betides the Lampof knowledge, left thou arc furprized by horribleconfufon, when the Bridegroom comes. Fifthly, InKnowledgeand Tarts there is not a truefatisfying, andfilling of the heart withfpiritual content ; but Grace onely brings Cbrifl into the heart, and makes God our portion and inheritance, in having of whom there is onely hap- p inefs . Ile that drink¡ ofme, faith (Aral, "hall never this"? more. John 4.14. Eat- ingand drinking of Chrift, is more then to difpute about him, to makecontrover- fres in Religion about him : Its by Paving Grace to be incorporated intohim, and to receive Vivifient influence from him. SolomonBoth not onely difcover vanity in riches, and temporal advantages, that they give no true content to the foul, but alfo inknowledge and learning, that bath a greater vexation with it ;- there- foreheconcludes, Of making Books there is no end: The fu in or perfeihon ofall is, FearGod, and keep his Commandments, Ecclef. 12.13. Of Controveriles and Difputes there is no end, there comes jars and contentions endlefsabout them, but the furo of all is, to get the fear of God in our hearts,and tokeep our felves unfpocted from the fins of the world : This hat-h made even Come'Papifls who have imployed their whole time inControverfal Divinity, to cry out of it asan heavyburthen, thinking they have loft the fweetnefs of Religion thereby : As Suarez., who wrote fo many Tomes of Difputes; yet fold, I4e prized that time which was fetatiart for the fearehing and examination rif his Confcience, inre- Iation,towatds God, above all theother time be fpent. It wasa witty allufion, of lfIdorus Pelnfota, As the Ifraelites, who did gat her.Manna, were togoout of theCamp where -war was,for the Manna did not fallwithin the Camp ; fo thofe thatwould gather tbé Manna and Sweetnefs of Religion, mutt go out of the Camp, wherefpititual war is by Religious Difputes. As in eating of the Paf that Lambs, theytook the flefh, and feafted on that, but threw away the bones- fothou art tò takethat in Religion, which will feed and nourifh thy foul, but caftawayhard; Unprofitable ControverCles. But 314) :: 4. S=
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