S E c T. VII. The Counterfeit ofinherent gate, eithcrof uncleannefe, drunkenneffe, or fuchdeceitfull pleafures: Thefe muddy atoms doe quicklyput out that candle in the inward parts : Tho/C that tired±plgk, are drunki,, the night, faith the Apofle ; fins of pleafures and intemperance' they are committed whenmen have putout all knowledge, that fo tasty may neither be athamed or afraid of what they havedone, As muddy Bogs breed Tòäds and Frogs; fo Mole and diffolutelives breed all poyfonous and loathfomè itnagina ons in a man: Therefore faith the Prophet, wine, and ftrong drink,, and whoré- dome take away the heart, Hof, 4. 11. Howmany menby debauched and luxurious comics have made themfelves at the fame time foes in theirbodilyparts, and in their naturali confcience; and by their loofneffe have (pent their confciences,as well as their etates; and as they havefcarce one peny left to maintain themfelves,or children ; fo not one good thought left in theirconfciences, co accedeand'con' demo them for what they have done ! Ohtherefore who can complain bitterly c= nough of that bruitilhneffe andbeatlineffe, many menare plunged in by theirloofë and intemperate lives, and even under judgements, andnot fo much awakened as Balaams Aire was,under her Mailers blowes. Oh that this fottiilmeffe were sine- ly in Sodome, not in ferufalem, in Cyamorrah, not in Sion. If thenyou lee many teen living without any dieeìatings of Confcience about God, if you fee them commit- ting all manner of evill,fo that they plainly declare they have no love ofGod writ- ten in their hearts, but of finne and the D.will : Marvail not at this, but confider, Are they not men wholly plunged inworldly things ì or are they not confirmed in Lulls and Pleafuresof the flefh; if fo, you may as Coon expert a Star in a loath - fome dunghill,as any right principles in filch corruptconvedátions ; to that thtfd arePearce to be reckoned in the numberof men. The fourth caufe whichover-whelmeth thefe Diffract ofnature, is freyueat rind habituatedlivingagainft them. Contant Rebellion againfthe light, at laf puts it Freyoe r anti out : Mrn by ufe are not afraid of ir, E confuetie nonfit pufo, faith the Phitofo= t,ab;mared ü- pher; ordinary things we areaccuilomedunto, breed nu extraordinary paflion, or virg a,aint affedion in us. As it iswith fupernaturall light revealed unto us by the Word and the ditntes of the Prophets, a daily living under it made the fewer defpife it ; and they did the Conloienc¢i more vehemently refit it, byhowmuch the more common it was; infomuch that both the Prophet Ezekiel, and our Saviour Chrit tells them, that if flrangers had enjoyed fichmeans of grace, they would havebeen wrought upon. As (1fay ) it is in fupernaturall light, thus is fareth with naturali, the continualatcufacions, and finitings of Confcience, through cufome men harden themfelves againf, and at lac concerna them. Take heed therefore how thou deft thole things that thy heart condernneth thee for for afterthou art ufed toInch obfinacy, thoughGod (horrid raite Thunder and Lightning in thy breat, it would not at all amaze thee : Ai thole that are Witches and W.zzards, at the firft apparitionof the Devili to them, may have force trembling and fear ; but after theyhave given tip themfelves fami- liarly to him, there is no amazement or horror at all. At fiat todoe and live a- gainff the convictions of Confcience,is a dolefoll and dreadful thing, but after they have once tired to kick againft this prick, they come to filch a dedolency, that they feel nothing at all. It theApofle Rom, 14. makes it fach a grievous and bal- nous finne tout anymeat donating, or to doe any thing doubting, whether it be-a finne or not ; then how grievousa thing is it todoe thole things, about which thou haft nodoubts, but clear convictions that they are fns : As for example, take the unjuf, deceitful) man in his trade, Dot thou doubt whether thou frnnef in lying, cozening, and over- reaching? Dof thou fcruple whether it be a finne ? N"o, but thy Confcienceplainlytellech thee, This was not lawfull,this was not jut. So, in- fante in any grolfeprophaneneffe, Da you commit there things, doubting whe- ther they be Crones ? or doff thou not plainly accule thy fell inwhat thou doff? Oh then think with your fetves, if I did but doubt whether thefe things were finsó I ought not to doe them ; but when I know they are fumes, *hen I tee as clear as the Sun, that they are iniquities forbidden by the Law of Nature, then how pre- fumptaoufy 343
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