S s c r. VIII. 7'heOoiifytre anlSanl'i'ifid. 361 with this ? Comethen and hear the Cor.clufionof all, let the Scripture atlaff put the period -to thy vain hopes: unleffe thouhaft a newBible, or newScriptures, there can beno incouragement; for this which we'read to you,&out of which we preach co you every day,makes it onemain bdfrnes thereof co pert-Wade the wicked it (hall goe ill with him. Oh then fay, Here is no hope for we filchafinner, here is no incouragement till Ibecome another man. They are the bewitchings, and deceitfulneffeof my own ignorant corrupt heart, that tellethme of other things. Secondly, 7herefare are many deceiv?din thie plain point ; becaafe though they z. acknowledgedamnationin thegeneralto inners, yet they nevermakeparticularappli. cationtothemfelves; they doe not fav, This threatnmg, this curie belongs tome. God gave the Commandements in the fingular number, Thou/halt dose ütarther, Thou (haltnot commit trldáltery; to teach every man co reflect uponhimfelf, and fay, Thoudoll thus; and thou dolt thus. The Prophet complaineth, Ne wickod Pfal 4* man faid, what have 1 done ? Jer. 8. 6, Hence are thofe commands, To corn- Lam.;. 4d. mane with oar own hearts, and heffil , Tefearch and try our mayes. It would make a man wonder, and fay, How can this be? A man will acknowledge a Drunkard cannot inherit the Kingdome of heaven, andyet that man willbe drunk; and fo of all other fins. Nowhow came the general and the particular to be thus oppo. lites? meetlybecaufe men came not to particular convidhion; they doe noc make home- application ; they fay not, If not this lLord ? Even godly men have been fenfeleffe of grievousfinnes, as David of Murder andAdultery, till Nathan faith, Thouart the man. Oh let thy Confcience take Narhant language, and fay, Thou art theman. The Scripture (peaks to me, theMinifler preacheth tome , as if there were no other Bane in the world : But this undoeth you, you goe on in foul and ungodly ways, not fo much as thinking what you áre,not mindingyou are filchand fach a frnner.Toreflet4 upon your ownfelvs is a peculiar effect ofreafon,beafts can- nor do ir; and the more thou arc fenfible this way, the more reafon thou halt in thee. Be not then as theSwine that never refletis upon her felt; thinking I am a Swine, I love to wallow in the Mire, I amno Sheep. As that Beast can never have fuck thoughts, fo benot thouas brutifb, neverto confider,Howplain is my wickedneffe ? it cannot be hid from myeyes , I love not, or delight not in that which is good. Thirdly,Tbereforearemendeceived, hecaufe eheyreprefiné Gob mercy andgrace in fachas nniverfal andunlimited way, that theyboundit not tofaith and repentance, 3 andagedylife. God indeed is an Ocean of mercy, an inexhaul}ed Fountain of allgrace and goodneffe. When we have thought the highest we can, yet (Iil there is more mercy in him than we can comprehend t but to whom is all this ? who may plead this,and claim this in prayer? Even the humble, the brokenand con- trite heart. Davidmay well cry out,Havemercy according to the multitudeofmer- cies, Pfal.5 t, n. becaufe his heart is wounded, and bones are broken through Gods difpìeafure at finne. If therefore thou wilt comfort thy (elf with Gods mercy, and with hisgrace, be fucha qualified Subjeec as that required), lye like that man of }ericho, not onely half dead, but half damned in thyownfenfe, and then thegood Samarieanewill'poure Oyl into thy wounds. Doth God anywhere proclaim pardon and forgivenefs to theunhumbled Boner? Doth Chriit fay,Come to me ye Jolly and merry linners, who never felt Chine a burden. No, but all the mercyhe fpeaks, it is to thole, who being burdened with fine, delire nothingmore than to throw away that load. Do not then as the Bee is fometimes drowned in Honey, fothou drown thyPelf in the fweet appreheafronsofGods mercies, with- out Godswayes. Asa Beall might not touch the Mountain, fo neithermay a foul wretchedfirmer come near thepromife to lay hold on it. Why might not the Divels and damned in hell comfort themfélves With this, That God ismerciful, he is full of pity, and therefore will not let us lye alwayes roaring in thefe eternal( flames? Oh you wohld fay,this would bea vain mad thing, becaufe God Wide- creed
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