438 ofConverron,or1arnitrgHMOGod. S e C T. IX. Creatures ñt'Póß,as that livebutfor a day ; there comes upa worm, that quick.. ly confunies there gourds. The deGres of a man in his converfion, are compared to Hunger and Thirfi, toPanting and Breathing, all which are the moil vio- lentand impatientmotions ofaman : Can a than be 'hungry, ready to beflamed, and fit Rill crying, O that I had food? no, it will break through Bone walls. You fee what thehungryLepers did, a Kings7.8. defperately ventured eveninto their enemiesquarters, that they might befatisfied: And thus, if thy purpofes andrefolutionswere full and thong, no tuft, no temptation could be fo firong as to hold theeany longer; but now theyare halfdefrres, and faintwifhes, and God hathmade no promifeto fuck, that they (hall be (atisfied. Anflin (peaks of himfelf before his converfion, how he had many delires and refolutionnto leave his fins, which made him pray to God, that God wouldgive himgrace to part with them, yet at that very time hewas afraid (he faith) that God fhould hear hisprayers ; he wasafraid God fhould do that for him, hedetred : And thus itmay be with thee, thou haft many affedionsand delires to forfake thy fins, frequent relentings, yet if it fhould come to it indeed, that thou mull be taken from them, it would be a trouble to thee ; all which argueth, thou art not real, fully bent againft them. a. Secondly, As thefe purpofes are but Weak`, andfaint, fo it may be they areflavijh in thee, extorted only from outwardconliderations of danger andpunifbment,infear ofdeath, and of publique judgements : Now if fo, its no wonder if thefe thorns do notbear grapes : This is often in the Scripture exemplified,Ahab, Pharaoh, the Ifraelites while the firok ofGods judgementswas upon them, then they would turn to God : Thus the Ifraelites turned and turned very often,but they turned fromGod again, asoften as they turned untohim : Now thegroundof this mif- carriagewas, becaufe there purpofes were violently wrung from them, they dared not to do otherwife ; and fo when the' cau feWas removed, the effel pre- fently ceafed. Look then,what it is that is- the rife of thy refolutions ; thou re- folveft and refolveft'fometimes,even with fad and bitter tears, but thou art after wards where thou wert before; Is not this that which marred' all? Thefe refo- lutions neverare, but when thou art in fome-fears, in Come terrors, and thefe violent things therefore will never hold long: They will hold as long as the principle of their violence holdeth ; but when that ceafeth, all thy purpofes fall to the ground again. Neverthen wonder to fee the Ifraelitescommit thofe idolatryes,and thatinju(lice, Which fometimes they cryed out off, and confefred- to God ; for all this was fqueezed from them, not willingly doneby them : O then I if thou wouldftat lafi fee a Tweet harmony, between thy refolution and converfation, beginto mend thypurpofes ; let them not be refolves out of fear, but out of love : O Lord (fay) not onely in time of danger, but in t! a midst of all mercies andcomforts, my foul breathes afterthee: Its not fear of hell and death makes me take up thefe conclufions, but love to thee, and what is holy: Thoumayeft befare, this will hold, thou wilt be the fame, if this move thee fiat. Thou wilt beno longer, as theman that purgeth his (hip, which leaketh, and water comesin at one place, as fail asit is emptied at another; but thouhaft laid agood and Pure foundation tobuild upon. Thirdly, Thypurpofes vanifb away Without execution, becaufe it may be they are 3 only fudden andfla/by,they continue butfor afeafin : They come like fuddain light- ning,that makes an aftonifhmentfor theprefent, but immediately is gone : Thus Balaamsdelires were upon afudden apprehenfianofGods glorious providenceto his Church. Agrippa was almoft perfwaded to be a Chrillian, for that time while `Paul was preaching; fo that thole purpofes, which are not confiant or rooted, will dyeas loon as they begin to live. As our Saviour (peaksof a tem- Ms[r;. poraryfaith, which doth immediately fpring up, and immediately wither; fo thefe refolutions, they do prefently rife up, while we are preaching, and while you are hearing, but then as foonas the duty is over; thy purpofes are over: Therefore
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