$ x c r IX. ofCbnverfion, er.Tierni»g,tòGod. , 471 phanenegligence; theyhave nohearts,nominde,noaffeétiona ofuch things; there is nothingbelongs to their Trade, to their husbandrie;but theycan skill in it, Only in divine things they areas brutifhas beasts. Thinknot that this ignorance willeit- .cufeyou; fay not, Iam not book-learned, such things are too high for me : What, wouldft thoube thought a Chriftian, and yet the neceff,ry principles of religion too highfor thee ? fhou art to lay afide thy endeavour after allother things in this life, till thou haft attained co this s Ifthoudoft not eat of this tree of knowledge, thou canft never eat of the treeoflife. On then that at raft God would make as Minders fons of thunder, to awaken and terrifie you out of this groife 'igno. ranee. Thefecond fort of (inners living in their impieties, are thefe in the Texr; who have knowledge and inflru&ion; yet are fo uefperately wicked as they will perlitt Propbir ë. in it however : and fuch are all wicked men who live in groffe fins', that arenot onely condemned by the word, but by a mans own heart. There is no S wearer, Adulterer, drunkard,but he faith, astheft in the Text, No, bar we will go after the 110 of our Om heart., Now though theother are inexcafable,becaufetheir igno. ranee is wilful', fo thefe are mach more tobereproved. Chrift prayed, Fatherfor_ give them, decentfethey knownot What they do. Luke a3. 34. Bat here it is rather, Farber, lee shywrathfall on them, far they knowwhat they do. jrs ory and /la- ffinfpeakingofchofe places, They go qtdis&iflrs hell, and the earth fWahowedthem op quick, applie it thus (ifby way of allufion it may be received : ) fach who fin wilfully, who know their fin,who feel their(in,whofeconfciences are quick to con- demn them: Oh (fay they) thefegoquickl. bell, and hellfwalloweth thefe alive as it Were. Now it may edify be demonstrated,that many (inners are in this latter rank with thefein theText, They fay, 21fó, we willdo at We have done, take the pleafures offinwe ufed todo, whatfoever is Paid to the contrary, Thus men fol- low oneanother defperatelyin:odeftruecion t even as Sasil,he firft fell defperate- lyonhis (word tokill himfelf, and afterwards his armouebearer asviolently de ltroyed himfelf. Ic is an heavy judgement of all judgements, thus willingly and wittingly not to marcher hisbody, but hisfoul , which is the greatest fin of[elf- :norther. in the next place confider as was hinted before) that two waits we may dif- cover thisobstinate difpoiition; either exprefly in words, by a publickowning this impudent rebellion, or inour aérionsand deeds onely : Of the farmer fört the Scripturegiveth foine inflames, fachas chofe that fey , The Lord fetchnot; add, bid theknowledge of theanoflhighdepartfromehes»,jtobas.as. And again lochat Pf.r E. fay, who is theLord? oar tangoes amouroten,We Will not he controlled. Ofthe latter fort are chofe, whothough they utter not this mifchief with their anon hs, yet: by their works they deny him.Therforethink not to fay Within your felvea,We are not ¡Lichimpudent (inners,we donotbelchInchblafphemiewohour Mouths; for if thougoeft onwilfully in thy wickedway, againstall chofe admonitions andet- bortationsthat are difpenfed to thee, God willjudge thee in the number Of filch high offenders. Therefore in the third placeobferve, What are thofe caufes that tumble down Ctufei of oF. men headlong this hill of deftrubion, thatthey feemed tobe carried into hell as vie- ftinacy in6d: lently as theSwine posfefted by the divel were into the bottomof theles; formen a came not tobe thus wicked at the firft Temptation. And one Cause is, e4theiftlie Aaktife8; andunbelief: Where this is,prefently a floodgate is fer open for all inipietie and wickedneffe,as Faith is the fiatfoundation ftoueinthe buildingof all godlineffe: a manmuffbelieve that God is, & that he is a rewarderofall thofe that Peekhim: fb Atheifine andunbelief is the ûrit fin that makes way for all other impieties. He be- ..lieveth there isno God, and that God is not a revere Judgeof chofe that do wick- edly. Hencearetholeexpres$ona ofthe molt flagitious men; le there kiaorvledge is themolthigh ? and Gada not in all their thoughts : fo chat when the fear of God and his judgements is fteicken out of mens Conictences by unbelief, you may cadi that
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