Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

114 of the Stotty Heart, and Heart ofPA. S& c T. X. fervency ofit; nowmend&Rittateof this fpirit,are wholly livelefs,and cold in any thing that is good. y. Seventhly, Seeinga,Qone ie àothinpbut aprodnîi o fthe earth, it hobadfo the pre- pert, of theearth ,W is ie beavinefs orgravity, AM inClinAte,M to defcend, tofalldown. wards. And this alfo is wonderfully ken in every mans difpoficionby nature His affeaions are wholly fet upon earthly things, though hebath ä body ftreight up towards heaven, and foexcelling other creatures, yet his foul is bowed down to theground,fo that inthis fenfe, as wellas others,we may fay, he isa worm and no man. The bodilycurfe ofthe fèrpent, isfpiritually fulfilled on him, To lick theduff of the earth,and tomake that his food; this is theheavyportion ofevery man by nature, to fwallowdown iniquity like water, to centerupon earthly objects, as naturally as the (tone fatsdownward ; Wondernot then, if you fee menwhollyplunged in earthly affairs, they minds not, they regard not, theyun- derffand not heavenly things ; for(das) howcan the earthafcend upwards? how can a clodofclaymove of it felf towards the skies? here mutt be a changeofout natural properties, beforetiefe thingscan be done. The effc is Having thusdcfcribed theproperties of this flony heart, and how much the whichdemon- wordmaypurport. Letus now confider fumeeflèds or 11gns, which do abun- ttrate all men dandy ditcover, that menby nature have fuchht artsof(tones. byname CO And firft, Whatcan be agreater evidence, then thefeeurity,quiet, andeafe, Which have a heart mennaturally have, though thus obnoxious to guilt, andthe Wrathof God. Do but of !tone, confider what theword of God faith ofevery man by nature, how it aggravates r' his fin andmifery, makes him everymoment ready to fall into eternal torments, that all withinhim and without him is hatedofGod all theday long : Confider all this and believeit. Now whata (tone and flock is man, that forall thistruth of God, thus informing, thus threatning, thus curing, is no more troubled and affected about himfelf I Certainly were not men like1Viobe,turned into very mar- bles and Rona, they could never be thus ftupid,yea they would run up anddown cryingout, What (!tall we do tobe changed ? Howmay this (tone, this moun- tainbe removed and thrown into alea of tears and forrow ? Do ye then doubt, whether niepbe thus by nature folimpid and fenftlefs about divine things? What need ye go any further, fee how they can eat, drink, rejoyce, and befecure,when yet fo many woes are denounced againh them : Oh then fay, Lord giveme a loft heart, give me a broken heart; yet Lord it is not broken,yetit is not broken. Oh let any judgement fall upon merather then this hardheart. Oh let any affliction lye upon me rather then thisheart offlone. Secondly, Thisflony fenfclefs heart is manifefled,in that Though in thegeneral! theycommend holinefs andgodlinefs, andfo in thegeneral deteff and abhorrevice, yet When itromethto thepartieular,then theyaft and love that Which they did in the gene- ral condemn. As now,Come to any prophane manwallowing in any groie fin, andask, Is it not anexcellent, admirablething, a life to be defred, to live with thefearofGod, toobey his law, to take heedofimpiety, to walk religioufly,fo -. berly and righteoufly ? Ohwithoutdoubt they will fay : andyet the fame men live in direct oppofitewales to this piety. Now ifinenwerenot (tonesand flocks, theycould not butfee their contradiction, they could not but fee, how vainly theyoppofe theirown !elves ; for ifw ickednefs beto beabhorred,then thy wick- ednefs,thofe lullsthou livcfl inare tobe loathed. Thirdly,That men havethis heartofflone,appeareth,in that they confider not the 7 extream contrariety that is in theirWicked lives to that holyprofegon they take open them. W hofoever is baptifed into thenameofChrift, andownethhis law, doth thereby ingage himfelf tolive asChrift his Lord path commanded. The Apohile 7awes at large fheweth the vanity and infufficiency offtich a faith as dotb not make a mangive an univerfal obedience to what Godcommandeth a and the A- pofile calsupon us,Phil. t.ay. that our converfation fhould beas that which be- cometh theGofpel of Chrill, tobe (beep andnot (Wine. Now ifmenwere not ulcer

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