280 / 1054
280
On
the Excellency
of
the Soul.
wherein
a
man
may
lofe
his foul by
venturing
of
it,
Firfl,
As
firft by
rafhneffe,
men'that
are inconfide-
rate
and
rafh in their
waies, that
will
fuddenly
fall
upon things before they examine them ,
that
`rafhneífe
and
fuddenneffe
of
thine
to fall
upon things before
thou
dolt examine
Them, and to
go.
on in
a
rafh
way
the
moll part of thy
life,
as
many do
this
indangers the
lofs
of
thy foul.
-
_Secondly
, And
others
venture the loffe
of their fouls,
by
doing
thinga
that,
are
doubtful; that
their
confci-
ences
mif
-givé.
them
in,
and
tell
them
,
Oh this
is not
right
!
I
doubt
L
fin againfi
God
in
this',
and yet
they
will
put
on and
»venture,
before they
fatisfie
their
doubts
,
but
take heed of
-doing
any thing
with
a
doubt-
.
ful
confcience,
for
you know
what
the
Scripture
faith,
in
the
14. of
the
Romans,
the
latter.end
;
WJsatfoever
is
net,
of
Faith
is fin.
If
thou
doubtett,
thou muff no:
venom
tute
to do
a
thing,
till
thou
haft
examined thy
doubt,
and
there
fee upon what
ground thy doubt is built ,
for
if
thou
wilt prefume to
do
a
thing
doubtfully, it
may
colt
thee
thy
life.
Thirdly
,
A
third venture,
it
is
to
venture upon
Gods
patience
;
why, the
Lord
is a
patient God , and
hee
hath
»fpared
mee
fo
many.
years
;
all
this
while
I
have
been
Spared,
and
have
done well
enough,
why may
not
hope
that
God will
fpare mee
Bill
,
and bee
patient
with
mee
í!i11
?
how
many wretched
finful
creatures
-
venture
upon
this?
they perhaps
have
been
brought
up
in
wickedneffe
and prophaneneffe; God hath
been
pa-
tient
towards
them,
and yet they can
to
their
fin
a-
gain
and
again,
and
live
-very
merry
lives:
Now
all
this
time
thou
livef+
upon
the
nicer patience of
God,
and
thou
thinkei
becaufe
God
hash been. patient
thus
long
,
therefore
hee will bee
fo
,
fill
Wee
may
in-
deed venture
upon
the
Grace of 'God
in
his
Son,.
as
well
for
fane}i.fic
ation
as :.for
pardon,
but
not
to
.ven`
ture