Go,ffel km io:t. 129 far the imaginations of Mans heart are evil from his youth ; one would have thought it fhould have been thus , the ima- ginations ofmans heart are evil, and therefore I will do no- thing elfe but curfe the ground : No Pays God, I will not, becaufe the imaginations of mans heart are evil from his - youth ; as if he should fay , if I fhould never leave cur- fing till man leave finning, I fhould always be curling, fo lays God , If I fhould never pardon fin till mans fins are Iefs , I fhould never pardon at all. So in f ofea 2. 13, 14. You have God reafoning there like to this here ; She went after her lovers,andforgat me, fays God, 14..v. Therefore willlallure her andbring her into the Wildernefs,andfreak comfortably un- to her. For the had forgotten me, and went after her lovers ; feehow the Scripture makes that an argument of Gods mer- cy. Take another Text in Ifaiah the 57. 17. For the iniquity ofhis covetoufnefs, I was wrothandfmote him, Ihid me and wao Froth, and he went onfrowardly in the wayofhis heart. Mark what follows ; Ihavefeen his ways, andwill heal him, andwill reftorecomfort to him and to his mourners, he went on frowardly in the perverfnefs of his Spirit fays God, I have feen his ways and will heal him : thus God expreffes himfelf to the end of the Chapter to incourage thehearts of thofe that are fenfible of their fins, and would be fenfible of the evil of fin, and account it a great mifery that they cannot be fenfible of it, the Lord would incourage them , therefore the greatnefs of fin is no difcouragement at all. Further, The way that thou takeft is the way to perifb, there can be no good in that way, thou maift pine away in thine iniquity, but for to get any Counfel,help, comfort, or mercy be afI'ur'd thou canft not, therefore reafon as the Lepers, 2 Kings 7. 3. Ifwe ft here wepall certainly dye, if wego to the Campof the Syrians thy can 610.0 us,let us arife andgo : And it was a good going to them , for they met with that , that help'd and relieved them ; So do you fay, if I fit down thus, there is no way but I mutt dye, but however though I fhould never get any comfort er help, yet it is, better venture that way than the other: thou knoweft nor, what thou mai11 meet with, may be thou think'ft i humility to S fit
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