,28o On the Excellency of the Soul. wherein a man may lofe his foal by venturing of it. Firft, As firft by rathneffe, men'that are inconfide- rate and rafh in their waies, that will fuddenly fall upon things before they examine them, that 'rafhneffe and fuddenneffe of thine to fall upon things before thou dolt examine Them, and to go. on in a rafh way the molt 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 things that are doubtful , that their confci ences mif-givé them in, and tell them ,- Oh this is not right ! I doubt ICn againft 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 z4. of the Romans, the latter end ; Whatfoever is net, of Faith is fin. If thou doubtet +, thou muff nor ven- ture 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 cofl 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 fpared, and have done well -enough , why may not I hope that God will (pare mee Bill , and bee patient with mee Rill ? 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 liveft upon the meer patience of God, and thou thinkeft becaufe God hath been. patient thus long , therefore hee will bee fo, till : Wee may in- deed venture upon the Grace of God in his Song, as well for fanóific ation- as .;for pardon, but not to .ven- ture
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