on the Excellency of the Soul. people that wee fee ready to die that are fiarved; if wee hear but of a prifoner flareed, even the pooreft body, wee account it an inhumane thing in thofe that knew its and did not relieve them; to fee a beafl-to die by ílarving, wee account it a cruel thing and it can fcarfe confift with the heart of a man to fee, I fay, fo much as a dogg to perifh by way of ílarving : NOW to fee immortal fouls, thoufands of them to die and perifh, and drop down to Hell as thick as may bee, and that for want of the food.of their fouls,meer- ly for flarving,; it fhould bee an objea of pitty and corn- miferation. Now becaufe wee are fenfual, wee are one ly aflje &ed with fuch things as concern the body immedi- ately; but for the foul, how matey care not what kind of Minifiry they live under ? Oh the curfe of God is upon them ! as wee read of in Pfal. IQ6. r5. Hee ,gave them their requefts, and fent leannefs into their fouls ; hee gave them their requefls, that is, hee gave them. Quails 7 hay luged in the wilde nefs, and tempted God in the defect; and heegave them Quails to feed upon, büt fens leannefs in to their fouls ; wee may apply it thus, unto thofe that feel after no hing elfe but Quails, but that that may feed the fle fh : Oh the curie of God -is upon their fouls 1 there is leannefs there, and they are llarved there even untodeath;, whereas thofe that do but know what the fweetnefs of the Word is to their fouls, and have fed upon the Word, they had rather feed upon, brown bread and mater all their daies, o bee it'they may have the Word, than have the greatefl delicaciesin the world without the Word. I put this to your confciences, anfwer it as, in the prefence_ of God ; if this fhould bee put to you, can you fay as in Gods prefence. that fees and fearches the hearts of men, that upon the real fweetnefs and good your fouls have found in the Word, that. if God fhould put it to your choice , either to live with . bread and water, and havethe Word, or to live with all the delicacies in the world without the Word , , you would, a thoufand thoufand times fooner chufe to live with the Word with bread and water, rather than without the Word with
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