Name of god in bearing his Wo R D. 203 bath now fuch a mark upon him as loth evidently prove that he is a Reprobate ; we cannottel that, becaufe we know not what God may do afterwards, but we may fay this ; That it is as dreadful a fign as any. There are not any more dreadful figns than thefe two Firft : For a man to be fuffered to profper in a finful courfe for God to let men goon, and have their hearts defire fatisfied in an ungodly way. And then Secondly : For the Lord to leave them to them- (elves, fo as the Miniftry ofthe word fhal not workupon them, that they Thai be by Gods ProVidence fo difpofedof, as to live under a faithful andpowerful Miniftry, and that it fhould not i work upon them. Thefe are the twoblackeft figns of Repro- bation ; and therefore it is a molt dreadful thing to fit under the Miniftry of the Word,and not to Sanetifie Gods Name in it. 6. In the next place: Surely there can be nothing' fanetifiecl to thee whodoeft not Sanetifie Gods Name in his Word. The Scripture faith, That every thing is fangfified by the Word, and airayer., And now canft thou expect' that the word fhould fan- etifie an thingunto thee, feeing that thou clothnot make con- fcienceof fanttifying Gods Name in the word ? The godly think thus : 'Tis theWord that muff fanetifie all thingstomySoul, and I had need then fanetifie Gods Name in that from which I expeet the fanetified ufe ofat bleffings. You therefore thatcan fit under it, and make not confcience of fantifying GodsName in it ; I fay, you can expect no fanetified ufe ofany thing that youhave in this world. 7. Such as do not Sanetifie Gods Name in the Word, are ver nigh to a Curfe. There is a notable Scripture for this in Seb. 6,7 , S. where the Apoftle compares the word to the rain that fals upon ,the ground, 'For the earth that drinketb in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringethforth herbs meet for them by whom it is dreffed, receivetbWelling from god : Eut ( faith he ) that which beareth thorns and bryars is rejeffed, and is nigh unto curfmg , whofe end is to be burned. The meaning is plainly ; The Rain here is the Word, and the good Hearers they are like the ground that receive the Rain, and bring forth Fruit, and receive a Bleffing : But now ill Hearers V 2 that
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=