498 Chap, ja. êxpofition span the Boo& J o Vert; I2; ked, ( Lrk, 8. 14. ) The thorny ground -received the word, but it was choaked ; by what ? There are three choakets men- tioned in that place ; fine, The caresofthe world ; fecondly,The deceitfulnfe of riches ; thirdly, pleafure, Thefe choak the word ; that is , they will not fuffer a man to practice , and fubmit to the word. Pleafure is one of the three choakers, if not the firff and chiefeft of the three ; Pleafure qickens the principlesof fin, and heightens defirealter it. When the woman was temp. Volaptatum ted to ease the forbidden fruit, the Text faith ( Gen. 3. 6. ) The blanditt;a dolo woman few that the tree was goodforfood, andpleafant to the eye;. nit'' adea ge- a tree to be defired to make one wife, and then fhe did Bate; here rtndp were all forts ofmotives, externall, internals, fenlïtive, and guæprava font impeRimar. intelleetive, to draw her to that finne : And thus the Lord Arita. lib. 2. deales with his people, to draw them on in the wages ofholi- Erh.'Cap. 's neffe, he tells them of the fweetneffe, pleafantneffe, peaceable- neffe ofhis wayes. ('Prow. 3: 17. ) The wayes of wifedomeare peace, all her pathos are pleafantnefe. Thus he allures the foule to walke in his wayes. The waves ofwifedome confìdered ab- ftra&ly, are not onely the belt, and moft honourable wayes, but 'tis fweeteft elfo towalk in them,}er becaufe the Lordknows we are flefh as well as fpirirr, therefore he tellsus of fweetneffe, and pleafantneffe, of peace, and profit, ofgold and filver to behad in his wayes; and indeed he infinitly out bids finne and Satan for our fervice. Godlinefe ¿ profitable for all things; Firfifeekthe kingdom' of heaven and the righteoufnefe thereof, and all other things fhallbeadded toyou. What can we defire more then that by whichwe may obtain all our defires: As God himfelfe is not any particular, but anuniverfall good, fo Godlines is not profi- table onely for this or that particular good thing, but for all good things. Thus God ispleafcd to iveete us to himfelfe, and into his wayes by the fweet bayte ofbenefits ; And thus Satan . provokes into the wayes of fin : he perfwades and many finde' by experience that wickedneffe is fweete in the mouth. The Volaptar Pawn carnali man is led by fence, and liveth like a beaft : Satan han- Pori,t(i.Sen. dies and fits him accordingly. He feeds him withTweet meats EP;ii 9s But though wickednes befweet inhìs mouth. Though he hide it under hie tongue. `[hefe:ulords carry on the former allufion toeating For asa glutton
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