Chap. 18. e.4n expafition upon the Book, of J o B. Verf.8. 49 (hîs riches are a fnare, a greater fnare then povertie) and into manyfcolifh hurtful' AI », which drowne men in deflrahlion a+fd perditicn. Thirdly, His wit, parts, and learning, are a firare, for which he is fo much admired in the world, O he is a very witty man, a wife man, a man of a deep reach, a notable head-piece, what a nimble, what an eloquent tongue hath he ? fea how gracefully he expreffes himfelfe; yet all this is a fnare, it had been better for him if he had been a foole, or dumbe, then to have had all that wit, thofe great abilities, confidering how he bath imployed them. Acarnali man prefumes to enfnare all the world with his wit and words, and thefe are often a fnare fof others, but chiefly for himfelfe. 'Fourthly, All his relations, his wife, children, friends, all the comforts that he bath in the world are fnares to him. Fifthly Religion fo farre as he profeffeth it (awicked man may make profelironof Religion (I fay) his veryReligion) is a fnare, Religion as the world beares,and as many conceive, the no- Cation of it, bath its name, (a religando ) from binding, Religion is a bond, it flrould be a bond to all men, but it is a fnare to wick- ed men, it fhould bea bond to tye men fait to God, to rye them to duties, to tye and hold them in the wayofholines,but it is one- lv a fnare-bond towicked Men; their outward profefli:on caufeth them to flatter themfelves in their inward corruption, and they take to themfelves by fo much the more liberty inevils , byhow much theygive up themfelves the more to a kinde ofbondage in doing good, Sixthly, and laftly, Which is more thenall, Chrifl is afnaro to a wicked man, whenhe bath Chrift inhis mouth, when he talkes ofChrilt, he doth but walke upon a fnare. Ifthe Sonne maize nt free, wee are free indeed ; but none are more really in bondage, then they who are but feemingly freed by the Sonne To thefe that believe, Chrifl is precisas, but to the unbelievers and difòbedicnt, he is anionof f ambling, and a racbe ofoffence, that they mayHum- ble andfall, andbe 6rok n, ( r Pet. 2. 7, 8.) what a wofull condi- tion are fuch in, who not onely raft themfelves into a net, into troubles and vexations, but whole higheft injoyments, temporall and fpiirituall, their profeftïonòf Religion, yea, their pretenfions toChriít himfelfe, are a continual! along upon afnare. Bildad
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