Chap. 28. An Expofition ,upon theBook ofJo B. Verf. 28. 407 ry of. Corahs Rebellion,in the language of this text ;` Depart 1pro, you, from the tents of theft wicked, and touch nothing of theirs, leafs ye be confumed in all theirfins. It may prove fad tous, to aflo- ciatewith finful men, much more to of ociate with fin ; and there- fore I fay, depart from the tents of the wicked, but muchmore from wickedneis it feli;we may fall into mifcheif ifwe keep com- pany with finners, but it is impoffibie to avoid it if we 'keep corn- any with fin. But if fin_be fo evil in its own nature, as hath been (hewed,' and fo hurtful unto us, Purely a few words may prevail with us to depart from it ,yea it may be thought that no words can prevail with us to hold or retain ir. Needs any man much admonition not to run into a devouring fire; or many difiwafives to with-hold him from drinking down a deadly poyïor. ? I anfwer ; Firlf, a fober man may loon be diffwadcd from theredefiruc}ives, but a mad-man will not. A man may c ably be entreated not to wallow and tumble in filthy mire, but a fwine cannot. Ameet natural man is not only foolifh but frantick and mad, he is at a beaft among men, and as a fwine among beafis.. He hath (lafa principia) a wound in hispinciples, and therefore no wonder if he wound himielf by his pra&ifes. Some will fin, whatever comes of it ; they will3buy repentance at any rate. So theymay have their lu(i, let them have wrathand death and hell into the bargain. As Nero's Mother, when it was told her, he would be her death if ever he came to the Empire, laid, Let him kill mefo he may reign ; fo fay they, let fin reign though we dye and be damned for it ; let us but have our will, and then let come on't what will.Somedefires,tvhether ofgod orevil,corcjea and overtop all fearer : The delire of that which aman intimately. loveth, isoften fironger and more prevälent then the fear of that which extreamly abhorred) ; and 'cis fo then efpecially, when (as in this cafe) the thing feared is {at leali to their apprehen- Pion) afar off, and the thing defired prefent or neer athand. Secondly, I anfwer, though the fruit of fin be thus bitter, and the confequents of it thus deadly, yet finners have other ap- prehenfions of it;they look upon thedanger as that which is indeed poflible, but nor unavoidable, as a concingency,not as a certainty'; they have at left a peradventure for their indempniry and a-- fcape,, as Eve. (the mother of us all) had, who reported Gods abfo
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