Clarke - BV4500_C46_1659_v1

1 tI. II . I. II. )ueftionf, andCafè,r of Confcience. Chap. i, ful Liberties : As he laid his train againfl Chrift himfelf, in the matter of meat , and dtink, when he was an hungry, Mar. 4. 3. So alfo againfl us, chiefly in things wherein God hathgiven usallowance: Whereinwas it that.Satan over- arm Lot ? Was itfirtl in Inceawith his daughters ? No : buthefirtlTföiled him in that which was lawful : He firft abufedhimfelf with Wine, andahen-iii Incefl. Whereas our Nature, Spider-like, turnesour heft, and fweetefl things to poifon, Satanaddes his poifon too, putting us forward to abufe lawful things : becaufe this both hinders God of his glory in the meanes of our good , and our felves in the end for which Godalloweth them. God givesus thefe things as helps to heaven : but we make them hinderances. His grace puts them in- to our hands as (laves ro helpus in our way, we by our abufe make them clots to call usback : He allows us them as fpurres to provoke us to cheerfulneife in ,his fervice wepervert them, and make them as thornsto choak, and hinder us in his fervice. And well knows Satan, that theheft things abufed, become evil to him that fo ufeth them. Chrift himfelf (hall be a Rock of offence. The Word if it kill not our vices, killsour foules : The Sacraments are rankpoifon to the unworthy Receiver : He cares not if wealth flow in as waters from a full fountain, fo they drown their foules in perdition : and fo of the refl. Becaufe fins in lawful things are both more ordinary , and leffe difcerned, both for theavoiding and preventing, asalfo for the recovery, and repentance from them. How many natural and indifferent actions doth a man perform in aday, intowhich creep anumber of lins, becaufe men judge themfelves free to doas they lullin them,only contenting themfelves that they have liberty from God to do the thing,whileft they are unwilling to hear of any ofGods reftrainrs, or impofitions in the manner, and fruitionof that liberty. Quell. What inflames may begiven tothew how men abufe their lawful Liber- ties with the hazardof theirfouler ? s4nfw. t. Ineatingand drinking, which is not only lawful but neceffary: yet here Chriftians offend many wayes. t. When they eat not their own bread, earned by their lawful labour, z Thef. 3. t z. z. When they feed themfelves without feare, Jude s a. not as before the Lord. 3. \Vhen they corrupt themfelves in the creatures, loting fobriety, modeflie, challity, health,and reafon. 4. When they never tale the fweetneffeofGod in the creature, snore then beat's do : nor fanélifie themfelves after fea{ling : as Job did his fons, Job T. 5. Jf ç. When they wale the creatures, not remembring the affütìions of o e P h , eflmos6.6. In apparel, thenwhichnothing is more neceffary decently to cover our na- kednefle, tofenceour bodies from the injury of the weather, and to pur usin minde offin. But what a number of fins domen and women put on with their apparel ? And that Full, for the matter, which is not skins as Adams,but {lately and ceftly beyond their rank. 2. For the manner, while they take liberty to difguife themfelves in orange attire, and monflrous fafhions, (hewing noother hidden man of the heart but lightneffe, vanity, wantonnefle, and thraldome, to every new-fan_led falhion, for which the Lord threatned to vifit the Kings children , Zeph. t. 8. 3.For the meafarewhilefl they paffe all bounds of fobrietie, and prodigally mac Tr

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