tlasrtfi, Bafil. lob zoo t. ler.t 3.i3. ago Môtistes toperfvalevs to hafien'omr repentance. out: as therefore youwould condemne him ofextreame fol- lywho wouldnot regard his fickncs, till it hadouerthrowne nature,and then thinke to cure it ; or who would negle6t to applie any falue to a grieflie wound till it were feflred, and then thinke the better tohale it ? or that fhould aífay topull, vp a young plant, and beingvnable fhould deferre it till it 'weregrowne toa great tree, thinking then moreeafilie to plucke it vp by the rootes;or that would let the enemy quiet_ ly enter into thecitie with a purpofe then to expell himwith more facilitie andlefl'e loffe : fo alike,naymuchmore foolifh ishe,whofinding it nowa.hard matter' to turne vnto God and to forfake his finnes,deferreth it for manyyeres together, till the corruption of nature haue receiued double flrength bylong cuflome, imagining that then hee car, veryeafilie at- taine vntohis purpofe. Let vs therfore breake off our fins by vnfain.ed repentance, and take heed of confirming our nattr- rail corruptionsby long cuf}ome : for as one faith; Dumcon- fuetudini ncn refliturfit neceffit u,whilef} cuí}ome is not bro- ken it becommeth neceffitie : and as another, Sicut nonpoteft aliquisdedi fcere maternamlinguam,/ic virlln-am peccati cony fuctudiner,as a man cannot eafily forget his mother tongue, fo neither cari heleaue cutlo'mable fit ne. So it is Paid Job 20'. II. That theCrickedmans bonesarefail o f thefumes ofhis roes:h, , and that theyJhall'liedownenth'himin- thedull ;-whereby it is impl ied,that as difeafes afterthey areentred into themarrow and bonesare incurable, in fo much as they goewith-men to their graues; fo finnesandvices, which are the licknefresof the foulehaving leafed and taken fall hoidofá:manby long and continuall cuflotne fromhis youth;wil moil hardly leaue him in his age, but will hang fall on till the dayofhis death. Andhence it is that the Lordby his Prophet doth note it to be a thing impoflïble in rel.pc6t of humane power toleaue thofe(llunes which arc cuflomablie. committed, ler.x3.23. Can the blaclk°morcchan ehisfkinne; or the leopard hisjjiots? thenmayyeeaífodoegood that are accuftomed todoeeuill. And therefore ifeuerwemeanetaleaue our finnes and to turne vnaoGod,it is bell tobeginne before the corruptions ofna,. turd :5v confirmedbycutlome. Secondly;, Ai
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