PART HI. of gracious .A e ions. p Opinionbf thernfelves, and look on their State to be fafe ;: they an be much more eafy than before, in living in the Neglect of Duties that are troublefome and inconvenient ; and are much more flow and partial in complying with difficult Commands'.; are in no Meafuie fo alarmed at the Appearance of their..own Defeéts. and Tranfgreffions, are embolden'd to favour themfelves more, with RefpeEt to the La- bour, and painful Care and Exanefs in their Walk, and more eafily yield to Temptations, and the Sollicitations of their Lulls ; and have far lets Care of their Behaviour, when they come into the holy Pre- fence of God, in the Time of publick or private Worfhip. Formerly it may be, under legal Convictions they took much Pains in Religion, and denied themfelves in many Things But now they think them- felves out of Danger of Hell, they very much put off the Burden of the Crofs, and fave themfelves the Trouble of difficult Duties, and allow themfelves more of the Comfort and theEnjoyment of theirEafe and their Lulls. Such Perfons as thefe, inftead of embracing Chriff as their Saviour from Sin, they trufl in him as the Saviour of their, Sins : Inflead of fly- ing to him as their Refuge from their fpiritual Enemies, they make Ufe ofhim as the Defence of their fpiritual Enemies, from God, and to flrengthen them againft him. They make Chrift the Minifter of Sin, and great Officer and Vicegerent of the Devil, to ftrengthen his Interefl, and make him above all Things in the World ffrong againft JEHOVAH ; fo that they may fin agàirdt him with good Courage, and without any Fear, being.effeétually fecured from Refiraints by his molt folemn Warnings and molt awful Threatnings. They truft in Chrift to prferve t& 'em the quiet Enjoyment of their Sins, and to be their Shield,to defend 'em. from God's Difpleafure ; while they come clofe to him, even to his Bofom, the Place of his Children, to fight againft' him, with their mortalT;Weapons, hid under their Skirts. -j- However Thefe are Hypocrites that believe, but fail in regard of the Ufe of the Gofpel, and of the Lord Jefus. And thefe we read of, fude 3. viz. of fome Men that did turn Grace into llantonnefs. For therein appears the exceeding Evil of a Man's Heart, that not only the Law, but alto the glorious Gofpel of the Lord Jefus, works in him all manner of Un- righteoufnefs. And 'tis too common for Men at the firft Work of Converfion, Oh then to cry for Grace and Chrift, and afterwards grow Licentious, live and lie in the Breach of the Law, and take their Warrant for their Courfe from the Gofpel." Shepard's Parable Part. I, p. 126. R 2 Again,
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