290 The twelfth Sign PART III. Many naturalMen, under the Means that are ufed with them, and God'sStrivings with them to bring them to forfake theirSins,do by their Sins,asPharaoh did by hisPride andCoveteoufnefs,which he gratified by keeping the Children of Ifrael in Bondage, when God (trove with him to bring him to let the People go. When God's Hand preffed Pharaoh fore, and he was exercifed with Fears of God's future Wrath, he entertain'd fome Thoughts of letting the People go, and proinifed he would do it ; But fromTime to Time he broke his Pro- mires, when he faw there was Refpit. When God fill'd Egypt with Thunder and Lightning, and the Fire ran along the Ground, then. Pharaoh is brought to confers his Sin with Teeming Humility, and to have a great Refo'lution to let the People go, Exod. 9. 27, 28. find Pharaoh lent and calledfor Motes andAaron, andfaid unto them, ' I have finned this rime ; the Lord is Righteous, and I and my People are wicked : Intreat the Lord (for it is enough ) that there be no snore mighty Thunderings and Hail, and I will let you go, and ye(hallflay no longer. So Sinners are fometimes, by Thunders and Lightnings, and great Terrors of theLaw, brought to a Teeming Work of Humiliation, and to Appearance to part with their Sins but are no more thoroughly brought to a vifpofrtion to difmifs them, than Pharaoh was to let the People go. Pharaoh in the Struggle that wasbetween hisConfcience and his Lufts, was for contriving that God might be ferved, and he enjoy his Lufts that were gratified by, the Slavery of the People, too. MMofes infifted that Ifrael's God ihould be ferved and facrificed to Pharaoh was willing to content to that ; but would have it done without his parting with the People : Go facrifice to your God in the Land, lays he, Exod. 8. 25. So many Sinners are for contriving to ferve God, and enjoy their Lufts too. Mofes objected againft com- plying with Pharaoh's Propofal, that fet'ving God, and yet continuing Eg}'pt under their Tafk-matters, did not agree together, and were rnconiiftent one with another ; ( there is no rerving God, and con- tinuing Slaves to fuch Enemies of God at the fame Time. ) After this Pharaoh contented to let the People go, provided they would not go far away He was not willing to part with them finally, and therefore would have them within Reach. So do many Hypocrites with Refpea to their Sins. Afterwards Pharoiih contented to let the Men go, if they would leave the Women and Children; Exod. i o. 8, 9, r,o: And then after that, when God's Handwas. yet harderupon him, he contented that they fhould go, even. Women and: Children, as well as Men, provided they would leave their 'Cattle behind' But he was not willing to let them go, and all that they had ; Exact. s o. 24. So it oftentimes is with Sinners : They are willing to part with tome of their Sins ; but not all : They are brought to part with, the more grofs Adts of Sin :; but not to part with their Lufts, in leffer Indul- gencies of 'em. Whereas we muff part with.alU our Sins.,, little and great ; and all that belongs to 'em, Men, lumen, Children and Cat- tle
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