PA* 'It III of gracious "4jMons. 291 le : They mull all be let go, with their Young, and with their Old, with their Sons, and with their Daughters, with their Flocks, and with their Herds ; there muff not be an Hoof left behind: As Moles told Pha- raoh with Refpe& to the Children ofIfrael. At Taft, when it came to Extremity, Pharaoh contented to let the People all go, and all that they had; but he was not ftedfaftlyof that Mind 'He foon repented, and purfued after them again : And the Reafon was, that thofe Lufts of Pride and Coveteoufnefs, that were gratfied by Pharaoh's Domini- on over the People, and the Gains of their Service, were never really mortified in him, but only violently refrained. And thus, he being guilty of backfliding, after his feeming Compliance with God's Com- mands was deftroyed without Remedy. Thus there may be a forced parting withWays ofDifobedience to the Commands ofGod, that may feem to be univerfal,as to what appears,for a little Seafon : But becaufe 'tis a rneerForce,withouttheMortification of the inwardPrinciple ofSin, they will not perfevere in it ; but will return as theDog to hisVomit ; and fo bring on themfelves dreadful & remedilefs Deftruiion. There were many falfeDifciplesinChrift'sTime,that followed him for while; but none of them followed him to theEnd ; but fome on oneOccafion, and fame on another, went back and walked no more with him. + From The counterfeit and commonGrace of foolifh Virgins, after fome Time of glorious Profeffion, will certainly go out and . be quite fpent. It confumes in the ufing and fhining and burning. Men that havebeen molt forward, decay their Gifts decay, Life decays. It is fo, after fome Time of Profeffion : For at firft, it rather grows than decays and wi- thers : But afterward they have enough of it, it withers and dies.- ---The Spirit of God comes upon many Hypocrits, in abundant and plentiful Meafure of awakening Grace ; it comes upon them, as it did upon Balaam, and as it is in over- flowing.Waters, which fpread far, and grow very deep, and fill many empty Places.-- - -Tho' it doth come upon them fo, yet it doth never reft within, fo as to dwell there, to take up an eternal Manfion for himfelf. - ---Hence it doth decay by little and little ; 'till at laft it is quite gone. As Ponds fill'd with Rain-Water, which comes upon them ; not Spring- Water, that rifeth up within them it dries up by little and little, until quite dry." Shepard's Parable, Part II. p. 58, 5R " Some Men may apprehend Chrift, neither out of Fear of Mile- GG ry, nor only to preferve Tome Sin ; but God lets in Light cc and Heat of the bleffed Beams of the glorious Gofpel of the `" Son of God : And therefore there isMercy, rich, free,fweet, U 2 sc for
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