1 S 6 Security, furpr f d ,, or,, ;. Hinders out Communion with Chtift. {. Bringeth judgment po- t-hive. Future. Macap Eaek 9: Malac,;. Helps to watchfulnefs. t.Sobriety. Eph.s: feeking reft,andfinding none,at tilt he returneth from whence he went,aadfrndeththe houfe [wept andgarnifhed ; and be entereth in, and bringeth j evenfpirits more,worfe then hem¡elf. Alas! now many men are there, that tor a fit, in fome particulars have altered their cnurfe, and have thought to becomenew men : yetrulhing upon former occrfrons, and temptations to frn,they have grown fecure and carelefs, and now Sa- than hash gotten f}rongcr holdof them, with leven [pints wotfe, Nay, this is that that drivesaway Chrif}, and the comfortable influenceof his Spitit in the heart. The Church in cant. 5, wasafleep, was in, a fpiritual (lumber : and Chi goeth away, She leeks him whom her foul loved, but fhe could notfind him. 1 fpeak now to chofe that were awake , and are now af!cep r their hearts it may be are awake, but they walk not with that watchfulnefs and humility of fpirit', before the Lend as they ought ; therefore now they are heavy, and deffitute of the cotnfcrts of the Spirit. Well, they may thank themfelves ; Chrif}hathhid himfelfto' teach them to be morewatchful. And toconclude, This is the caufe of pofitive judgments. You know what came upon the old World, and upon Sodom and Gomorrah, for their fecurity. And likeveife of future judgements, it is that which caf}ethmen froni Heaven to Hell. That fervent that faith in his heart, my Mafierdeferreth his coming, and thereforehe eats, and drinks with the drunken r what is the iliac of it ? He fhall have his portiongiven himwith bypocrirer,where there isweeping,and wailing, and gnaThing of teeth, Mac.24. Here is enough (I Iuppofe) to awaken you. Whenfoever the heart of man is held down with fecure thoughts of Gods difpleafure, and thinks it at peace with Gad, it is an evident fign that wrath is a coming. Nay (beloved) in that mea- lure you are in carnal fecurity, in that meafure you are under wrath ; let that therefore be enough co awaken you, and fay thus with your felves ; lc were better for me a great deal to be among the number of thofe that complain, and aremourn- ing Chriflians; then to be in the number of thofe that are full of jollity , and jovia ley, that rejoyce and fport themfelves, that put far from them the evil day : I might then efcape thewrath of God , as they do. Who are they that efcape wrath See in Eeekiel9. Thofe thatwereawake when othersflept, thofe.that mourned when others laughed ; chofe that humbled themfelves before God , when others hardened themfelves; thofe were the men thatwere marked in the foreheadby the Angel, and they efcaped. And in the third of Malachi. , Thofe that feared the Lord, and thought upon his name, (in thole evil times) that fpake oft one to another r there was a book ofremembrance of them, and they are GJodi jewels; he will be fure co keep them fafe. Bac how(hall we come to be awakened ? I Ihould have told you fome helps for chis ; I will but touch upon a few in a word. Fief}, I will propound fobriety as amain help. Would you be watchful, and kept from fpiritual (lumber, take heed that you keep your felves fober. I (peak not of fobriecy, as it is oppofed to drunkennefs, though that be one thing, Be not filled with wine, wherein is excels, but be filled with the Holy Gfhoß, Ephef.5. As if he Ihouldfay, you cannot be filled with the Holy Ghef}, and-with excels of Wine: perlons that take liberty in exceffìve drinking, certainly they are deflituce of the Holy Ghof}, and fo of life and falvation. But I mean a further fobriecy; that is , as it is oppofed toworldly- mindednefs.. Take heed chatyou plungenot your felves coo much in the world, and worldly pleafures and cares, forthefe areagain(} the ruleof fobriety. Be fober inyour diet, inyour apparel, inyour gaining, inyour fpending, in your mirth, in your company, in every thing: that is, moderate your felves,and your affed}ions in thefe things. A man may loon grow to fach a drún- kennefs, by excels inworldly affed}ions , that he may be in adead fíeep, negleEting Cods judgements, and hisown of ate, as we fee men that plunge themfelves in worldly bulnefsare. It takes away the thoughts of thofe things that concernour fpiritual good. I fay not that you íhould leave off the bufinefs of the world , for every man mutt continue in thecalling that God hash let him. But I fay, moderateyour affedlions to
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