the graffiti self- murder. 79 Nay fourthly, you commend your fives more then God. Nay fifthly, you block_up the way to the throne ofgraee, Nay fixthly, you call all the blame upon God. Firff, becaufe you lay the blame upon nature. Secondly, becaufe you cafe the blame upon temptations. Thirdly, becaufe you lay the blame on the times. Fourthly, becaufe you lay the blame upon the comman- dement. Nay feventhly, you finde fault with all the dealings of God. Oh take heed then of thefe bafe pleas and pretences:for That I may interpole foure or five particulars unna med. Firft, this fame pleading is the caufe why you are la zy and idle in the ufe ofthe meanes : namely becaoefeyee Infer your hearts to,plead,Ob we cannot doe thus. We cannot beat downe this evill ; why did the unjufî Steward refufe honefl labour to worke for his living./ cannot digge [ayes he, Luke 16.3. therefore he refufed to labour ; fo this is the caufe why ye pray no more, and reforme no more, &c. Yee let your heartsthus to plcade, I cannot doe it ; This is the reafon why yeare backward to labour; how know ye what may be done if ye would buckle 1 to la- bour ? but alas. I eadnot doe is fay you ; and therefore ye are dead,and dul,and fluggifh to every good Ordinance. lhake off thefe. lazy heartedpleas , otherwife yee'1 never buckle to labour. Secondly, this fame pleading brings up an ill report upon piety andgodlinefJé ; generally men thinke religion is fo irkfome, and holineffe is impoffible. We cannot be Saints , and we are not able to be fa holy ; thefe pleas bring an evill report on Religion. Like the Pies that brought an evill report upon Canaan. Nom.13. a 3. What layes the Text in the verfe going before ? we be not able tb get it, fay they, verte 3 z. this made the refi ofthe peo- ple think bardlly oftheir going into Canaan ; they generally thought it was to very little end. Oh they were not able to '9
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