Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5037 .F46 1651

H + 7 4T#'eodife of the*Hsffs. Gregerp. If thine rfations carnal, are thy rpofes. as the Angel Phut the door upon the Sodomites, caft out the bond-woman with her brat too, as Sarah did Fla - ,ear and her little one, as Gregory fpeaks, Thou wilt never be able to fubdue it otherwife. Thou wouldeftcrucifie thy tufts, and mark the fire rifings thereof, thus thou wouldft do, if thou hadft a care of thy foul. But wilt thou let thy tufts grow, and get armour to kill thee'? wilt thou let them gather ftrength and ripeneffe to damn thee ? there is net a loft of them, but it comes like an armed man to fight againft thy foul ; now if thou fet thine affeftions too on the things of this life, thou doft flrengthen it and weapon it yet more. What a wretched rpifery is this !thy lufts war againft thy foul to undo it, and yet thou doll lreng_then them ; yea, thou dolt encreafe them, helpeft their forces, O fools, when will ye underftand ? do we not fee how we are over- powred by our halls ? do they not every day conquer us in the open field ? There is not a prayer we make, but dead nelfe of heart gets the day like a Çonq,ueróur. Not a -duty we perform, but lukewarmneffe proves victor. Nay, our tufts. do not only overcome us, but they leade us in tri- umph. Some of our lulls carry us up and, down from ga -, ming to fretting, from fretting to revenging, from revert ging to fwearing, from fwearing to lying froth one Gnpd to another, as they lift. And our tufts are ftc iErong that war againft our fonts, that we are not afhamed to lay down our bucklers and fay we cannot refill. I was angry, alas ! it is my nature, cannot mailer it. I rap out an oath now and then, alasl I was provoked, and I cannot help it : mull fay and doe as fuch an one would have me, he is my friend, I cannot deny him. Thus our lulls have given us mortal wounds, and have murdered our fouls, and all this is, becaufe our a ffedions are earthly, for they encreafe all etur tuts, and make them more able to vanq.uifh us, Thiedly., If thiaee 4f ellions be carnal, fo be thy peirpofcs : Men, purpoferaccording as they affect. He that affels lath a g9o,4, bap. ±y wil}:p t ofe to maize it.: Hç that affefts pleafure,

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