Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5037 .F46 1651

24 Wilfull Impenitency feverely to reprove thee, and exaa a fine of thee for e- very mifgoverning word? Why doft thou not bawke fuch acquaintance as may occafion thy tongue to cal} out Oathes ? Why doff thou not club down thy lufts with argument upon argument ? Shall I be touchie to be damned , and proud to be damned ? &c. Even argu- ments of felf -love are able to knock them down. I do not know how : No ? that's becaufe thou wilt not know : They know not, neither will they underffand, Pfal. 8z. 5. So, thou knoweff not, neither wilt thou under- (land : that's the reafon thou (fill Walkefl in darl¿neffe. Why doff not thou oppofe thy lufts at firf} riling ? Non obtinebis ut definat , fi incipere permiferis, (ayes Seneca: Thou canif never get viftory, except thou be here firft in the field : The Lord bath given thee counfels on this falhion, why doff thou not ufe them ? only becaufe thou wilt not. Haft thou impediments ? Clarancus had them too,but he overcame them, (ayes Seneca : why doff not thou ? If thou wilt not, thou doff willingly pe- perifh : thou mightft do more then thou doff, but thou wilt not : and thou mightft fhun more then thou doff, but thou wilt not. Fourthly, becaufe thou wilt fay, All thefe things are but natural, and moral!, and civil, I may perifh for all thefe ; but alas, I am not able to do any thing fpiritu- ally ; I cannot beleeve, I cannot repent. Though this be very true, yet thy Plea is no excufe: for though they be natural!, yet they are firft. Firft that's in order which is natural, and after that which is fj irituall : and if thou ffickeff there, thou ftickeft at a will not. The Lord hath taken a fufficient courfe to humble thee, and thou wilt not be humbled. Thou faift, Thou can't not obey fpi- ritually : I grant it, it's true ; nor repent fpiritually : why then, Wilt thou not be humbled that thou canff not ? As God Paid to Pharaoh , How long wilt thou re- fufeto humble thy felf before me ? Exod. 10.3.' There is : Kin..2.1.' 9. external! humiliation, as Ahabs humiliation ; thou maiff come

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