2;8 C H R I S T'S rEartx and yet be in darkenoffe ; nay, in worfe darkneffe, then Igno- rant blind people that have no light at all ; If the light that X in thee he darknefe, bow great is that darknere, Matth.f. 23. Such people are more feuf'eleffe at the word, harder to be wrought on, they have the more dif#indfons to deceive their owne Joules, they thinke too well of rhemfèlves; t'.,ey are too wife to be fooles, that they may be wile, they are far then off from confef6on; if they had leffe knowledge, it may be Rlorc hope to doe them good. But having fo much know - ledge in a carnali tninde, it is made a nrong hold aggainfl grace; it is with loch people as it was withBabllo s ; Thy wtfedome, and thy knowledge kath perverted thee, ííá. 47. 1o. True knowledge is a good thin. ; but when a man is flefhed with it, that he takes himlelfe to be lòrne body, this marres all ; but J will fpeake no more of this. 2. Secondly , for approving of the Truth ; that cannot be the life of the mend neither ; when a man approves goodneffe, and good people, this indeed is an excellent mercy of God, to make a man approve goodnefie, and good men, O how are filch bound to bethankfull ! few goe fo farre. But alas if thou geed no farther, thy mimic is not yet quickened up to God ; as the Aponte fhewes, that a man dead in his finnes (sill, may yet approve the belt things. Thou knowelf his will, and approvefi the things that ore ts.f excellent, Rom.2.1 8. Herod approved John the Baptifl, and his preaching. Achifh King of Gath approved David and all his wayes ; nay, the devill approved Chrifl. ,3 know the. who thou art, the Ho- one of God ; Mark.z.24, Suppofe thou approvcfk all the wayes of Chrin, O what good wayes they be, thou liken his promifes, thou counted his Ordinances admirable good and lovely, O confider what the Apofile Cayes, happy is the man that condnsneth not bintfel fe in that be alloweth, Rom. 14.22. So may j fay to thee, don thou allow of all aria - nefíe and pureneffe and precife people ? O fayefl thou the precifer the better ! this is well ; now thou art a happy man, if thou doefl not coi demne thy kilt in that which thou allowefl ;
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