134 e11fii eetconfort Iights,their hands mayfuddenly ftrike a deadlyblow,and theirfcete may eafilybe feared Takeheede to incarnali pleafures. BewareO man,be cireumfpe&Owoman, that thou proftitute not ourlibertie. thy lèlfe to toomuch libertin : for although incommingto fuch lafciuious and coney. tiousplaces thou diddefbpurpofenone col! ; yet forthy ventringwithoutwarrant, thou mail' beouer thy Ihoes in fin, and plunged in fomewickedattempt ouer head and cares, ere thou beefsaware. Andbecaufevice is fo confinevetovertue, bewarealloof luperfli- tion : for 1till the comic labouretheitherto maketheetoohardie in finne, or elleLee will cattle thee tobe too fearefull andfuperftitious ; either hewillpuffe thee vpwith prefump- tion,orattaulrtheewith defperation. ToHick' tentations our natureis very pliable :fiat toprefumption, asmay appeare by our common fpeech ;tufh, the preacher is but a man as Iam,Iain lurehehath infirmities as others hut ; we areno Angels, our nature is con- thedime!! rupt,weare but fle(h, Iam lure you would nothaue vs Gods. Thus thediuell conuneth aeeopting, to tempt; but heeapparrelleth hünkelfeinanotherfutewhen beecommeth to accule, and The diked tic, thenofa fiyehemakes an Elephant ; ofthe veryfmalleft prickeof a pinne, a globe ofthe whole earth ; ofamolehill a mountaine : and preffethTillie fouleswith feares and terrors, that they knownot howtowinde out themklues. Ifheecannot bring themto makeno confcience, where they Mould make confcience,heewill labour to bring them to make confcience where theyneede make no confcience. Hee cared]notwhetherthou wilt bee Note. retniffeorfuperftitious;fo thoube one ofthem. Ifhecannot get youto follow theEpieu- rifine ofthe world,asLibertines in diet and apparel! ; lace will makeyou toprecife,as to thinke ita hainous frnne,to Bateone bit ofmeate,or toweare one ragofcloath morethan fornecefitie. Howneedful! therefore itis to laut withan rum courfe,wc mayconiedlune byother thingswhich will bewray the corruptionofournature. sotdnesin In thetisneofa plaguewe thail feeShinewill be fo bold, that without any lawful! cal. flare. Eng or godlywarrant, theywill rufh into places infe&ed 5 and then falling ficke,their confciencepnckes than for their temptingof Godbyanvnaduifed boldnes, in the honre of their death. Othersplunged as deeply ina quite contrarie extremitic,are too fearefull when they doebut heare ofthe ficknefie ; and for very feare haue beenbrought ro deaths docre, on- ly by imaginingtremfelues tobane been infeeted,whenthey haue been Moll free,who of- tentimes haue evendied,and that without anynaturals coule that cud could be kit oçvne; butonly through immoderate fearé, and the judgement ofGod comming vpon them for their infidchtie and vnbeleefe. Thus it is with vs inChriftianitie,in that as well the op- prefimg our felues with toomuch feare tobe oueicroíne,as the carnall fecnritic,in netfea- ringto beouercome,tnaÿ bring fame vponvs : God his childrensnuff labour for a mea- fure,andthat muff befought for in theword,whichwill teach them howthey Thal reither declineon the right hand, nor on the left 5 butwill guide themin the narrow way,ihew- ing ineuery thingwhat is vertue,what is vice ; what is theinane, what is the extreame. zeale. Amongmany examples,letvs confiderofzeale,a molt precious vertueinChriltiarritie, fo longas it isfree fromtheextremities. Otherwife ifweebee cold in zealé, it is a finer on the left hand : ifwee bezealous without knowledge, it is prepofterous, andbecommeth a finneon therighthand. Whitper ¡. Butcan wenotcome tofomepperfe&ion ?No,ifyouvnil'erfland it for an abfolutevn. Ilionwe hasse f ottednesalbeit to that perfeétienwhichthe Scripturetakethfor loundnes,troeth,and in this life. finceritieofheart, which is voidecfcareleffe remilnes, weemay come. Neither doth the Lord deakwithvsafter our fumes,nor rewardvs afterour iniquities: in whole eyesthe molt glorious a&ions of men,arebut as waters flowingpurely fromthe Conduit,but defi- led bypaffing through afilthiechanell. Wherefore hauingthsele isssprrfeferosss,let vs not feeke to bemore righteous thanwee can be, Paying for eueryerror ofthis life; Oh, I a:n none of GodhisTonnes, Iamnoneofhisdaughters : for Icannot fin& thatperfeetionin me which is to bee required. But let vs comfort ourfelues'is the truethof ourhcarts,and finglenesofourdefires to fettle God, becaufehe isGod and fo wee Mall be acceptedof God. Ifpeake thisto this end,thatpoore Coates mighthaue comfort,and know that if they abhorre
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