Barrenneffi under the Gof ell dangerous bamegathered Summer fruit, as the Grape gleanings of the Vintage, there is no chifter to eat. The good mare is perifbed out of the earth, there is none upright among m'n, &c. And thus the Lord expref- fed, as in a type, by a girdle bought, girt about the Prophets loynes, and afterwards rotten by the Fiver Euphrates, and 17.3 cab' away as good for nought, that Ifi-ael might fee how-God had brought them out ofiEupt,exalted them above all Nations, joyned them neer unto himtelfe, as a girdle about his loyns but in the multitude of their prerogatives and priviledges, they corrupted themfelves, grew obftinate, and were re jeE}ed of the Lord, and the elate of loch people is very doleful'. Firfr, in regrrd of F ru7ration ; they having fruftrated the labours of Gods faithful' Minifters, all the work of their ' Miniflery, in regard of any faving good to their fouls, hath been as the pouring of water upon the rock, the lowing of feed upon the land, the lighting of a candle to the blind. As David laid of his labour and care about Nabal, It vaine have I kept all that thin feio2^ bath in the 1Vildernefe. So may the Lord fay, In vaine have I letmÿ Miniaers as Watchmen, up- on their wall; in vaine have they, like husbands n, plant- ed, manured, watered the foules of the people, and there is no fruit. Thus the flower of the Prophets, in the perfon of Chria Jefus,complained of old, I have laboured in vaine,I have 'Pent any ftrength for nought. Secondly, in regard of Iiwxculablenele ; they have no cloak for their fin, they cannot fay as Abimilecb did in another cafe to Saul,Thy fervant knew nothing of all this, leffe or more. The pretence of the meanes of grace amongfl them, is a great ag- gravation of their corruption; their fin without the meanes is not fimply, but comparatively no fin. As the glory of the Law, though very glorious, had no glory, as the Apofile (peak - eth, in this refpe&, by rea ó.n of the glory.of the GofJel which cx- celleth ; fo that which was fin before, though very great fin, yet was no fin, in comparifonoftheir fin, now joyning ma- lice and wilful" obflinacy to their ignorance. Thirdly, in regard of Perver fron : They are by accident made theworfe by the meanes of life. As forne dïfeated eyes P 3 are I 109 Micah 7. t ,Z. Ier.z3.I. I Sari1.2.5.ai Ifa.49.4: 2. t Sani.zz.is Iohn 15.zz. z Cor.3.to. 3.
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