132 Non-denial dangerouu. Want of felt: denyall dan- gerous. vs Gen. i9.9. ? U Sam. so. 29 t i Sam.5,4, CHAP, I V, COnfider this then, and fee the dangerous thateofmen not denying themfelyes and their owne ends and thoughts, not fiibjeftmg themfelves and all that they have to Chrift and his fervice ; as the Sodomites would not have Lot to be a In fudge among them , no more will many men have Chrift to reign over them ; the formes of Be- lial i, 4esfifed Saul, and brought him no prefents. Many like tonnes of Belial defpife Chrift in his perfon, they fee no beauty nor comlineff: in him, they defpife him in his Cos`fell , they will not valle to his Scepter , they defpife hirn in his Embaffaders, they deny audience, and reverence to their meffage, they defpife him in his offices, they doe not heare him as their Prophet, obey hirn as their Ki.ig, they doe not beleeve in him as the Prieff who bath off: red himfelfe to God an al-fufficient facrifice for them, they defpifehim in his c laWes,they burft them afunder,asSampfón burft his withsdlrange and fhamefitll is the contempt oflèred by prophane perfons to the Lord Jefus,and though theypro- feffe Chrifl,and pretend Chrifl,&will have Chrift to beprea- chcd and fpoken ofamong them;yet as the 'Phil/Hines though they entertained theArke, yet they fet Dagon t above, and would not endure thepretence therofwhen Dag=fell before 1 it:fo theft: men though they outwardly entertaine Chriff, and ( give him fame place amongfl them, yet they will fet their i Deigon, their hafts, their pride, pleafures, profits,inventions above Chrift ; and if their D gon fall , if Chrift begin to View his power, and worke upon their Dagon, difcover, reprove, (ha me,.. and offs to call downe their lofts, and will not fuff:r there to raigne , they grow very weary of Chrifl, his pretence is uncomfortable :.. Chrifl preached in 1 his power ever proves a Earthen to the foule where finne is pleafant and delightfall ; he that doth not deny him- felfe, denies Chrift ; he that allowes not Chrift a full and umi -!
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=