'Self-feel;,er! tssithankef ,--dipontsntecí 180 'from the throne ? The one feared let through Adnerten- tring into Covenant with 'Davidhish pour wouldbe eclip- fed , and the other was ambitious of his Fathers Throne, carried away with an inordinate . delire to reigne. Self feekers arc not terrified with the horridnef a of any pra- éife,be it never fo unnatural' and mcrcilefle : ThezProdi- gall in the parable making carnal! pleafures the prime ob- feft of his decires, fully minding and intend:ng the fatis- faftion of his owne lults, left his Fathers houfe, put him- felfe into confort(hip with harlots, and fpent all his pa- trimony Man being over indulgent to himfelfe, and his owne corrupt aff ftions forfakes God, the Word, and way ofGod, and runs into all exórbitancies ; very fhamefull and odious are the wayes and courfes cuffed upon by felt- feckers. He that rckraines not himfelfe from felf.feeking, will never containe himfelfe within the bounds and limits which God bath prefcribcd to him, but will wander from -God, and the rule of holy walking, into many forbidden evils. Sarah and Rahel being carried with an over- ftrong delire after children, feeking themfelves too much in that .behalfe, became impatient and would not wait for God any longer in Godsway-, they put themfelves upon a forbid- den way, and'gave their _handmaids totheir husbands. Saatl contrary to the Lords commandcrnent, intending his owne worldly profit, fpares -the heft of the Amalekiti(h beaks : ,Achan in a felf-feeking humour 'layes his greedy hands upon thegolden wedge, and Babylonifh garment, the curfed thing which God had forbidden tobe fpared ; there is no eviIl fo -odious, foule andhateful', whichhe will not adventure upon, that is overfwayedwith the luft of felf- .feeking. 6.Self feeking makes man unthandrffull anddifcontented with hip prefent e.f&ate and condition, though in it felfe an ekatevery -full and comfortable : The eyes of' a felf- fecker are fo much upon what he bath not, that he neither takes notice, nor tarts the fweetneffe of what he bath ; his full vcffell is an empty bottle, and his Paradife in his owne àpprehenlion as ábarren wilderneflè, his thoughts are moreperplexed with the delire of what he feetnes to want, then comforted with the pre- fence t Lui. i 5. a Geno6.q, & 304,4. I Sam 14. 6 Difcontc°ced>
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