224 Againfr the Rulers of the .knees tokeep thee fromChrift, thou wilt throw themaway. If thy, father and mother fhould lie prostrate at thy foot, rather then not go to Chrift, to go over their very backs to him. Ne- ver can we part with their love upon fuch advantageous termes as theft. And for thy brAhren in iniquity, I hope thou doeft not mean to flay while thou haft their good will, then even ask thedevils alfo. Heaven is but little worth if thou haft not a heart to defpife a little fhame, and beare a few frumps, from pro- phane /Amaels for thy hopes of its Let them fpit on thy face, Chrift will wipe it off; let them laugh fo thou winneft. If they follow not thy example before theydie, the fhame will be their own ; God himfelf (hall fpit it on their face before men and An- gels, and then kick them into hell. And laftly, fcape but the fnare of thofe flatterers, who ufe their tongues only to lick fin-. ners confcienceswhole with theirplacentids foothingdoctrine, and thou art faire for a Chrift ; ask not counfel of them, they may go about to give you cafe, but all thole -flitcheswith which they iowe up thy wounds, mutt be ripp'c open, or thou dieft for it. 3. < Thirdly, Satan labours to while off the (inner with delayes. Floating, flitting thoughts of repenting he feares not, he can give (inners leave to talkwhat they will do ; fo he can beg time, and by his Art keep fuch thoughts from coming to a head, and ripening into a prefent refolution; few are in hell but thought of repenting ; but Satan fo handled the matter, that they could ne- ver pitch upon the time in earnest when to do it. If ever thou meaneft to get out of his clutches, flie out of his doors, and run for thy life, whereever this warning findes thee flay not, though in the midit of thy )oyes, with which thy lulls entertain thee : As the paper which came toTrenriaf, (from that Senatour his dear friend) took him at fupper with his wife and children, and bade him fleecit, citiist, citiffime which he did; leaving his dear company and fweet cheerer fo do thou or elfe thou mayeft re- pent thy flay when 'tis too late. A vifion charged the wire men to go back anotherway, and not fo much as fee Herod, though he had charged them otherwile. 0 go not back, drunkard, to thy good fellows; adulterer to thy Queanes; covetous wretch, to thy ufury and unlawful gaine: turne another way, and gray Life not the devil a moment. The command faith, now re pen
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