darknefe,of this World. 9 and therefore he playes with his fin; as the childe with the waves, that by and by will fwallow him up. Confcience is Gods alarm to call the finner up ; It Both not alwayes ring in his care Char bath knowledge, being ufually fet by God [ago off at fome fpecial ; when God is fpeaking in an Orai- nance, or ftriking in a Providence ; but an ignorant foule,this is filent. The Clock cannot go when the weights are taken off; Confcience is only a witneffe to what it knows. Thirdly, ignorance flints out the means ofrecovery. Friend4 and Minitlers, yea, Chrilt himfelf ftands without,and cannot help the creature, as fuch threarenings and promifes, all ofno tife ; he fcares not the one, he defires not the other, Eecaufe be knows neither : Heaven-way cannot be found in the dark, and there- fore the firft thing God cloth, is to fpring in with a light, and let the creature know where he is and what the way is to gcc out of his prifon-houfe, without which all attempts to el-cape are in vain. There is fome fhimmering light in all, Non dantur pure tonebra, I think, is good Divinity as well as Philofophy : and this night-light may difcover many fins, produce inward pi ickings of confcience for them, yea, flir up the creature to ftep afide, rather then drown in fuch broad waters. There are fome fins fo cruel and coftly, that the molt prottrate foul may in timebe weary of their fervice for low ends : but what will all this come to, if the creature be not acquainted with Chrift the true way to God faith and repentance the only way to Chrift? Inch a one after all this Wile, in (leadof making an efcape from Satan, will run full into his month another way. There are fome wayes, which at firft feem right to the travel- ler; yet winde about fo infenfibly, that when a man bath gone far, and thinks himfelf near home, he is carried back to the place from whence he fet forth. This will befall every foule ignorant of Chrift, and theway of life through him ; after many yeares travel, as they think,towards heaven by their good meanings, blinde devotions and reformation, when they than expe6t to be within fight of heaven, they (hall finde themfelves even where they wereat firft, as very (laves to Satan as ever. This fpeaks to you that are Parents, fee what need VP 10 you have of inftrufting your children , and training them up betimes in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Till thefe g 3 shaines 'jl
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