Againfi fpiritualwickedneffe. 269 errour is fpiritual adultery. Paul fpeaks of his efpoufing them to Chrift ; when aperfon receives an errour, he takes a ftranger into Chrifts bed, and it is the nature of adulterous love to take away the wiles heart from her true husband, that (he delights not in his company fo much as of her adulterous lover : and do we not fee it at this day funk! ? do not many (hew more zeal in contending for one errour, then for many truths?how ftrange. ly are the hearts of many taken off from the wayes of God, their lovecool'd co the Ordinances and Metlengers of Chrift? and all this occafioned by fome corrupt principle got into their bofomes, which controuls Chrift and his truth, as Hagar and her fon did Sarah and her childe. Indeed Chrift will never en- joy true conjugal love from the foole, till like e.46rahamhe turns thee out of doors Errour is not fo innocent a thing as ma- ny think it ; it is as unwholefome food to the body, that poi- fons the fpirits and forfeits the whole body, which feldom feth away and notbreak out into fores. As the knowledge of Chrifi carries a foule above the pollutions of the world, fo er-,1 rour entangles and betlayes it to thole luth, whofe hands it had eicaped Thirdly Satan in drawinga foule into this fpiritual fin bath a defigne todifturb the Rite of the Church, which is rent and fhattered when this fire- (hip comes among tht m. I hear (faith Paul) there are divilions amongyou, and I pa'tly beleeve it, for there muff be herefie, j Cor. i r. 18, 19. implying that divifi- ons art: the natural iffue of herefie, Errour cannot well agree with errour, except it be againft the t,pth, then indeed (like Pilate and Herod) they are eafily made friends, but when truth kerns to be overcome, and the bittrl is over with that, then they fall out among themfelves, and therefore it is no wonder if it be fo troublefomea neighbour to vuth. 0 Sirs, what a fweet fl- knee and peace was there amongchriflians a dozepyears ago; me thinks the looking back to thole bleffed clayes in this refpe61-; (though they had alfo another way their troubles, yet not fa uncomfortable, becaufe that ftorme united, this fcatters the Saints fpirits) is joyous to remember in what unity and love Chri- {bans walk't, that the Pertecu-tors of thofe times might have laid, as their Predeceffours didof the Saints in praniiive tines See boW they lave one another but now alas theymay ere .and. Mm 3 fay 3-
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