288 Againfi fpiritual wickedneffe. wing foule pray, thy faith is thong ; let the weake lie at the breaft, thouart well grownup ; nay, 'tis well if it goes not fur. ther to a defpifingof Ordinances, except they have fotne more courtly fare then ordinary : fuch a paffe were the Coeinthimae come to, s Cor. 4. 8. Now ye are full, now ye are rich, p reign like Kings without us. I pray oblerve how he !ayes the ac- cent on the particle now ; now ye are rich , as if he had Paid, I knew the time if Paul had been come to town, and newel fpread abroad in the City that Paul was to preach, you would have flock'c to hear him, and blefred God for the feafon but then you werepoor and empty ; now ye are full, you have got to a higher attainment; Paul is a plain fellow now, he may car- , ry his cheere to a hungry people if he will, we are well apaid. And when once the heart is come to this, 'tis calk to judge what will follow. Secondly, this trufling to the ftrength of grace will make the loule bold and venturous. The humble Chriftian is the wary Chriffian, he knows his weakneffe, and this makes him afraid. I have a weak head, faith he, I may be loon difputed into an er.. rour and heretic, and therefore I dare not come where fuck flu& is broach'c, left my weak head should be intoxicated : the con- fident man he'll lip of every cup, he fears none ; no, he is fta blith't in the truth, a whole teamof hereticks (hall not drawhim elide. I have a vain light heart ,faith the humble foule ; I dare not comeamong wicked debautch't company, left I fhould at Taft bring the naughty man home with me: but one fluffing to the ftrength ofhis grace, dares venture into the devils quarters, Thus Peter into the rout of Chrifts enemies, and how he came off you know ; there his faith had been flair: on the place, had not Chrift founded a retreat, by the feafonable look of love he gave him. Indeed I have read of fome bragging Philofophers, whodid not think it enough to be temperate, except they had the objeft for intemperance relent ; anii therefore they would go into Taverns and Whore-houfes, as if they meant tobeat the devil on his own ground ; but the Chriftian knows an enemy nearer then fo, which they were ignorant of; and that he need not go over his own threthold to challenge the devil. He bath lull in his bofome that will be hard enough for himall his dayes, without giving it the vantage grouud. Chriflian, I knowno fin, but
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