Againfl fpiritual wicAdneffe. 3 a 3 give (inners ofreje6ting his grace ? Are not heaven and hap. pineffe things defirable, and to be prefered before fin and mi- fery ? Why then do you not <embrace them? or are they the worfe, becaufe they come Iwimming to you in the blood of Chrift ? oh how ill mull Chrift take it to be thus ufed, when he comes on fuch a gracious ambaffage ? may he not fay to thee as once he did to thole officers fent to attach him, 'Do you come out againft me as a thief Iva h fvoora's andeaves ? If he be a thief, 'cis only in this, that hewould flea! your fins from your and leave 1 heaven in the room : 0, for the love of God think what you do, 'tis eternal life you put away from you, in doing of which, you judge yourfelves unworthy ofit, Ads 13. 46. Secondly, it reproves thofe who are Satans inftruments, to z. rob foules of what is heavenly. Among thieves there are fome ye call Setters, who enquire where a booty is tobe had, which when they have found, and know fuch a one travels with a charge about him then they employ fome other to rob him, and are themfelves not feen in the bufineffe. The devil is the grand Setter, he obferves the Chriftian how he walks, what place and company he frequents, what grace or heavenly trea- lure hecarries in his bofome ; which when he bath done, he bath his inftruments for the purpofe to execute his defigne. Thus he confidered the admirable graces of rob, and eels a- bout how he might belt rob himof his heavenly tre afure : and who but his wife and friends mull: do this for him? (well know- ing that his tale would receive credit from their mouths.) 0 friends, ask your confciences,whether you have not done thede- vil fome fervice ofthis kinde in your dayes. Poffibly you have a childe or fervant who once look's heavenward,but your brow- beating of them feared them back, and now (may be) they are as carnal as you would have them : or poffibly thy wife before acquainted with thee, was full of life in the wayes ofGod, but fince the bath been tranfplanted into thy cold Toile, what by thy frothy fpeeches and unfavoury converfation, at belt thy world- lineffe and formality, The is now both decayed in her graces, and a lofer inher comforts. 0man, what an enditement will bebrought againft thee for this atGods bar ? you would come offbetter, were it for robbing one ofhis money and jewels then of his graces and comforts. -. S f Thirdly,
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