- - ......... . !. .. And having doneall tofiancL 379 Lain finned, fee how he falls further and further like a flone down a hill, never ftayes till he comes to the bottome of de- fpair ; from envying his brother to malice, from malice to mur der, from murder to impudent lying, and brazen-fac'e bold- nefre to God himfelf, and from that to defpair 5 fo true is that, 2 Tim, 3 13. evill men Pall waxe worfe and Worfe. But now when a Saint falls,he rifeth, becaufe when he falls hebath a print ciple of life to cry out to Chrift, and fuch an intereft in Chrift as flits him up to help ; Lord Jayeme, Paid Peter, (when he be- gan to fink) and prefently Chrifls hand is put forth, he chides him for his unbelief, but he helps him. Secondly, an unregenerate foul hath no affurance for the con tinuance of thole common gifts of the Spirit hebath at prefent; they come on the fame termes that temporal enjoyments do to filch a one. A carnal perfon, when he bath his table molt fumptuoufly fpread, cannot fhew any word of promife under Gods hand that he (halt be provided for the next meal. God gives thefe things to the wicked, as we a cruft or a nights lodg- ing to a beggar inour barne ; 'tis our bounty, Inch a one could not fue us for denying the fame : fo in thecommon gifts of the Spirit, God was not bound to give them, nor is he to continue them. Thou haft fome knowledgeof the things ofGod, thou mayeft for all this die without knowledge at laff; thou art a fin ner in chaines, retraining grace keeps thee in; this may he taken off, and thou let loofe to thy lufts as freely as ever. And how can he perfevere that in-one day may from praying fall to curling, from a whining complainingconfcience come to have a feared confcience. Thirdly, every unregenerateman, when molt bufie with Pros feffion, hath thole engagements lie upon him, that will necef- lardy, when put to it, take himoff one time or other. One is en. gaged to the world, and when he can come to a good market for that, then he goes away, he cannot have both, and now he'll make it appear which he loved belt. Dem& bath forfaket MI, andembraced this prefent World. Another is a flave to his luft, and when this calls him he mutt go in fpight of Profeffion, con- fcience, God and all, Herod feared John, and did many things, but love is ftronger then feare ; his love to Herodias overcomes his fear of 7ohn, and makes him cut of at once the head of Cct z
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