The eílhridgement oftheCj f el. ìy99 fopaffeth on in a kind ofdrowfinefff and fecuritie, like an Oxethatteeth to the "laughter s; orels it isperplexed and diftraeted withinwardhorror, not knowing g Pro.y.as. which way to turne itfelfe for any true refrelhing t And the reafon is this ; In e- carry naturall heart , Sathan reigneth and worketh , and Chat is a ftrangerfrom h ephas. it. Now where the King ofconfuliion reigneth, and where thePrinces ofyeas i uóy 9.6. isaftranger, what comfort can bd looked for ? Againe, the fonndariórs ofall true comfort, isthe perfwafionof Godslouein the forgiueneffeof fins ; but this, Ian; fore , doth not grow innaturesgarden. And thirdly, let a foule be wounded, a heart pricked,a confcienceaflonithed,with the apprehenfionoffin,and with the Terror ofthe Lord Jr, all thewit ofall thewifeft men in the world,out oftheir own k z:Cor.s. i, reafon cannot comfortit. This is alimmeofour natural(darknefTe. Let vsonce be touched with inward forrow, let natnredoeherheft, let carnal!reafon ßretch itfelfe to theermoft pin, yet (hall we be Cwallowedvp withdifmaiedueffe. . This teaçheth vs, what wemutt doe,whenas in fickneffe, loffe, difgraces,and in TheVre. any other fadneffe; and fidlenneffeof the fpiritwedefrrerefrefiting. Ifwee sake- counfell of Nature or ofcárnallfriends, whatdireaion (hall we receive i Com- pany,Muficke, difcourie, gaming, and thig softhe like nature ; which are like towater taken by one lickeofa burning feá which cooleth a little at the firft, but after increafeth the beate : or to flicken catched atby amanready to be drowned,which promife fosse hope ofhelpe, but. yet faile is the ufe, and perifh with him thatmuffed to them. If wedeftre truecomfort, we mull goeout of our felues, andlooke upward, tohim, who is the Godof all confolation In hisword l z Cor.a.g. wemull meditate: Except (faith Mudd) thy Law hod l'cene mydelight. I fhould newhaueperifhedinmineOaten m. The caul of mens deadneffe in the day of mPfal.ú9.9z. forrow,istheir dependànceypon carnal! moues (the reedofEgypt.) whilein the n !fay36.6. mease time theyneglea theprincipal 1. The doár The thirdpartofour natural! mifery, is fubiellionto eternal! death. Death is otiòm.s ls. gone oueradmen.:and,Tbewagesoflimo is death P. God told Adam , that in the P Rom.6.:;. day that hedid eate theforbiddenfruit, he if,ould die the death 9. Now inafinuch as y Geu..a7, we haueall taken part withthisdifobedience, wee haue all a (hare in tbispunifh. ment. ThispunithtnentiscallndDeath, not becaufe it isan utter abolifhment of theBeingofthe creature, (happiewere it for thewicked ifit were fo) but i it is focalled , becaufe the foule is eternally feparated from God , who is thefoun. taise oflife and happinelfe,and by that meaues,it is euerdying, butdieth neuer, milkinga diffolution,but can neuer obtaine it. The efehereof is tohumble vs, and toabate our natural! pride. Among men, The tij if we feeone that is a begger by birth,to be proude, and lifting vp himfelfe, we account it intolerable. Put cafe Come one were borne to be a flaueor a drudge, weWouldthinke fuch an one had littlecaufe ofboafting r Yet fuch is the naru railcondition of vs all. The fhadow anddarkener of eternalldeath, is our bellin- heritance. Let God gluearson:. right , and what portidn can we capesbut the Fireofhell ? leis natures defert,nayit is euen thedelireofnature , to beplunged into it. Why arewefecure,whom ourfrnneshauecaft intofuchadifmalleftate? Thouprideft thyfelfe in thybirth , thouin thywealth, thou in thy wit, thouin thy painted (heathand gay [loathing, andconfidered not, thy beltdefert what it is, and whereto it tends : whereas thon oughteft rather topowre ant thy heart like waterbefore thefaceoftheLordr, and to cry with David: Same me OGod ;r De.. If Lam.z.zg; tiuir me one ofthe mire, that lflake not : Letnot thepitfine her month uponmet. Pfal h Thus much touching the fluteof the parties, upon whom Cllrift beftoweth i4,tf, thebenefit offaluation : where' we fee thatweare all by nature without the light of knowledge, withoutthe light of comfort, ready tobee fwallowed vein the darkeneffe ofeternall death. The right vnderftanding ofthis point, when it workes to the humblingof theConic , is the very firft fteppe to happineife , and the firft fruits oftruegodlineffe. 0 4 The
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