The ChnIiians loúrnall. 3 feeateft thoi met ' ? As if th4Lord had laid : O thou man,knoweft thou what n thoudoett? viiderlkandef tfifiou who it is againft whom thou fettenthy felfe? conceiueft thou thedanger that will follow it ? Sothat the first thingGod fought to bring himto;was the fight ofhis owne prefenterror,and that beingonce per ceiued; he became tradable ; Lord(faith he) what wilt time that 1doe.? I might o A&.g.6, eafily multiply examplesof thiskinde, but thefe may Crete to (hew, that the fenfe and apprehenfion ofour osent wandering, is the fir[t ftep toour entrance into life. And therefore it is that the Scripture is fo full, indifeouering our na- turall erring. The fpiritofGod fpeaking of the whole race, and,generationof PGLtM ;: mankinde, (for fo Pant applyeth it) faith,That all aregone out of theway. jaiah,nilfl we (faith theProphet) likefheepebauegone affray q : It isa placeworth q thenoting ; wehomegoneaffray like !beep.: there isno creature moreapttowan, der thena (heepe, there is nonemote unapt, of felfe, to recur= into the right wayagain. The Oxe (asthe Scripture faith) .knowetbhit owner, and theAP bit rEfir.;: *after.; cri5bee :: the very fwine accuilomed tothe trough, ifhe geeabroad, yet at-sight will finde theway homeagaine; but the (heepeonce ffraied, of hire. felfe returneth not. All the therefore (faith theProphet) like fheeparegoneaftray, to (hewourfrmplicity, andhowvepofsiblea thing it is for vsofourowne power to retnrne. And the Prophet in the next words giueth a reafon, Wee baue turned carryon' to hisown way': Godswaits and ourowne wales are dire&ly contra- fEfa.ç3.1. ry. Wee russenaturallyafter the wayesof ourowne hearts, and wee cannot chufe then but wanderutterly from the way of life.. Again, the lelfon of our Sauiour herebelongeth toall, Entericat theßraiegate. Entrance in at the gate prefuppofcth a beeingwithout the gate ; no manas bid toenter, that is already within: ifallbeexhorted to reenter, is,argueth that weare aliwithout;and ifwee be confidered inour felnes, thenas theApolile faith, Defirallies and calamity are inoar wayes,and theway ofpeacewedoe not know'. This careof theholy Choir, rRom:3. r6. in the wholecourfeof theScripture to acquaint vswith our wanderings,argueth thenecefsitieof theright vndetltanding of it, ifwee defies to be faued. Letvs make eleofthispoint. lc is a point of great vie, helping vs in themoil needefull point, the right The Pitt judgingof our ownecitate; let vi notbe wilfully careleffe herein I beleechyou; why Ibould weebe deftousto iudge in other things, as oftimes and feafons, of the faceof theskie (as Chrifl faith °) ofwares andcommodities, of cafes and uMaras.; quelions in theLaw; andyet neuer care to vnderftand how it farethwith our foules ? TheConic is the principall,and ought principally tobe looked unto. Let vs learneto Table to iudge ofourfelues,whether it be with vs as itought to be: Promoyour [elm (faith theApoftle'.) Letvsfearchand try oar Ayes, faith le. =,Cor,r3,p, re.nyy: examineyew heart vponyonrbed, (faith Daaid.,) Wee all haue a hope yLam.3.no. that it iswell with vs; let vs looke to it, that our hope (asthe.Apofile fpeaketh) o Pfil'9.4 maybe lochaswaymot makeyrafhamed'. There is nohurt gottenbythetryafl aRom,SS ofour [clues, there is alwayes danger in [scanty. Therebee rhoufands plunged into hell, that thought nothingIefle till they came there, and now they arepaft recovery : wee areall trauellers inoneof there twowayes, and we (hallarriseas oneof theft twoplaces here mentioned, life, ordeftruaionthere is no third: whowould not beeglad to know touching himfelfe, in whichof thefe twowaits he is,that ifhe be inthemill way, hemay fpeeçiily corne outof it; ifhebe.in the right, he maygee ontherein with cheerfulnefle ? Thispoint is the thing thatI haueaymed at in chafing this Text, and by it you (hall as ealily underhand it, as -yon do in your goinghome,iudge by fuch [tilesand gates,and hedges,whethct you are in the true way,yea,or no. Now this I may deliuer to you foramatter of certainty,, that all (excepting infants, the mannerof whole conuerfion is knowneonelyvnto God) all I faywhich are partakersoflife eternall,thisis their first íteppe to it, thefight and vnderltanding of their former erreurs; God A 4 fish
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