ThePreachers plea; hath been in former times. They haue liued(theyfay)fome chitty, Come forty, fome more yeeres, withouta fetled hviniflery , hauing onely (vnleffe it were now or then at times) the ordinary Service read among them ; and all this while they felt nowant of that which is now called teaching:and therefore they are minded not toefleeme thatmuch, for the remainderoftheir life, without which they haue linedanddone well enoughhitherto.Hqw lifeyorythis Sidlenot this aprofcandreafon? Itnot here good')lain ty? Epaph.Indeed youmay well call thisthe ignorant mans reafon,it is fogroffe, having init but Three moms, which you know isnothing to fpeakc of info fhort an allegation. Firllpl4l, theywill negler°t preaching now,bccaufc they haue hued without it hitherto a3 though it were wifdome for a man in his old or middleage, torefufeakindneffeoffered, becaule in hisyouth or child. hood he hadnomeans toenioy it. Had It been a good teaCon for Paul, when Chrillcalled him fromheauen, to hamfaid, OSir,itis now too late ,Iama man that haue (pent the bell part ofmy time, without the knowledgeof thee andof thy Religion, and thereforeIpray theetrouble me nor now, I hope to fhift out aswellfor fomuch ofmy life as isbehind, an I haue doneto this day. Nomanwill be fo withoutcommon fenfe, as so fay that Paul might iuffly haue Willy refuted upon filchapretence : and yet it had been as good area- fonas theirs. Secondly, theyerre in this, in that theyaçcount the time of their ignorance to haue beenwithout danger , becaufe they neuer taw the danger. Alas little doe theyconfiderthe extreamçmiferyofthofe times. Chriftfaith, that he that walkesh thedark,namely ,withoutthebright.fhininglight ofGods holyword,knower not whether hepath p , he iscum in thevalleyofthe fhadow of h tabuss 35; death, e*anger fromthe lieofGod, wall 'ngafter the maleofthisworldi, andafter¿Eph.4s8. thePrince that reoletb in the ayre,euen the hire tha0wolkeIh,lnthecb ldrenofdfobedi- k Eph. a. p, esce k. A titan that been in a found, and is awaked put °fit by the paints of his friends , beewill tell you how pleafingthe !lumber thereof teemed to hisfenfes, and atthe fief: beginning to he awaked, hewill fay perhaps; , Yoµ Mould haue let mealone, why did you trouble the ?.,A,ut when heis beteçr ad- ttifed,he will thanke them thatbrought him againe, becaPfe he knoweth,that if hehad been letalone,¡ it might co fl him his life. Soin thiscafe a manlining in blindneffe and grofleignorance, feemethtohimfelfe for eheprefents to being anaruellous good etlate, andhis foule in asgood cafeas any manssand when thePreacher Ihahtery onto ,Awake thou thatfleepefl, andftoudvpfrem the deed5tøhthou ignorant peefon, tViy wilt thou dye"I fan. thjflfe from shit fr,o1fph.is -. seardgeoeratiops. Like enoughhe will fay.; O MailerPreacher,trpnhleme not mhaeets.3t Ipray you,fp areyour fides, Iamwell enough, my route isinnofuch danger':aAdss,4c. but ifthe Lordonce open his eyes , andwake him a newheart, and anewfirst s, äEzee.36.sf then he will bielleGodforhsm that calledhim, becaufehewillthen.perceiue, that otherwifehehad eues runneonto his ownedefrußion. liethat trauel- led,by night vpon theedge and hanging of fleepehill,frommhich,efhe/houlçl fall he mat needsbreakehis neck;goeth on without feáre,becauCe inthe darke he teeth not thedanger:but let him bebrought backat light ofday,it will make him rue,, quaketo thinke vpon theperill he was in, and wonder thatvier het fhould efeapeit. In like fort,he that is inthe blindnesofignorance without the word,thefame is hourely ready tofall into thepit ofhell: yethe fearethknot, becaufe he iheih it nor: butifMrhe haue anyremorceby thelight ofthe Col- pelf Sassingin iris hearr,it will terrifiehimtoremember his farmermifery,and ,take hit belly to tremble! to confider it : fo that hereis the fecond.,errorin this PHab.3.to, ignorant obit&ion. plea conclude there was no danger in thedaiçspfb(ind- nes, becaufethey law no danger, whereas indeedthe,datíger wasfomuchthe greater. A third error there is yet in thisexceptiomandthat is,that theyconfi- At tletkOwthat the tefufailof Gods mercywhich is freely çffetedinthe prey Xx 3 chin;: 4E1
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