F_romtbof~ Jrequ~nt Exhortati· 011S ,givt1t inSoripture to WatchJu!ncfs againjl,and Mortift:cation Of thifc Si,ts. The Nature, 'Danger, and Cure glorious Stars have had rheirTwinklings; and if rhc Leaders and Champions are rhus foiled, what may we think then hath in allAges befallen the Croudof vu\gar C.hriftians? \"\'e may wirh Truch and Boldnefs fay, Ne\'Cr was there a Sin committed in theWorld, how horrid foever, unlefs the unpartl(inablt Sin againft the Holy Ghoft, but God may find it wrinen down in his Book of Remembrance under rheir Names, whofeNames he himfelf ha rh wricren down in rhe Book of Life. And what fl1all we fay, when we fee a Stone falling, rh:'!t rhere is no Weight nor Propenfenefs in it to fall? Shall we fay., when we f~e fuch eminent Chriftians falling inro Sin, yea, even into great and grofi Sins rhat they have not ilrong Propcnfions and Inclinations to fin? Yet, 0 J'eSain:s divulge not rhefe things to wicked1v1en, whifper them fofdy one to ano~hcr with Fear and Trembling, left fome profane Wretch or ochcrover-hearyou and rake chat for Encouragement, which was only meanc for Caution: what is more common, than for the vilefi Sinners to plead for their Excufe or Warrant rather, the foul Mifcarriages of God's dearefi Sa ints: Thus th~ Drunkard looks upon Holy N0t1h as a Pot-Companion, whereby he difcovcrs his Nakednefs in a worfe Senfe than ever Cham did. And thus the unclean Scnfualift quotes David, and calls him in eo be the Patron of his Debauchery; certainly if there be any Grief that C<!.n over-cafi the perfect j oys of the Saints in 1-Ieaven, it is, char their Names and Examples fhould to the grear Difhonour ofGod be produced by wicked and finful Men, ro countenance their groffeft Sins and \Vickednef'fes. Due let fucb know, that rho' God hath fee up chefe in his Church eo be Nlonttments of his Mercy, ro declare ro humble and penirenr Sinners how great Sins he can pardon; yet if any hereupon embolden rhemfelves in 5in, infiead of being fee up as Monuments of Mercy, God will fct them up as Pillars of Salt. . Secondly, It appears, that the1·e is a ftrongPronene}sinthe beft to'tbe 'vor(l Sins,from thofe frequent and preffing Exhortations that are given us in Scripture to Watchfulnefs againft them, antl to the M ortification of them. Wherefore were chcfe Curbs neceftary, bur that God fees our Lufts are headihong, and ready to fly om and hurry us into all Exceffes; nay, rhefc Exhortations are not foparcicularly, nor with fo grear Emphajis, given to the Wicked, as they are to the Chilt!rm of God: Of the wicked God faith, He that will be Wicked, let him beWicked ftill; rhat'sallrhe Care God cakes of them; as we ufe to fay of rhem that we defpair to reclaim; nay, Let them cake their own courfes: But he efpecially warns and exhorts rhe Godly to beware ofthofe Sins, chat one would rhink,a Godly Man werdCarce liable to commit. See how Chrift cautions his Difciples, Luke 2r. 34· Take heed to 'fOUr felvu, fays he, lejf at an] time your ,Hearts be.O'Vercharg'd witb Surfeiting and Drunkennefs, and the Cares ofthiS Life: \Vhy, would not any Man wonder, char our Saviour f'hould fo foliciroufly warn them againft Surfeiting and Drunkennefs, which are the Sins ufually of a ple!ltiful Eftate? Bur what, warn them againft chefe Sins, whofe Poverty was fuch, and was to be fuch, that chofe that gave unto them a Cup ofcoldWate1·, Jhould receive a plentifi,/ re1tJard for their Paim? Were they in fuch Danger to be JUrfeited by the one, and drunk wirh rhe other ? And what, were they like ro be choak'd with the Cares of this Life, and withcarking to get what they had nor, who had but juft before renounced all that they had .to follow Chrift? Yea, but Chrifi knew, that even in thef\:: poor abftemious DifcipleJ, there was a natural Pronenefs to Gluttony, and Rioting and DrunkennefS; and therefore he thus exhorts them, and he dorh it, rhat Grace may keep eh em fro,m enclining to rhe!e Sins? as rh.ei~· low and perfecuted Condition Jhould be lu:e to keep them from con~mmmg them. SoalfotheApojllein Colof.J-1· fpeakmg to them, that they cerramly fhould appearwithChrift in Glory, as you m~y fee Verfe 4· yet rhefe he commands to mor~ tifie their Members th.1t 'tJere upon the Earth: Well, but what Members are thcfc? It may be, they are only Vanity and Inconfta_ncy ofThoughrs, Levity and Unfixednefs of Affections, Deadnefs and Hea\'mefs ofHearr, and fuch other lefs Sins that fhould they be perfetlly free from, they fhould be perfctlly Holy; No: fays the Apoftl(, thefe Membe_rs are the ?ig Lim~s of the. Old Man, they are Fornication, Uncltanne{s, Inordmate A/feE!to~s, Ev1i Concupifcence, _and CoveJoufoJ({s. And in Verfe 8. he exhorts them agatn to put off all rhefo Thmgs, Anger, IJI"rath, Malice, Bl:tfphemy, Filthy Comm11nimtion, and Lying; and fo he goes
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