The A!mofl-Chriflian Difcovered. they £to1111 and blufrcr at the difficulties of Salvation, and narrownefs of the Way and fl:raitnefs of the Gate : The Devil interpofcth this fllggeftion, It is as good t~ perifh with cafe, as to be favcd with fo much labour and _pain'i; but what, fhall we leave Men to fuch defpcrate ~efoluti?n~ as thefe, and fufter them to go dreaming to Hell and DcftrnC\ion? Ccrtamly Rehg10n bath Arguments enough to prevail, even with thcfc, if they would but lhew themfclvcs to be Men, and but ponder how much Re3fon can fpeak. . . . FirO: con!ider, Thou that w1lt rather peufh than make thy L1fc a trouble to thee by Obedience, God may under thy Difobedience make tby Life a tr~mble, yea a Hell to thee by his Terrours. Thou tlunkeft that thy Garments of Sin ~nd Pollution will fit more loofe ar.d cafie about thee, than the Garments of Hohnefs that are ;oo ftrait-laced and troublcfome: Yea, but what if God lhould roll thefe thy filt hy Garments in Brimfl:?ne,and fire them abou~ thee? How dre.adfully wo_uldft th!lu be difappointcd, when mftead of that cafe whtch thou feekeft m the fervtce of SHl, God lhould make thee thine own Tormentor, and make thy Confcicnce an Hell incaruatc? Believe it, the wrath of God can fry the marrow in thy Bones, and reduce thy Son! to Afhes. Read Pfalm 88. and you will think it a doleful and fad defcription of the State of the Damned. While l fi.Jlfcr thy Terrors I am dittrafred: And if the Wrath of rhe Almighty lay thus fore upon an Holy Man, how fretti ng and corroding will it be upon the leprou_s Soul, and upon an ulcerated Co_nfd7nce? If it burns up the Gret:n Tree, what will become of the Dry Tree, which Is but as prepared Fuel for it to prey Uplln? No Man hath his prcfemddights and contentments in his own Power, becaufe no Man bath his own Confcience in his own Power; it will fpeak, yea, and that .terrible rhinos, even thc:n, when a Sinner hath done all he can ,to fear and ftupi.fi.e it. Con\idcr ~gai n, how is it with you afccr the rage of your Sinning is over? Arc you not haunted with fearful refl.ctt.ions and ghaftly thoughts of defpair and honour? Could we but unbowel a Sinner, we lhou ld find thofe Confcience-worms, gnawing and knotting about him, ~~d devouring his Heart. And are thcfe wont to refolve into trouble, for fear Rehgton and Holinefs fhould trouble them? Are they content to buy cafe and quiet at fuch a rate, as the lofs of Heaven and Eternal Torments a... mount eo? And is this the cafe and quiet that they purchafe with it? The Devil puts a grofs cheat upon thefe Men, he changeth not the trouble but the time of it, only they fhun the work of God, becaufe it is troublefom in doing, though it doth leave behind it the bleO~d frui~s of Peace, Joy, and SatisfaCl:ion; a~d _they _do engage in the Work of the Dev tl, whtch as foon as the heat and fury of tt iS a little over, leaves in their fober thoughts, nothing but Anguifh , Stings, and Torments; and therefore be not deceived, fulfer not rh~ Devil any longer to abufe you, and impofe his drudgery upon you, under the notion of cafe and quiet: lf your Confciences were once awakened, 1 know the Work of the Devil muft needs bring ~'ou more vexation, befides the fhame, than ever you would have from the \VOrk ot God ; yea, the very omin"ion and neglect of God's Work is a far greater trouble than the performance of it would he ; therefore if you look no farther than your prcfent Content and Satbfaaion, if you would go to your final eftate the eafieft way whatever it be, think not to atta in this by giviog .._up your felves to a way of Sin, nor by wounding your own Confciences, which With trouble afterwards will be fure to be avenged upon you, but in a way of Duty and laborious working, you only can find prefenrContcnt, a.nd Jllall certainly find future Happinefs. . ObjeEf. 2 . True, may fame fay, Poilibly the Work of God might be more pleafing and f':itisfaCto ry tons than the Work of the Devil, if we could work it; but to what end is it that God requires from us to work, to what purpofc doth he command us? Doth not he himfelf know that we have no power! Doth not he himfelf fay t hat we are dead in Trefpaf{es and Sins? ls it rational, is it juft to bid a dead Man work? Or doth it become that God who would be thought by 11s to be infinitely gracious and merciful, to mock and deride humane Mifery, when he commands thoJ"e tbings from us which he knows to be impoffible? Had he bid us blend Light and Darknefs toge ther, or eo bend the Axle-tree of the World till both Pole~meet; had he bid us fling the Stars out of thei~ Orbs, .~r.with our hands ~op the Sun in the midft of his courfe; all thefe r,rea~ t_mpoffibthtles are as eafily atchiev'd, as by our own power to work any part of dlvtne and acceptable Obedience without gracious afliflancc from God: We can as foon glorifie as fanChfie our felves. What · Aaaaaa2 · · fhou!d 739
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