W I C K E D M E N F 0 0 L S. Book IV. 10. L et me tell thee, thou art juO: ready to drop into Hell, thou lleep~ft in a dan– gerous Place; awake, Sinner, or thou art damned. If thy Houfe were all on Fire, and thy -Neighbors tbouid not cry out to thee to fave thyfelf, thou woulde!1: conclude they were without all Bowels of Humanity: Sinner, this .is thy C:ondrtion, thy Soul is on a Flame; fee what Sin, that evil Spark, ha.th done; I can do no·lefs than cry out. Fire, Fire; wilt thou fleep, and be burnt for ever? The Lord aw.aken th<:e. Ill. Let Saints IDiefs God the~ are awakaned o>Jt of their ikepy State. IV. Let not Sanan, this Vlorld, nor any other Enemy lull you a·fleep again. Let us not fleep, as do others. Cbrillians are fubjecr to fall into a fpi<itual Drowzinefs ;. fl'e Matt. xxv. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7· 0 cry therefore with David, Lord, open thou mine £yes, left ljleep tbe Sleep of Death. ~tejl. Some may fay, From whwce doth it arife, /hot the St<ints are fo fuijefl to ke overtaken witbJpiritual Drowziucfs ? An f. 1. From the Weaknefs and. Dulnefs of t.he Fletb : The Spirit indeed is willing, but the Flejh is weak. 2. By being fluthful, negligent, and out of Employment, when we grow indiffereM and carclefs, and neglecr our Work, negldl Prdyer; reading and hearing God's Word, no.marvel if vl.e loon fall afleep: Slothfu!nefs c~fleth into a deep Sleep, Prov. xix. 15. g. By being amono-0: fleepy Folks : This is apt to mak-e a '"akeful Perfon in a litrle Time drowfy, and fubi ec1 to nod too; a fleepy Family, a flee-py Church, a Oeepy Mi– niO:ry, ufually 'have bad Ellecrs..upon this Account u_pon a .!piritual ChriO:ian, therefore prize a Soul-awakening Mini!l:ry. . 4· By means of lolJg watching, !J7bilfl the Bridegroom tarried, they all jlumbered and jlept. 5· A black, dark, and.gloomy.Day is fubjecr to caufe one to grow drowfy, as moft Men can exoerience. 6. By an·Apprehenlion it is a long while to Day, time enough, faith the Sluggard, to arik Men think of Jiving long, <~nd that.it 'vill be a great while before the Lord comes,. &c. 'W I C K E D M E N F 0 . 0 L 8. <fhe Fool·bath faid ifl his Heart, there is no.God, Pfal. xiv. 1 . . Yea, alfo, when he that is a Fool walketh by ·the Way, his Wifdom faileth him, and he faith to every one that he is a Fool, Ecclef "'· 3. Fvr Wrath killeth the foolitb Man, and Envyjlayetb the..filly One, Job v. 2, 3· 'Iihey were Children·of Fools, yea, Children of bafe Men, they .were viler than the Earth, Job XJ<X. H, . _:thou Fool, this NighNby SouVhall berequired of thee, . Lttke xii. SIN is Folly, great Folly, and Sinners are Fools; how often in the Proverbs are-un– • godly Men, though .acoounted very worldly-wife, called Foofs,. jimple Ones, Nfm of no U;zderjlanding P · S. I M I L E. P .A R A L L E L . .•I. AFool is one that.knows not -I. so wicked Men know not what is o-ood and · :what is good, what is bell: right in itfdf; they know not wha~ is good . fo,r him; he is a.Man of no .Unfor them!clves, thoy are Men of no ,Undcr!landcerll:anding. 1ng; the.y cry, J«ho willjhtw as any Good? Pjill. . iv. 6. That is, f.•ith Mr. Cary•!, any good Cheer, plenty of Corn and Wine. . The)' eiteem Gold and Silver, and other outward good Things, before Pardon,. Peace of Confc.ience, and the Favor of God, .and are there- . fore Fools. . I!. A Fool. or l<:liot will hurt, , IL Wicked, Men hurt themfelves: No.tlring wrong, or abufe bimfelf. ·PerhaRS ' wrongs or.wounds a Man more than Sin, hence you have heard of the Gentleman's called a Dart, Sting,., &c. Yet fo void areaiiLm· .. Fool, who happened robe in Comgodly Men of UnderO:anding, . that they confent pany with. a Carpemer, and the r<> Sin, yield to Sin, run, as· it were, this Spear Carpenter m.aking himfelf merry jnw .t11eir .own.Bowds, wound themfelves to the very
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