772 WICKED MEN F 0 0 L S. Book IV. S I M I L E. P A R A L L E L. v ade PtJaraoh, and Stars to fight againfl: Sifera; who makes the Hills and Mountains ·quake Jnd trembk before him, Uc. He is wife in fieart, and mighty in Strei1gth ; who -ever hardened their Heart agair!fl him, and pro.JPered? 'Job ix. 4· V. Is not he a l'ool, that luth V. Wtcked Men hJve not Wifdom enough to not Wifdom enough to direEt himdireEt themfelvcs; but that which adds to their felf? But then what will you foy Folly is this, They will not take the Counfel of of him that will not follow the the wife God, nor the Direction of his failhful Counfel and D ireC\iunof theWife? Minifters. Though they are to!cl Day by Day, Though he is told, rhe Way that that if they proceed and go on in the Ways they h~ is in will bring him into aLion's are iA, vtz. fwear, lie, whore, be drunk, &c. rh~y Den; or if he !ltp one !lep furmuft perifh, and be damned for ever ; and that ther, he will fall into a Furnace of they know nor, but the nexr 'J ime they commir Fire: Ycr refolveth to go on, notany of thofe Sins, they may fall into the Lake that withft anding he confeJTerh he hath burneth with Fire and Brimftnne: Yet they will no ground 10 queftion the Truth go on, and continL~e in their Sins, contemnino- all <Jf that, which is in FaithfuJ.nds Advice and Counfel, rhough they have not 0 rhe w1d him. kafi ground to queftion the Truth of what is dedared to them, iince the Word of Gnd faith po– fitively, Except ye Yepem, .1'e Jhall allliliewife perijh: .And that the Unrighteous foal! ~ot inherit the Kingdom of Cod; neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor .Adulterers, 11or Ef– feminate, &c. nor 'I'hieves, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, ne;"' Re·vilers, nor Extortioners, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. And now though they know they are guilty of fame of thefe, or the l'tke Sins, yet they refolve to li ve in them, ancl therefore are Fools. VI. Is not he a Fool, rhat is not VI. '.,Vickecl Men are fuch Fools that they knew able to judge of the Nature of not rhe Nature of Things, Times, nor OccaGons. Things,- or of Times, or OccaiiHe is offended with thole Ways of God that crofs ons, and from hence is angry with his linfu l Appetite; he would fain have God yield every Thing that fu its not with to him, and order Things rhat fuit his filthy Lufts. his Nature, or fooli!h Humor I If rhe Word forbid all Sin , and would, if ir mio-ht He will be angry wirh the Sun, if kindle upon his Heart and Confcience, burn°up it ihine hotter than he would have and deftroy all his Lufts ; prefently he cries out, it, and with the Vvinds, if they It is too hot, and therefore flrives to put ir our. blow harder than he would have In a word, he would be faveci in a way of Sin, i.e. them; he likes not the Win.ter, have his Wounds healed, and yet the Srino- let i!!Or would have it CYer rain. alone in the Fleib; he would be well, but rak~ no PhyGc; would go to H eaven, but never walk in the Way to it; he would nor be nak ed, and yer will put on no Cloaths, &c. and there– fore a Fool. To vex and be angry at the Troubles rhat fall upon us, or at the Hand of God which fends them, is a high Point of Folly. VII. A Fool will rake brals VII. Wicked Men are thus fooliib, and more; · Counters for Gold, and be plcafed for when Bugles and Diamonds, Counters and with Bugles more than with DiaGold are fer betare rhem, they leave the Diamonds -moods. ' When an H eir, hith and the Gold, and pleafe themfelves with thole ' Mr. Caryt•, is impleaded for an Toys and Baubles; when, which is infinitely more '-Ideot, the J udge commands an fottifh, Hea;·en and Hell, Life and Death, are · < Apple, or a Counter, wi:h a .fer before rhem, they chufe Hdl rather than Hea- ' Piece of Gold to be fet before ven, and Death rather than Life; thev take rhe ., him, to try which he will take: mean, tranGtory, rrifling Things of this World, ' i\.nd if he take the Apple, or the before the Pavor of God, the Pardon of Sin, a 'Counter, and leave the Gold, he Part in Jefus Chri!l, and an Inheritance amongft c is then caft for a Fool, and unthe Saints in Light; they prefer a Moment's Time 'able '.O manage his Eflare ;•f>r of finful Eale and Pleafure, before an Eternity of 'he knows not the Value of Joy and Glory in Heaven; they prefer the Crea- ' Thino-s, or how ro make a true ture above the Creator ; they labor more for the 'EJection.' prefmt Good of their Bodies, than for the eternal Good of their Souls, which are ten thoufJnd Times of greater Worth: And do not thcfe Things demonftrate ful:y that they are l·ools? • Cur)'l on Job, c. v, p. 182. VIll. Wicked
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