_------- 28 The M O R,T í F Í CA T I ON Shalt have a ftoutuefs upon thy fpirit, not to be. moved by-theft things. Th}' foul and thy fin lhall be fpoken of, and fpoken to, and thou glob: not be at ail-con_ cerued ; but fi,alt be able to pafs over 'duties, praying, hearing, reading-, and thy heart not in the leaft aifeaed. Sin.will grow a light this -g to thee; thou wilt pats it by ás a thing of nought; this it will grow to, and what will be the end of filch a condition ?? (2.) The danger of fomè great temporal correaion, which the foriptere ca'Is rsea; ce, judgrnene, and pun;men:, Pfal. lxxxix. 30, 31, 32, 33.. Though God lhould oat utterly raft thee off fin this abomination that lies in thy heart, yet he will vifit thee with the rod; though he pardon and forgive, - he will Make vengeance of thy. inventions. O remember David and all his trot= bles-; look on him flying into the wildernefs, and .confider the hand of God upon him. Is it nothing to thee, that God Should kill thy child iu anger,, ruin thy. eftate in anger, break Clay bones in auger, fiffer thee to be a fcandal and reproach in anger, kill thee, deftroy thee, make thee lie down in da,kneG, is anger ?. Is it nothing that he Should pnu db, ruing and undo others for thy like ? Let me rot be miflakeu ! I do not mran, thhat. God loth fend all theft things always os his in anger ; God forbid. But this, I fay, that when he Both fo deal with thee, and thy confide :ice hears witn-eft with him, what thy provocations have been, thou wilt find his dealings Cell of bit- ternefs to thy foul If thou fèareft sot theft things, 1 fear thou art under hard efs. (3.) Lofs of peace and Strength all a m'n's days. To have peace with God, to have ftres trh .o wa lit before God, is he Sum of the great promii?.s of the covenant of grace. In thefe things is the life of our foots.- Without them in fome comfortable moafure, to live, is to d'e. What good svjll our lives do us, if we fee not the face of God f,metimes in peace ? if we have not some ftrength to walk with him? now both thelè will au- unmortified loft ce,rain- ly deprive the fouls of men of. .This cafe i.e. fo evident in David, as than no- thing can be more clear. Now often Both he complain that Isis bones were broken, his foul difquieted, his wounds grievous on this account? Take other i fiances, .T/ . lvii. h B. For the iniquity of hie eavesfuji Z vas 'wall', and hid my felj. What peace 1 pray is there to a foul while God laides hìnüèif ? Or Strength whilft he imites? //cf. v. 15. I gage and return re -rey place, until eh y ac- knowledge :heir offence, andfeed my face. I will leave them, hide my face, and what will become oftheir peace and frength? If ever then thou haft enjoyed peace with God, if ever his terrors have made thee afraid, if ever thou haft had ftrength to walk with him, or everhaft mourned in thy prayer, and been troubled bectalè ,ni thy weak'nefs, tlhi,.k of this danger that hangs over thy head. It isperhaps hat e little while and thou Shalt fee the face of God in peace no more. Perhaps by to morrow thou Ihalt not be able to pray, read, hear, or perform any duties with the leaft chearfulsel?, life or vigour; and poffibly. thou mayft. He- her fee a quiet hour whilft thou liveft; that thou mayft carry Abut thcebro- ken bones full of pain and termer all the days of thy life; yea perhaps God will Shoot his arrows at thee, and fill thee with anguilla and difgmetncfs, with fears and perplexities, make thee a terror and an aftonillunent to thy felt and others, Phew thee hell and wrath every moment ; frighten and fcare thee with fad rappreherfions of his hatred, fo that thy fore Shall run in the night feafon, and thy foul Shall refufe comfort ; lb that thou Taft with death rather than life, yea thy foul may choofe Strangling. Confider this a little., thoughGod Should not utterly deftroy thee, yet he might cafe thee into this condition, wherein thou Shalt have quick and living appreheafons of thy defteoêion. Wont thy heart to thoughts hereof. Let it kanow what is like he the ;fine of its fiate, leave not this confideration, until thou haft made day foul to trem- ble within thee. (,-.) There is the danger of eternal deftruktions .. For the due management of this confideration, obferve, [r.] That there is loch a connexion between a continuance in fin, and eter- nal deftrufion, that though God does refolve to - deliver fume from a continu- ance in fia, that they may not he deftroyed, yet he will deliver none from de- ftruftion, that continue in fin. So that whilft any one lies under an abid'vog power
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