218 Pauls Converfion. (hould now go into eternity,confider the pretence of God among(t you, which one day you (hall fee in another manner:Doe as Saylors doe,when they fee a (forme a farre off, they prepare and e(teeme ofit as prefent: Thus fhould every Chriftian doe, looke upon every thing as prefent; for what is the reafon that finis not avoided ofmany,that they fin and remaine as (tones without fence, but becaufe they doe not apprehend finne and the punifhment thereof as prefent; they looke not upon the wrath of God as prefent, nor on death and hell as pre - lent : Bel/hazzar, fo long as he looked upon fin= a far off,it never mooved him,but when he law the prefent hand writing, that humbled him : Things apprehended as prefent make a deepe impreffion in the heart,either of joy if good, or of feare ife- vill , and therefore if men would but looke upon fnne, and the wrath of God, and death, and ecer- nalI life, as prelenr,they would be humbled. 1f- eanas. The fifth meaínes to get humiliation is this, you mutt labour to remoove thele excules, by which men labour to keepe of this blow of the Gofpel, they are loch to be hit,and cherfore they labour to (helter and hide themfelves, becaufe they would not fee them (elves in fuch a cafe as they are in, left they (hould be humbled, which, on the contrary, if they would but let the Golpell have his full force at their conlciences,itwould work this effel to humble them: But, I fay, it is a hard matter to perfwade men ro fee finnes as prefent, and a hard matter to perfwade men to be humble, and con- fequently
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