83 TheDoiirineo/ orfificat on. feth and theyknownot how : or as a man going to Sea, firft hee lofethafight of the Townes and hou. fes, then the fight of the Churches and Steeples, and then hee lofeth thefight of the mountaines and Nils, then at loft hee feethnothing but the motionof the Seas ; fo thereare many Chriflians that make a god- ly thewofprofeffion at firfi, but by degrees they fall away, tillat length theybecomenothing ; theyleave thegood.profetfìon;and take up anoutward profeliing of Chriflianitie, anddoeall in hypocrifïe : it is with Simile. thefemen as itis withaman that hath a Confumpti- A'fpirituaii on inhis bodies firft, hegrowes weake; fecondly, he confúrnption lofetkhis colour ; thirdly, hee lofethhis rellifh and compared to tafle, and this is the moll dangerous ofall: fo itis in a bodily* a fpirituall Confumption ; firfl, theyare weake and feeble toperforme holyduties secondly, they lofe their colour, that is,theircheerefulneffe icr theperfor- mance of holyduties ; thirdly, which is thewbrfl of all, they lofe their rellifh,they cannot taflewholfome Dotrine, they delight not in the pure Word ; and this is dangerous, andhardto be recovered. A Con furnptionat firfiis moreeafily cured than difcerned; andat length it is more eafilydifcovered than cured : fo it is withthe fpirituall : the fickneffeand theweak neffeofthe foule may at thefirfl bemore eafily cured thandifcerned, but whentheybeginne to lofe their colour and tafle, it is more eafily difcerned thencu-, red. This is amarvellous dangerous cafe, and there- fore toprevent this fickneffeof thefoule, let men re- member fromwhence theyare fallen : I cancompare fuchChriflians tonothing fo fit asunto the Imageof Nebucbadiezar, which hee faw in avifion ; thehead was
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