86 iá T he Vexation of the Spirit. he did in the Paine defire decline the common rode thither through the darkepaffages of death , z Cor.5.4. Vnlaw- full indeed it is for any man to pray univerfally againít death , becaufe that were to withtiand the Statutes of God, Heb,9. z7. but againti any particular danger wee may; as Ez.echiandid I King. zo. I, z: refervingEftill a generali fubmiffion to the will and decrees ofGod. For we are bound in fuch a cafe to ufe all good meanes , and to pray for Gods blef ing upon. them , which amounts to a prayer againft the dánger it felfe. So then, by the Rule of contraries, though the Creatures bee full of vanitie and vexation , yet this mutt not fwallow up the apprehenfion of that goodnefle which God hath put into them , nor put off the defines of men from feeking them of God 'n thofe juft prayers which hee hath prefcribed, and in thofe Jawfiill' endcvours which hce bath commanded and al- lowed. The third thing propofed was the confideration of that V fe which wee fhould make ofthis vexation of the Creature. Andfirft , thc confideration thcreofniingied with faith in: the heart mutt needs worke humiliation in the fpirit of a man , upon the fight ofthofe fiLmes which have fo much defaced the good Creatures of God. Sinne was the f rít thing that dicl pefter the earth with thornes, Gen.3 :z ; r . and bathfilfd:alithe Creation withyani- k ty and bóndage. ' Sinne is the ulcer of the foule; touch a wound with the foftea Lawne., and there will fmart arife ; fo though the Creatures be never fo harmeleffc, yet s foene as they come to thc heart of a man , there is fo reach fnne and corruption there , as mull needs beget Caine to the foule. The palate, prepoffeft with a bitter humour, findes its owne diftemper in the fweeteft rucate it tapes; fo the foule , having theground of b'rtternc«e in it fel , finds the fame affeaion in every thing that comes neere it. Death it felfe,though it be none of Gods works, but the fhame and deformity of the Creature, yet with- out
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