Thu finfulneffe of Sinne. Fifchly,and laflly,In the Millinery of the Word,when thy bofome -finne is met. with, and the pin= of thine owne heart difcovered, when thou art pricked in thy matter- veine, when the edge of the fword enters to the quicke, facrificeth thee, crucifieth thy tuffs, cuts off thy earthly members, ranfackes thy Conlcience, and fhewes thee the infide of thy foule Soule ; here by all meaner Tooke unto thy heart ; never fo likely a time for madneffe and fierce oppofition to fee up it (elfe, as when a man is driven into a corner and cannot Bye. Sinners are all co- wards, and cannot endure the brightnefie of MVPs faces are nor able to abide the fcrutiny ofthe Word,but would faine turne their backes upon it ; not only out of fcorne, but out of feare too. Many a fturdy rimer will feeme to contemne the plainenefll'e. and power of the Word, as an illiterate rude tflolifh thing, to fcorne and undervalue the perfons, com- panies, dilcourfes of faithful! Minifters, as of defpicable, or fupercilious, or fchifmaticall fellowes : but the truth is (and they in their owne Confciences know it too ) that though there bee indeed much floutneee and con - temp-, yet there is more cew,ardifr : Scorn is the pre- tence, but Feare is the reafon ; they cannot endure to be dilquieted and gall'd : as a d'feafed or wounded Horfe .curvets, and pranceth, and is very aóive and impatient; at firft light a man would thinke it pride and metal', but the truth is, it is peine and (mart that caufeth it. Well hvn,iinners are all cowards,andwould faine fly,but even cowards them(elves, when they are (hut in and furroun- ded, will fight with more. fierceneffe thaw other men, even. for very feare. The bafelt vermine almoft that is,.l when (hut our of all his refuges and holes, will trie his ftrength before he will peri (h, and leape in the face of his purfuer. And this Low is the property of the Word to f st men in,The Scripture,. faith the Apoftle,./mth fhut sp all underfinne, Gal. 3 ,z 2. And we (hall ever finde, that N2 the 179 Ierem 2:17, Iohn 8.9.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=