Thy }, i F /ne/% f Si vie. ¡' 2; t Seventhly, all this evil' hitherto f }ayes at hotne,but the great fcandall that comes of fin addes much to the ¡ire otij it, the pernicioufneffe and? offence of the e xample to o-¡ thers. Scandal! to the weake, and that two fold ; atilt allive fcandall to mifguide them, Gä.2.14. I Cor.$.ro. or a pafYive fcandall to grieve them, ,m 14.15. and be--: . gets in them ¡ealoufies and fulpitions again(( our perfons and profeflions. Scandali to the wicked, and that two- '. fold alfo ; the one giving them occasion toblafpheme, that holy Name and profeflion which wee Beare, z Sam) 12.14. z Cor. 6. 3,4. i Pet. 2.13. The other hardning and encouraging, comforting, and juflifying them by our i evils example,,Etek.16.5 1,54. Eighchly, the cvili Both not reach to men onely, but the fcandall and indignitie over - fpreads the Gofpell; a great pare of the life of fin is drawne from the feverall refpects it hath to Gods will acknowledged. When we fin not onely againii the Law of Nature iii our hearts, but again(} the written Law, nor only againii the truth, but againfi the mercy and Spirit of God too ; this muff be an heavie aggravation. O what an hell muff it bee to a foule in hell to recount, fo many Sabbaths God reached forth his Word unto me,fo many Sermons he knocked at' my doore, and befeeched me to be reconciled ; he wooed me in his Word, allured mee by his promifes, expeeted me in much paíietaee, enriched me with the liberty of his owne precious Oracles, reached forth his blood to wa(h nie, powred forth his teares over me, but againfl ali this I have flopped the eare, and pulled away the (boulder, and hardned the heart, and received all this grace in vaine, and notwithflanding all the raine which fell upon' I me,continued barren fill. God might have cut me off in the'wombe, and made me there a brand of hell, as I was ' by nature a Child of wrath, he might have brought mee I' forth into the world out of the pale of his vifible Church, or into a corrupted Synagogue, or into a place full of ig -'t Q g. norance, ! vz
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