T he Iranity of the Creature. P mercies) upon a Fountain which would never failethem : Á &c 13.34 But when once they forfake mec, and will not truft their lives in my kecping,bút with the prodigall will have their portion in their owne hands , their water in their owne Cífternes , their pits prove unto them but like lobs tor- tole 6.1%, rent , deepe and pfcntifull though they feeme for a time, yet at length they make thofe afhamed that relyed upon them. And fo I find the Prophets affuringus, that if iKing .rn.ab. rael which put fo much confidence in the carnali policies of Jeroboam for preferving the kingdome of the ten Tribes from any re -union with the horde ofDavid, was at lall conftrained to blufh at their owne wifedome , and to bee ter 48.í3r afhamed of Bethel their confidence. Briefly then for that Efay 30.3. place, there are two excellent things intimated in thofe EIaYzo.5. two words of Cifternes, and broken Cifterwes : Firft , the wealth and honour which men get not from the Lord, but by carnali dependencies, are but Cilernes at the bell, and i* that refpeed they have an evill quality in them, they are like dead water, apt to putrific and corrupt : be- ing cut off from the influence of G o D the Fountaine of life , they have no favour nor fweetnefle in them. Be- fides they arc Broken (' :fternes too , as they have Irruch mudde and rottenneffe in them, fo they arefull of chinkes, at which what -ever is cleare and fweet runnes atk'ay,and nothing but dregges remain behind The worldly plea - lures which men enjoy, their youthfull vigour that car- ried them with delight and fury to the purfuit of flefhly lulls, the content which they were wont to take in the formalities and complements of courtfhip and good fel- lowfhip, with a 1 }orn,coffickneífe, or at farthd }, a win- ter of age blower all away, and then when the fruit is gone, there remaines nothing but thedifeafes of it behind, which their furfet had begotten, a confcience -worme to torment the foule. Thus the life which wee fetch from' the Ciflernq is a vanifhinglife, there is í }ill after the ufe ofit, leffe left be- C hind 4
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