2he Life of Ghri.fl. to let in Satan upon us , to remove his hand from under us, to overfhadow and withdraw his countenance from us, to fet on our very wounded corruptions upon us to burne up our citie, and peradventure to plunge us in the guilt of fome fuch fearefull finnes , as at the very names and firft fuggeftions whereof we would haply before have beene ftartled and amazed ? Alas what are wee to Davidand Peter , to Salomon and Heze(iah, men of fuch daily communion and intimate acquaintance with the Almighty. And yet notwithftanding what fearefull tel }imonies have they left upon record for all pofteritie to take notice what a fraile and inconftant creature man is, when once Gods Spirit departs from him ? That the flrength of the greateft champions in the Church of God is but like the ftrength of Sampfon, of whom'in aphis- great exployts the Scripture faith, that a The Spirit of the Lord came upon hats, and when he was overcome , that b the Lord was departedfrom. him. We fhou d therefore Iabour to c rejoyce in the -Lord with trebling, to d worke out our falvation with feare, to pray that wee may bee delivered from our felves , and from the traines of Satan ; that we may never know by our owne feare. ful experience,,nto what an incredible exceffe of finning our fleth , though otherwife mortified , would breake forth, if God fhould a little fubda&t his hand, and give us over awhile to the violence of our owne pailions, to the treat ie of our owne hearts. We fhould bee very watchful nd cautious againfi our felves, that wee pre - fume not to finne, becaute Grace bath abounded. e How ,hail wee that are dead to f nne, live any longer therein ? faith the Apofile. What a monftrous perverting of the grace and mercie of God is this to build straw and flub- ble upon fo precious a foundation ? Surely wee would efteeme that man prodigioufly foolifh and contumelious unto nature, who should fpend his time, fubfiance, and induftry to finde out a perverfe philofophers flone, that fhould a Iud. tq..6,r9 15.14 b Iudg.r6.zo. c Aral. 2.1 i. d Phil.z. r i. e Rom. 6. r.
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