The 'Parable of the ---------------------- . __________________ , worlcl by fin, he fir!l enters into difpute and parly wicb Eve, and as the:Apofile fpeaks, decetved her, I Ttm.z.14. The w•man wM firft decewcd. And hencewhen Satan came with his lafi and Hronge!l remptanon, ro dra>V away ~he heart of C.hrilt to him, he ~ttempted it by a fudden pre~eming to his mind the Glory of all the world, hopur~g hereby to get 1n. Nay 1n the unpardon.1ble fin there is fumma c£cittu, to call evil good, and good evil. And hence the Phitrifees thn did co'llmit ir, 1vere called blind; and when fin is emred,. .idl:rcngthens it felfby the ~ind? Heb.3.13· Leajl a"J of 7oube hardnd thr•ugh the deceitfitlnejfe of fin. As ns wuh Cmes, they tmglit be eaCt\y taken, but for rhe Forts that are built about them, and the Sou\diers that are in them: So men fer up their he arcs and minds aboYe, and againlt the Lord }::fus. The power of fin lies in the power of darknefs, as the power of a weak State m the wifdom of its Council. And hence when the Spirit comes, all the work of it is expreffed by conviCtion offn, righteoufnejfe .-tnd ;udgment, becaufe convince one effeetually, and you convert hirn. And hence when t•he Lord comes with life, he comes in by light, liph. 5-14· Chrift fhall give thee lighr. And hence when the Go[pel comes ro rake away all darkneffe and lin, 'tis faid Sacans chief policy lies in this, ro blind mens eyes, ~ Cor+4· Either by obfcunng the Lighr, o;- by kindling a falfe Light in their minds, chat they !hall think they fee, when their darkneffe remains ; nor buc rhacthere is filth enough in the will, bur Satan knows that Chrilt ihines imo the heart by the mind; and hence he blinds men, and then he knows he lln~ll damn men. Beloved , if men had the Spirit, ic would lead them into all Truth, now too the world c:mnotreceive, becaufe John 14.17. It k!.zowes him~'~· This is that which opens and fhurs to all life and !in; not that bare light c<n change the will, bur the Lord doch ic by the power of his Truth and Light : And as ris with water coming through fome Mines, chere is a healing vercue in ir, fo Light coming fro'D. everlalling love, it heals men of their evils. SECT. III. HEnce fee che danger9f two forts of men efpecially. · 1. Ofrhofe chat Hie 'from the Light, which is clone fundry waies. Iie mention onely one, due is ufed by a falfe heart. A man is troubled in mind concerning hls e[bte, km death and Helf, and fo few !11all be faved, how can I be one, &c. How comes he to fear? The Lord hat4 by his Spirit in the Word difc9vered and fcund Gut his fin; cbe thief is taken and apprehended, and condemned, he hem lt\11, bur yec can fi11d no pew~, Why ? Becaufe he lives in thofe fins that he is convinced of. Hence rheWord r~iferh damps and heart-qualms, that he harh no peace, but is ever pulled fro:n his own bottom and hypocrilie, land the Word difcovers n:ore fins, and hence harh no peace: The Word will 'nor give nor otfer Chritt and a bafe lull: roger her, nor will not fuffer any eo have the!TI b~th iJJ re.1ee. Hereupo1, the foul finding no reil nor peace (which che falfe hem feeks for chiefly) flies from the Light, efpecially if ic harh found our a !horcer cue to its peace, by any device or golden delufions of men, And now they will he1r there no more, and now rhe Publi!11ers 0f Gods Truth ~re ryrannical tormenters of rhe Coafciences· of them char be weak, falfe Prophets, that leJd rhe11 our of the way of reace. And becaufe of chis, they rhink rhcy were led our of the way of rrmh, becaufe out of the way of reace. Or ifchey do come, they can lie with difd,1in and conrempc of men (alas they fpe1k according ro their light) and of all the truths of God, which {hall one day be preachcover again in I flames offire ro theirecernal horrour, Rev.6.2. Irs faid, Chrift rides on a white 1 ~~.~----li<-•r_fe_, _'o_'"_f"_'r-in-:g-an_d_t•_c_on-q•_te.:..r._M_e_n_h_a_ve_u_n-ru-!y_h_e-ar-cs--ai-ld-!l:-ro_n_g_h_e-ar-ts_,-an-d they will nor die, nor yield prefenrly. And hence when one fin is cnlt aw y, • another
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