ten Virg~11s Op~ned ~nd Applied. SECT. VII. Flr!l,.To the:n th~t are fa\!eri cobeg~n again,if God w0uld but give you e<V:s Ufe 5: . ro hear, who like !trange Eggs bemg put mt<1the fame neff where hone!l: Of Exf.crt; men have lived, there you nave 'been hatcht up, and when you wcre,young, there you kept your. nett, and lived by crying a11d opeilins your mourn wide after rhe Lord, :md the food of his Word. But ITOIV your .wmgs aregrown yoll have g;:>r fome. affections, forile knmvlcdge, fome hope of mercy; and are hardnd thereby ro fl¥ from God. Can. rhat man be gooa whomGods grace mak~s wor(e? .And chat flies from Gods Ordinances, and people, an,;l private prayer? Conlider whac thou hall done. I. You bring an ill report and name upon God, Jer. z. 5. what iuiqu;ty have 7ou found in me. If a Country be well reported of, its no mmer if fome others bring ~n ill name on it, Wife men will nor bele~ve them : But for the fearchers of Canaan ro brino an ill rerorc of C anaan, this is (ad. · z. Thou halt lg!t all thy prayers, all rhy profeiiion, nay better never to .have l:Eown thefe 1MJes, z Pet. 2, zi. then ro forfake the Laid. •. 3· No mens mifery is fo great, Jnde 13,I4. thehl<tc/z.n•fs ofdar/z.nefsu for fu•h· · Search your felves, yqu may fe~retly_depart, when you. are; r-mniRg r.o-~. Lor~ ;-as :r Srrail round about rhc whc:cl, the whed moves it, but it moves a ~omrary mo-' cion of its own from rhe wheel : Th~refore begin again. Oh but will the Lord receive me? WhoktaOwsbuthemay? .And heal 1our!Jackjlidings, Hof.t4. Becaufe fallen, return: I knmv not h01v; .Anfw. Take words; But rhe Lord may not regard us, You fhall grow Lik.J the Lilly, .tnd he M firm M Lebifnon. Let them th~tt jfAnd, tak.J heed lijl they fitll, and you difco-.er your hypocrilie to Ex~Qrr, 2. all the world, or be like the Hypocrites whoie beauty ioon fades. .And here let me commend three things to you. . • . 1. · Take heed rhae therebenotfoundin your hearcs ,a root of bitternefs to grow upan4 ~hM/z.Jou,Hebr.n.I5· Ifyourhouic:belefr empty, andyerone livin!j, lu£1: left in it, faven Devils \yill emer again, and)BUr latter end will fx wo;fe then J•Hr beginning. You do not know what hearnsyou have• .Am 1 11 dog, faith H~t :Gael, ever ro fall fo ? Let there be a lu!t afrer any creature,you will finde the fpirir of prayer die; then to tbiilk rhem too long in the Word, then to forfake the 1affemblies of Sainrs, rhen when your lu!t is met: ~ith, ro oppofe men, Minill@l:i, &r. One·reigninglnftwill 'bringalfimocaptivirytoitfelf, it will flay forne, and make others fervice1ble rodefend it felf, Pfal. ro6. I4,15. _ z. Take heed of taking on you the profciiion of a Chriflian courfe witbou~ 1 6.nding the reH, peace, joy, fweetnefs of fuch a courfe, Prov. z. r o, I I. Ti¥:re is a fatisfying pleafanmefs irt promifes,comrnands, Ordinances, you will never hold 1 ;out ~lfe} for whe;e-ever rhe he_ar~ finds reil, there it will abide, and for wane. of 1 diat lt dtes, .As in Creatures,tf 1t had re!l: there, the foul would not be unqutet, I if in God , it vvould bever go to the creature. Some iweernefs you may finde, but look to finde full re!t ; as men do find fome fwecrnefs in crea1 ltmes, and fo in Ordinances; yet being ufed to them, they grow weary of rhem, le~caufethey findeno God there, no f>~~ntfs ofreft,Hebr. 4· u, 12. and go through ,all the world you lhall never have 1t : Get all rhe terrors of Devils upon ~ou, you will never fland by that; conlider therefore as 'tis in liii, there is rhe j!Ct, al'!d there is the pleafure; fo in every Ordinance and Duty there is both. All ,Apo!lacy is from rhls, Ordinances are too burthenfome unro men to be held unto. I . 3· Take heed you negleCt riot private prayer, build your houfes fit for that pur- 1 "' · p0fc, I
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