10 The Parable of the Ten Jlirgiiu, rhe~ to be hid in a Nap~in, this rreafure re keep and nor to fpend? 1,b0 knows_ but th<~:t ~he _fpe~kmg of rhefe may awaken others? thefe temptations·, and this condu~on IS m1ne, thefe fins I find he makes a Prear matter of th~m : Lord what will become of me that am hardned under them ? this peace the; finde, my So~! is a llranger to it; Confcience will work thus : Women lhould fpeak rhus to women , and men to men; others were provoked by rqe example of the Corinthians,to help others; fo there is a provoking power here. Fourthly, If this prevail not, fpeak often ro them, of the fins of others; in condemning others you condemn them; and this will make them look about t~em; view t~e fields, and lhew them th_e tares that are grown up by fecumy ; and laymg down thefe fins yoll finke at the root of theirs ; It may be, you cannot tell certainly, AEls z. 40. The Lord made this one means to awaken a Beljbaz:;z:.ar, Dan.s.zz. God turned thy Father into a bealt &c. to Jive in the woods, yet thou humbledlt nottby felf, &"· How many Profelfors cloth God deal fo withal ? Fifthly, Enterinto Covenant and brotherly promife to exhort one another, as David and J onathan; If any hurt be roward David, Jonathan will fpeak of it, 1 Sam.zo. Some may in Cburch-fellowlhip be more nearly knit than others, to call one another to accounr, to tdl one another their fears, to know of one another their progrefs. Canlt not give an account to man? how wilt thou give an account to God of it ? I am perfwaded many a man lies fmoothered to death by means of this. Canll not co~e to the light of a candle ? Oh bow then canll thou appear before the light of the Sun. Sixthly, Provoke one another to frequency in Ordinances, Heb.to.23,24. aad therein confider one another ; dofi fee thy Brother in doubts or complaints ? call him to pray with thee ; do!l fee things go ill in Churches , and men bite the bit? call to falling and prayer , three or four together, as PaHl, when he faw the Jhip 1inking, then he exhorted them,.Aff.27.22. Efpecially when you fee danger near mens h~arts, ready to be lolt in the World: In thefe times fuppofe only two, or thre~, or four lhonld go and pray one half hour together , and tell one another their wants , now help here; in our rimes it bath been fo, one living Chriltian helps others dying. · But yet how is this negleCl:ed, as if men 1vere refolved not only to dye flee~ing themfelves oot to let others fleep alfo? No, you will fay, not my felf,; yet lt may be~ your family it is fo,_ and before the Lord. . What art ahve to God and family, where thou canil do but lmle common good, and art dead to thy Brother? it is made a fad fign ofa man forfaken of God, if when he thinks be lhall lleep his !all, and be damned himfelf, yet he would have others damnec! alfo. Tell me, would you have all New E"gland Jye in fecurity as well as your felves ? No ! do you not defire it when you ufe not the means that prevent it; and that is mutual exhortation ; Oh therefore do it ;' Minillers may preach , and every man fleep llill, unlefs fame awake and roufe up the refi ( as fame, when others are abed and fall afleep) that !yea dreaming: Some there be,tbat thoughDoomfday were to morrow , they would {Jeep; Oh therefore let me perfwade fame one or two to fall to his work , lefi their fecuriry prove your undoing ; therefore fpeakoftoneto another, forfake nor yoLLr alfembling, vifitoneanother, pray one for another, warning one another, that you may awake with the Lord one hour. S-ECT. .
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