Opened and Applied. 15 ~~------~------------~-- SECT. IV. i:4!efl:. {TT Hat are thlf firft degrm of thu JPiritual pumhr? . VV .Anfw. 1. When men have loft che facisfying fenfeof the blelfc:J face and love of God; when hypocrites have loft the imaginary fight of ir, and Saints the real enjoyment of it, Pfa/. 17.ulr• .I fha/1 be fatisfied when J m..ak} with thine image; fleepfirlllhcwsicfelf indofingupofamans eyes that h~ feeth not any thing about him; hence, fomething elfe concems, and muH do ic when you feed not daily on the Lords love; and when that, then vain care; and thoughts ( Luk., zi. 34·) overcome a man, and then he growerh a very worldling, as if he had hope of no other portion ; hence no mind afcer !'J:liritual good chings ; hence he f!eeps at Sermons, hence he falls out into paffion , and difcontenc with his prefenc condition , nay, with · evety orher thing when any crofs comes: Beca1.1fe thefe thingsare fweet eo you, and God is nor, when difconcenred; the Lord keep my foul from enuing into thy fecrets; Oh confider it if you have had fence of rhe Lords love in Sa'cramenrs ! and fome new doubts arife, •and you are not fatisfied with ir ; · now look to your felves; it is impollib!e a ChriGian lbould do any work without reH. Now as bodily feeding caufeth reH, fo doth fpiritualfeeding, fpirirual reG; feed and reH here, and it will make you fall ro your work ; feed no.t tJere, reG not here, and you will in fomething elfe ; and carna~ reft will bnn~ carnal negle&. 2. When men have loll: ·all fear of the wrath to come, and the terror of God another day; not alwaysafearrhac I lhall bear , hue a dreadful apprehenfion what it is. Many Chriflians lofe the fenfe of Gods love, yet the Lord keeps them in the fenfe of his anger, and fo they are awake; but when both are qone, or rhisisgone,then there is and cannot but be the firft fecuricy. For as it IS with children, when their eyes are open eo fee and confider rh~ things of the world , no1v rhey are begun to be awakned; I never look upon a Chriltian fully awakened rill now, that che Lord lets him fee tke things ofanother world; andwhenchisisloGhe begins to fleep, zCor. 5·9· with Ir. z Pcq.u,u. Somefecurelings thought all things were paG; No (faith he) there is tttime a •·oming when all things Jhall be dij{olved; what manner of perfons then fhould w' be! Hencerhis b~ingloll:, men fear not fin, menprize not mercy, men , wonder not if ever they efcape ; hence men live and hang between doubt and fear, never make fure, b~caufe they know not what Gods wrath is: Nay, laflly, hence nothing awakens them, thacrhough they know their mifery, yet chey will go on ( cl]e hi5rell: degree of fpiritual fecurity ) Oh then keep rhefe thoughts awake l what it is eo be forfaken of God l what it is ro grapple withhim! · 3· When men have loll: their forelight, and hence provide not ag tinG an evil day ; when Chrif!ians keep their profeffion, and go on fweerly in their co1.1rfe, but to lay up for after-claps, that they do nor, when Chrif!ians like Grafshojlpersfing all che fummer, but what have they to live upon in the winter cime? theAntcan learn ~hem thar, Prov.6.y. Go tothe .Ant thou jlug- ~ard, thllt 1rovideth her mMt in rht fumm.."r; the Ant by a fecret inGinet (thoughfimple and little) confidererh therewill be a winter, andthat :fum'- mer is her gathering rime; fo a Chriftian, if awakened ( thoucrh fimpla) wil.l betaughtrodofomerhingwhich may fervehim, nor orilyno~, buchereafter alfo: when men in rimes of peace and enjoyment of Ordinances never fear, mu~hlefs provide for chat time, that all thefe trufures !ball be taken away and earned tache KingofBabd,Ifa,39· wlienmenin chc:ir~fe timechinknorof . . · ,, ren:ing
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