i Opened and Applied. 1 7 ~ ~--------~--~~~~~~~~--~~~- ' a~ms ; Grac1=, and the love of Chrifbnd the S2irit (tbefa~rd!colours under : the fun) may be pretended; but if you /hall recerve u~der this appea;ance, rlm i God wtrnellerh his love, firfi, by an abfolute prom1fe, where neuher grace ! nor life is feen; take heed r_here; for under thts appearance ~ou may as we!! i brin-• i·1 immediate Revelanons, and from thence come to torfake rhe Sen- . pturgs ; and then no wonder if men fall to deny all foundations in Chri!~ianit~, I and Scripture alfo; rake heed of meer appearances of repenranc!'! m evil : members, be not deceived there: Never was the wo rld more full ?f craft; be not Jaid o{leep with appearances of truth: Thus you fee the pom_t ~pened. StoP fe< urity when it is rilen to your anck!es, !eH you be drowned m It, and peri111 in it afterward. CHAP. Ill. Security the l~fl Sin of good a~d bad. SECT. I. ~RR!lmbHnt carnal fmlr ity u fomttimer the fpjl frz which doth fur- Obforva- • przfe and overcome the hearts of goad and bad, wife and fo,/ifh tton 3· in V'irgin-CI:urch.s, · That as it is faid, That the !afl emmy that fha!l b~ deflrOJed is . death; fo this death, like {leepin?; is one of rhe lafl enemies that futprifeth the fouls of the wi1e, but Chrifl doth defitoy it .; and of the foo!ilh, but it defiroyeth rhein: Tht:s it was here 1vith the Virgins; what was their fin that were ready with their Lamps burning, waitingfor the Bride~ room? you fee the wile polluted with no fin, till they-fell dowo by Security ( thefoolilh were wanting to get oyl in their ve!fels b~fore) but this ! they fell b!l into: What into open prophaneC~, or other foul corruptions? I • No, but they nO flt<mbered and flcpt, and we r~ad of no fin after tilt the Bridegroom came ; many fins indeed there be, which like branches bud from 'I the root, but this is the main: And therefore look UjJOll the next Parable, you l11all fee this again confirmed, to /hew the cerrarnry of this point; the 1 fervam that hid his talent, 7Jerf.z6. is called an evil fervant; why, what evil I did be? be did not lavilh it (as the Prodigal) upon others, nor !ofe it; but I be did nor ufe it, {luggillmefswas his lin ; h~nce ( f.1ith ChriH) th;uevilland .flothful fer ·vant. And hence the thorny ground flouri lhed and gr~w, and fuffer- '\ ed; all- perf~cutions could n?t confume them; what w.1s their fin? Mark_4.IZ'. , compared With Luk..,zr.' '1· It was the cares of the world; they b;:gan to dream I ( Hran;e fancies came before fleeping) and 1be pill01v of their fecuricy ' was Jome 1\orldly content: And this is the reafon why Chri(l: and tbe>ApGJl:lbs . are alfo exceeding prefling to watchfulnels \ becaufe this is the fin that Saints , are ready ro fall into after they have feen ChriHs love and care;· and becaufe \this is th~ fin thf.l wickd will fall inro, and their lalt fin ; it will !:le· jult' pre- !--- - · C c c cedin2
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