The Pa1abfe of the Ten Pirgini;, cedingrheir lafl: plague; and hencetheApofl:leexhorts, Oh jleep not you,&c. 1 Thijf. ~· 1,2,5,6. Lee me open this rhus : SECT. II. 1: .1VE mufiknowthatthe Lord infubduinga li imerrothe obedience of V himfelf, it is with him as with an enemy in a City , there are many firong holds of fin, to which he retires and ret.i!ts, 2 Cor.1o.4,5· and when one is down he flieth for ihelter into another, and maintains rhat as Ion~ as he can ; fo it is with men : Or as it iswith diversfruits, they have their fev~ral feafons of growing, and then ofwithering ; fo it ishere; acco~ding tG the feveral feafons of a mans life, fo are his lufl:s growing anddecaying; there are rhe fi rfl and the laH ripe fruits. Firfi, Take a man that is born and bred up to fome years, man is a fociable creature, and it is amirery to live and b~ alone; hence thefirfi evil het~fually chufeth is evil and loofe company ; his Iufis are grown up w fome years, and now he delireth a match for them, and firft he chufeth a companion; and Satan bath a mighty hand in this ; becaufe as the Lord when he firft fends to do his work, he fends two by two to animate and firengthen one another in the work; fo Satan cloth firft joyn hand in ~and ~ogetherrhat . men mizht corrupt one another, and harden one another In Wickednefs; d11S (I fay) is the firH ufually; hence Ephe[.2.2. and Prov. 2. 12. Wifdom firfi keeps from rhe evil man ; and this fin is for a rime the deareft fin ; for here he meets with fome pafiimes, mirth, and fo much love from them, that he loves this laH , more than all tke friends he hath ( though they di!fwade him ; ) more than all the Sabbaths of C!Jod,and hence he prophanes them ; more than Chrifi himfelf, and hencewhen he hathmany rimes purpofes of turning to God, his company with-holds him. Secondly, Continuing long in this fin, at laH hecomes to fall into the fin of lufi, and from men he looks to women, and this isas dear to him as his right eye ; it may be God keeps him from the a Cl: of Whoredom, bur wanton looks, lafcivious thoughts, fpeculative uncleannefs, felf-pollution (which he commits when the candles are out, and none but God fees) and yet God fpares him ; and this follows him to the Church, ro the lheets, whiles he is<!wake, nay, when af!eep, and thinks it is no fin for a time, or if he cloth, Oh the horror that he bath fomerimes for it ! Scholars of Wrjlmi11jJer have been deteeted from twelve or founeen years of age to Jive in rhis fin. This is the fecond: Hence Prov.z.I 6. firfi wifdom keepes from the ev ill man , next from e\fil women. Thirdly, It may be a man marrieth, and then this fi n is eut of feafon; now therefore another comes in its place, and that is , immoderate love of, and dropfte deft res after the world, and the weal th of ir, for now charge is like to encreafe, and it is a ihame to walk in rags; andhence now a maQ begins to look upon the eHates of others, and to admire ar them, and rhen be looks upon what he bath, and what tabor, care, and providence in a fav ing way maybringhim unto; and hence burieth himfelf alive in the eanh, and feeds upon clods of earth, and uncertain hopes. Aad this is the next fi n which grows up ( though I know fome men will not come to this) but I fpeak of them that go on in the fairefi way; hence Heb.z 3·4>5· Whoremongers God wtll ;udge ; then let y oHT canverf~tt/On he without CO'IIetoufnefi, that follows. Fourthly, It may be at laH God terrifies rll is mans Confcience, and_he . bejitnS
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