Opened and Applied. an one fo brough~ under;· ro feed h mfelf with hopes, and not eo lzlten, rill he ,barh fpem all, and is utterly undone, and beggar'd ; truly rhus 'ds her.: ; And fo I end, wirb reminding you of the fpeccb of God to Elia Sons , I Sam. z. 25. Theyhe«rdnot their father, bcca•fe God wnt~ld jla_y them '; fo here you will not bear Minilters condemne you , becaufe God will do it. See the great folly of lho(c, who having got fome falfe comforts, . and Uj. are loth tc k.Jow the worft of the "r rjfam now; Ifa. j O. IO. that fay to · e z. the Prophets, P_rofhdie d•ceitr; or if not, they 1-yi I not com~ 1;0 the light; Joln 3· 2c . or zf ll ghr com.: to them , theJ iwe u, and put tt out, choak it, If they do nor alfo bare the man. Shall you know your ellates hereafter, and will ypu nor fee them now? what co·ntorr will this be to you ? There is a Beall, when it is bunterl , and weary, run es its bead into the ground or , bulhes, and chinks it fe l_f tb~n fafe, thou,.h irs body b~ al. fee , ; and that rb~ Hunter doth not fee tc , no r rbe Hounds, b~caufe 11 fees not tbe·n ; So it is here ; What 1\ i I ir profit you ' o hide your eyes from ~be Alm1gbt;es fearcb, who can• ot bide your felves r It's true , it there was no~ hope new, thenmen mirhr comfort tbemfdves,andnot dye with thoughts a dfears of ir, rill rbey c -me to dye; but there is hope;-- Oh fol:y not to fee it now! and truly tbi<is mens frame. I . Becaufe fome tb·;nk it a f'name to begin now, after they have been fo well thought of, now ro A rip tbemfelves. z. Becaufe of troul:le, men naturally will avoid it, and hence skin their fores over fuperficially. · ' · j. Becaufe they think ic impoffii- le , or very difficult to b: Caved now, if all lhould Pe nau::,ht that they have done· already ; and bene.:, rather hazard a 1. and pur it ro the venture. , 4- B-!caufe rhey mu(l mainraine their ·innocency anq confidence.' Whar? mull I not believe, nor hope well ? S· B:caufe when they have ·done rbeir bell, they can do.no more' .tJan,whac they do no.v, ..,;"· tru!tco Gods mercy. "' · ' But more particularly this appeares I Firfl, When men will r.ot fee, nor detire the Lord to reveal their finne 1 and deceits, '1'/alme 36. 3- That's one part of ,oearc-flanery, not eo fee )to do good ; a gracious bearr is brvken orf from flm.:ry; he kno•vs it, and I hence will to rhe Lo \d; wh~n be know& not htmfelf, a·od his e!lace, Lord i teach me ; rhe dammng fin, is fome dear fin ; a tin which ~he foul all mes I habitation, and boufe-roome, and beart-roome unto; and hence ir will nor fee it, becaufe ir wou ld not part wirh it; and hence ir fairh, It cannor fee j ir, becaufeirwrll nor ; it's in-love w·rhthi: flmeryofit; and h~nce 'cis 1 Grange ro fee fome rh at 1:ve i 11 o?preffion by unlaw!t~l prizes, and e)laa'ng i immoderate vy.1gcs , canriot fee their tin , though privately, and, pu,bJ.ick!y fpoken of, be,aufe they will not; cannot fee ir, b~caufe rbq wiJJ not; I 'rjs ltran~e ro fee bow time-fervers will defend rhcir Fallt>ons ; and . tbq. : cannot f.:e ir, b~caJfe rbe heart is fecretly in love with fuch vani ties' ; , and ' 'tis jufl' feci ng [bey. love not the trurb • they lhould b.: dc:ceived by errors ; Two wayes men ba\'e tQbide their li •1s from God h>mfdf. , ' · I. By covering rh,em with reafon, A man that i~ alhamed of his nakednefs or fore , be will get a covering for it; hereby oue may know what amans chief tin is; VI"-. ·by his reafon ngs for it; as_one may know IN >ere l!be eg_~sb::, bytb:: Her.1s .tining upon them; <ll1dtruly1 alink reafon will blinde the eyes many times. i" ' nay, t,bough God and Sc'ripture be brought in; Bala11m would fain finde out fome light from God ~o curfe, and from Altar Xxx · · ~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=