Shepard - Houston-Packer Collection BV4500 .S43 1657

ì 6 Awholefon e Caveat. When the will is in captivity, no captivity like it, no gale lyflave like it : A childe of God bath a bondageand is led into captivity,but Ohmiferable man he cries; but thefe, Prov. 17. io. have a price in their hand, but no heart re make ufe ofit, Ezra. i. 5. So many whofe hearts the Lordo furred, they gat up to go to Jerufalem But the Lord never firs the heartsof thefe poor creatures : they know and fear, yet have no heart to get out'of'that condition, nay rather willingly 'are fo. . They fell themfelves to their lufts, and fins, and Satan : here is ( faith Satan) this gain, neglect prayer for it, tell a lye for it, break Covenant for it, lofe thypeace for it : here is this honour and crrdir, look big on it : here is this eflate, carry thy countenance high, and thus apparrel thy fell with thefe trappings,walk thus with thy boots French-like : here is this pleafure and mirth, keep thou this company, lode thy heart, neg left thy God,give thy felt over to it : here is this eafe, de- ferre thy repentance, be cold inprayer, negle& thy fami- ly ; and a man Fels himfelf to his tuft, pleafures and ho- nours; thou art thus provok't, and therefore now thou muft fret, and murmur, and rage, andhold thy own, and fo eafe thy heart, thusmen let themfelves to fale wil- lingly. 3. 3. When men have fome heart to come out of it, but the Lord leaves men to an indifferency, andconfequently to apoftafie, as, it was with Agrippa alnaoft perfwaded, and like the Ifraelites that refufed to go into that good land, Numbers 14. And hereupon the Lord was wroth, and faid they fhould nor, but they repented and would fain have had fomepitty fhewed in regard of their mile - ry, but their enemies fell upon themand deftroyed them: all the pleaof the.Arminians is for this, which is nothing elfe but mens nmifery. Luke 14. thofe that were invited made their excufes and laid, I muft needs go and fee it: But found no necelity to come toChrift. Now the Saints the Lord never leaves them to a fpirit of indifferency,but keeps them in a fpirit of necel1ity. I muff come out of this miferable condition, faith the poor foul, they fay not, . flefh is weak, but I muff have help. Pfalm. Yao. becaufe 'tis theday ofthe Lordspower, they mull not reft contented without help; and if the Lord delayes them and hears not, theywill follow the Lord fo much the harder. 4. If they have any refolution to comeour, and think it mull not be thus, and purpofe never to live thus again; yet iQnfir:

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