Taylor - Houston-Packer Collection BS2755 .T394 1619

EpiftleofS.Pail to Titus. Iewes for corne andwine: they haue howled andcried upon their beds, but they returnednot tothemolt high; they affeaed deliverance, not repentance : nor further fawned upon God then to get out ofhis hands. By chele wotldly forrowes, infinite men deceiue themfelues, and tea in them as fufficient repentance. The latter fort are they,that deceiue themfelues in turning theireles from their frns,to Tome verruesor graces which they find in their foules. Hencehaue we men, that can be diligent inhearing the word, and that gladly withHerod , and thinke that enough todifpence with their hol- dingof their Herodias, Come fweet finneor other. Others can rcioyce and be affeEted, as we haueknowne loft hearted Proreftants,that could melt at fermons into teares,with great affc Pion ,& yet haue made little confcience of their wales : but nut mortifying the deeds of the fled), haueyeelded to their lulls the raines in all liberty. Others can receiue theword, talkeofir,yeeld a feemly obediencevnto it, any man would fay,they were furely goodChriftians,yet as bad ground theygiue it not depth enough ; they giue it the vnderflanding and fume affedtion , but the will and thewhole ioy is not carried vnto ir. If they talkeofit, it is but as fuel) as only haue tafled it with their congues,(as cookes do their feruices) but theyhaue not filled their bellywith it, as they for whom it is prepared.Their lightlyobedi @ce is like Herods, who didmany things becaufe Iohn was a good man.In aword,they can be reuerent & liberali co Minifters,kind to profefiors,forward in good motions,can lend their hands or purfes to help the godly out of trouble; & yet in all thefe com- mcdable duties are like a deceitful bow,whichbeing cal + &crooked,let the eie aime neuer fo right at the marke, it callech it quite betidesall the way ; even all thefe proceeding from deep hypoctilie, anddone not putely,buc finifter refpeets furthering them,deceiue the foule and keep it far from the happines of it. I graunt that in a good heart naturali hypo- trifle wii be mingling it felfe in the bringing torch offuch fruits;but yet it fwayesnot the heart,ic is refilled andmaflered;fo as the main fway of a good heart is fincere,choofing good thingsand doing them purely for God and themfelues;but thus it is not in the former. Yfe. 1. Ail this fo large a doEtrine flaeweth , what a number of men andwomen, who feeme good Chrifliaus,arc yet in their naturali condi- tion,and haue not attained the firft degree of their renouation; but de- ceived they wereborne,fo they lice,&fo without gods great mercy are . they like to die. And themifery of this condition , is like that of a man that bath a thoufanddeadly difeafes onhim, and yet is f nceles of them all,whofe cafeeuery man will fay is remediles. Let euery man and wo- manenter into the narrow examinationof themfelues, and neuer be at reit CHAP.;.3. 609 2

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