Webster - BX9318 W43 1654

The saints perfett freedom, or tonneffe, or Drinking, or Company and the like, and if that will not hide and cover the pit , fo that the mouth of confcience will not be ftopt, then it runs out toDuties, and Forms, andwayes ofWorfltip, and thinks that will do it, when alas they are weer delufions , and things which the foul hath invented to play its to get peace and liber- ty by, to make it forget t Mifery s Poverty, and Empti neffe ; but the end of this peace is death and mifery, and the end of this liberty is confufon. And whatfruit haveye of thole things whereof are now afhamed ? But, oh happy is that foul, that can fayfrom experience and not onely in words but really,That they are all miferable comforters, and that all below and befidesChrifl, all gender to death and bondage ; and that hebath found theBed too broad, and the Covering too narrow; fo that he could not wrap bimfelf therein ; and that he is reiolved never to run out toany thing torelieve or flay his fpirit,but only to theRiches,Powcr, andFulneffe ofChrift; not to the grofl'e lulls ofmen,nor to the riches-ofthe world, tohonour, or praife, or the like: nor to the Religion of the world, nor of the Nation , as ye know many ufually do, and ifthat will not do, then theyfly higher, and they will beof the f riEief fort of the Pharifees, and joyn themfelves with men ofLearning, Gravity, andReligion, and men e- fteemed Orthodox and found in the Faith, and he will fol- low their ways, in hearing and'reading, and praying, and- ;walkingwithout offence, and the like : but all thefe do but few to theflefh,and of thefleth can reap nothing but corruption. Dobut examine thy felfe, although. thou haft joined thy felfe bere and there, and gone from one Church-fociety to another, and put thy neck under the yoak of fuch a form and filch a religion,what was the caufe?was it not thyfears, thy terrors within ? of as itnot that thou mayft cover thy filthy and corrupt heart from the fight of others ? haft thou not-forall this conformity, the fame heart, the fame nature ,ftill,though thouhaft hidand covered it by theft inventions? :and when the fire hath fill broke out, and thy mifery and undone condition would not be concealed, hail not thou Paid within tl{y fell; is therenot force other way, lone better re- medy

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