aymed at to the which all the other things do serve To wit Faith Prayer and Hope The Love of God may be yea is taken two wayes in the Scripture First passively for that whereby we are beloved of God or Gods love to us And this is that so frequent in the Scripture Second it is taken actively for the love wherewith we love God If we referre this precept to the former kind of love how can we preserve our selves in the same for wee can neither procure the love of God toward us by any merits nor preserve the continuance of it But to resolve this doubt we must understand that the passive love of God is taken two wayes First for the love wherewith he loved us before we were borne or the World was made This love is wholly gratuitall neither did the Lord find any thing in us by which he should be swayed with the least inclination of love to us 1 John 4.10 Yea there was in us contrary matter of hatred And this love in it self is never interrupted never increased or diminished but is one and the same constant and equall And of this Love of God as it is in God the Apostle gives not charge here for wee have no part or act in this that we can preserve it Only touching this we are willed never to let goe the sense of it out of our hearts in which meaning the Apostle uses the word Love Rom. 8.35 39. And therefore it is said Keepe your selves in the Love of God Note and not keepe for your selves the Love of God The other sort or part of this passive love is that which is called actuall beneficence or bountifulnesse by a Metonimye of the cause for the effect that is those effects of love and for those kindnesses wherewith lovers doe prosecute them they love So that to this are referred first the will and pleasure of doing good and then the actuall beneficence it self And this love of God is not alike towards all the Elect but is greater towards these That is he doth bestow greater benefits on those who have fully and wholly put off all corruption of Nature such as are the Saints in Heaven On these I say he bestowes more then he doth on those Elect which either lie still in their sins as not yet called or then he doth on those in whom the grace of Regeneration is begun and yet he bestowes more on these latter then on the other and so we may conclude that they are dearer to him Iohn 14.21 He that Loveth me shall be Loved of my Father c. Wherein he doth shew that he doth bestow a greater measure of love on the Elect called who now actually love Christ then he doth on them that know him not For God loves his own gifts and the more they are the more he loves and the more lively Image of himself he loves more then an obscurer To the same purpose are these words Iohn 14.23 Doct. Whence it is apparent that the more one loves God and observes and keepes his word he is the more beloved of God and Christ and doth find the presence operation and abode of God and his Spirit more effectuall and fruitfull in him then they doe that do lesse love him And thus much of the Passive love of God with the two degrees thereof The Active love of God is that whereby we love God 1 Iohn 2.5 If any keepe my word truly the Love of God is perfit in him That is he shewes that he doth sincerely love God not in word but in deed expressing it as St. John speakes of our love one towards another Now to apply this distinction of Love Quest. If you aske whither of these two the Apostle meanes Answ Surely neither must be excluded for though they are distinct yet never severed the last being an effect of the former and a meaner to retaine the same though it bee no cause thereof Yet the Passive love of God must have the preheminence and is chiefly meant and as an argument that this is so may be that Precept of Christ in the same words Iohn 15.9 Abide in my Love and the Apostle here may seeme not darkely to allude thither And whereas this love of God was expressed in two degrees this cannot so well be understood of the first degree but onely of the sense and feeling of that Eternall immense constant and most free love of God is alwayes to be cherished in our hearts and that by the bountifulnesse and operative Love of God which is as a speciall meanes to Seale up in our Hearts the former For this gratifying love of God though it be alwayes gratuitall yet God would there should be some part and duty performed of the Regenerate which while he doth bestow on us as deserving no such thing it might give us a taste of that secret and hidden Love of God and might perswade us to depend and leane wholly on that So that this Exhortation hath this meaning Cherish in your Hearts yee beloved with all care and diligence the sense of the Eternall Love of God wherewith before all beginning he embraced you in Christ and because the Actuall and gratifying Love of God whereby he doth daily bestow his benefits on Soule and Body and is most availeable to preserve this sense and feeling we must give all endeavour that wee may provoke the most bountifull liberality of God towards us especially in things concerning our Soules and Salvation Quest Now if you aske how this may be done Answ Sure Christ hath given us a generall Rule John 15.10 If we will keepe his commands we shall abide in his Love for to those that do continue in the wayes of his Precepts God doth daily give a more plentifull increase of the gifts of his Spirit whereby he doth make that his Eternall Love more conspicuous and witnessed to our hearts And hither belong these places above named wherein God doth promise that hee will familiarly converse with those that doe sincerely love him that he will fix his seat there and never remove it as wee may see how hee testifyed the same upon Davids expressing the uprightnesse of his heart towards God 2 Sam. 7.12 13 14 15 16 c. They that Honour God those wâ—ll he Honour Vse Seeing God doth so largely reward the study of Holinesse and when as the great measure of his Graces in us is a most undoubted testimony of Gods eternall love let thâ—s be the first rule of cherishing the love of God in us and a most strong inducement to perswade us to it and as a notable incouragement to confirme us in the course of Sanctification And this reason St. Peter urges 2 Epist 1.10 11 verses To make sure our Election and calling and to get an inward and evident testimony of Gods eternall Love And let us not thinke it in vaine to serve God and that there is no reward in keeping his command For if all outward
false Doctrines to arise to seduce many So that the Romish Antichrist arose who challenged the authority of God to himself in abrogating divine Ordinances and making new in binding Conscience in pardoning Sin and in making a God of the Bread and how many follow this worship Now whence is it but that by the just Judgement of God they dash against this Rock which have not received a love of the truth And the same Iudgement of God is among us for when the love of Religion hath long since begun to decay God hath sent such as shall embrace the same in shew onely Hath not this Scandall caused that many who began to professe Religion long since have made yet so small progresse Many that had gone well on are gone backward and few that increasing persevere hence it comes by Gods just judgement that the evill wee see in others we follow as a Banner displayed This is the first Reason of this necessity which teaches that men are farre off from that happinesse they dreaming feyne to themselves while they injoy occasions and liberty of Sin without controlement for then are they carried with the heaviest judgement of God if they had eyes to see it as the Prophets above did bewayle the peoples case in this behalf and such as Christ in justice left the Pharises unto saying Let them alone and the Scripture Hee that is filthy let him bee filthy Dan. 12.10 The second Reason of this necessity is the Depravation of man for it must needs be to wit Mans wicked nature being such as it is confirmed by evill custome As it must needs be that Fire burne and an evill Tree brings evill fruit So it can not be that our corruption should bring forth any thing but evill Not that this depravation was planted in us by our Maker but that wee voluntarily have contracted the same to us in the fall of Adam for if it were in us by Creation it could not bee put off by no meanes nor in no measure As by no meanes the Fire can be made to coole or the Stone to flye and therefore seeing many holy men doe in part put of this Corruption it is apparent it is not Essentiall to mans nature Now the particular Corruptions which in men are the procuring causes and instruments of Scandall are these First a want of the love of God and his Truth Second the want of the Love of our Neighbour Hatred against some private persons love of our estimation profits pleasures honours and in generall the whole corruption of man whereby the tongue is made a Scandall by evill speaking the members of the body by being weapons of iniquity Blindnesse of mind frowardnesse of will perversenesse of affections selfe-love naughty Conscience conceit of ones own wit holinesse and righteousnesse and an aptnesse to receive any evill from another as one body receives infection from another These are the subserving causes to which the Divell insinuates himselfe Vse This consideration doth serve lively to decipher to us the greatnesse of the evill of sinne and naturall Corruption seeing it is a sin and a cause of sin and much woe and misery and in all these takes away all excuse from man as will appeare below The third reason is the finall cause of Scandall which in regard of the Elect is their tryall for it is the will of the Father that the elect be tryed that the chaff may be severed from the wheat that his gold might be purged his power in preserving might shine in our weaknesse and his mercy in our misery And the truth and power of Gods graces might be knowne to be greater while thereby the godly are preserved from the common infection As we admire those constitutions on those receits of Art whereby men living in the midst of an infected ayre and persons are yet free from the infection this consideration affords a double use Vse First It is a singular comfort to the godly in this necessity of so great misery that these Scandals are onely for their tryals and not for their confusion it may be their feet may trip against these blocks so that for a while they may goe slowly forward in the wayes of Piety but they shall never so fall as to depart from God and his truth Math. 24.24 There should be such strange delusions that if it were possible the Elect should be seduced thereby inferring to their endlesse comfort that it is not possible This is the priviledge of Gods children and the staffe of comfort in all miseries Vse Second this may serve to admonish unstable persons as Brownists who if they be the children of God as they perswade themselves they shall not be prejudiced in their Salvation It shall be only for their tryall therefore considering this end why God permits these Scandals it should be an effectuall meanes to strengthen them against them it shall turn to our further praise and glory if we can will and without offence in the midst of a froward and crooked generation And thus much of the Necessity In the fourth place a secret objection offers it self to be satisfied which is this Object That if a necessity be on these Scandals then the Authors thereof are not faulty and this Doctrine may seeme to make men desperate since these cannot be avoided Answ To this Christ answers that this necessity doth not exâ—â—â—pt the Authors of Scandall from blaâ—â— and punishment for there is a double Necessity The first is of Coaction or constraint when by some outward force and not of any internall and voluntary motion one is compelled to the doing of a thing As a stone by force is made to fly upward If such a necessity lay on man as whereby he were made to sin against his will then he were free from all fault But when as this necessity do adde no violence to the will but it is carryed wholly by its owne swing to wickednesse as loving the same this Necessity hath no excuse because it takes not away freedome This is briefly set down but excellently by that learned and judicious writer Doctor Abbot out of Barnard It is a voluntary and miserable free Necessity wherein neither can necessity Note ☞ excuse the Will because it is voluntary nor the will exclude necessity because it is intangled with delight therein Wherein Will takes from man all matter of defence and necessity bereaves him of possibility of amendment of himselfe So that the Will in a strange wise causes this Necessity to her self for there is one way Necessity by the habit of corruption and another way liberty by the free motion of the Will Vse Hence we learne that excuse that men make pleading Necessity is a false plea and unsufficient seeing this Necessity is such as was voluntary and was also contracted and procured by our own default The Philosophers could say That hee that offended by Drunkennesse was worthy of double punishment First for his fault Secondly for his
Third the godly their sayings and doings For the first the word of God is a Scandall in either part of it whither the Law or the Gospell The Law is to many a Scandall either through ignorance or wilfulnesse Thus the Iewes were Scandalized through a carnall zeal they bare to the Lord thus Rom. 7. The Law is a Scandall to out corruption which while the Law restraines it rages more and takes occasion to work Concupiscence and death Thus also the impossibility of the Law is a great Scandall to ignorant men they not conceiving how it should be just with God to command things impossible to corrupt nature But chiefly the Gospell and Christ are great Scandals in the world in so much that Christ pronounced them blessed that were not scandalized at him Math. 11. And wee have divers particular examples in this case John 6.61 and 66. Math. 15.12 Some are Scandalized at the person of Christ because outwardly it was contemptible some at his familiar conversing with sinners some at his ordinary kind of dyet some for speaking against traditions some for derogating from Moses and the Law some at his sufferings and death some at the Doctrine of justification of spirituall eating his flesh and at the secret and free worke of Gods drawing men to him Ioh. 6. Some are offended at the diversions that arises through the Gospell called for this end Fire Some are offended at the crosse that followes Christian Profession Againe many are offended at the condition and quality of the Church as well in regard of the Preachers thereof that they were simple unlearned Fishermen not learned Rabbins and now the Preachers thereof mean men and no great wise men for the world Some are offended at the Believers that they are few not many and those of the meanest sort Not many wiâ—e noble c. 1 Cor. 1.26 27. Some are offended at the Worship and service of God These with more which might be added doe shew how true this is but without any default on the truth sake for so deere and precious ought the word of truth and every part thereof be to us that though the whole World should be offended yet it may not be concealed and made marchandise of Indeed the manner of handling of some parts of it as of Predestination may minister offence justly but that is not in the Doctrine but in the indiscretion of men handling it amisse Secondly as the word and worship of God is a great Scandall so are the works of God For man not being able to conceive the reason of them for God doth not give a reason as Job speakes yet man thinking to measure them by the line of his crooked judgement is offended at the varying from the same Thus David was offended at the worke of God in smiting Vzzah and was grievously troubled at the worke of God in the prosperity of the wicked and affliâ—tion of the Godly Psal 37. and 73. So was Ieremy and Habbacuck So are many calling into question the Providence of God by this meanes Some are offended to see the wicked as live in pleasure so die in Peace without disturbance when as yet the godly besides the evill in their lives time have much bitternesse of soule and body in their death Of all these the Prophet Hosea speakes excellently Hosea 14. and the last verse The wayes of the Lord are Righteous the Righteous shall walke in them but the wicked shall stumble at them Thirdly Gods children in their practices are an eye-sore and offence to the ungodly what ever they doe or say they are not pleased Neither Iohns Austerity nor Christs Lenity did please the Iewes and this in some is through ignorance while good is taken for evill and evill for good Others of malice while good is disgraced with reproachfull names and evill is varnished with goodly pretences and amiable names yet what hath the Righteous done but that the poore sheepe if she drinke must be counted a disturber of the water Thus Ahab was offended with Elias Ahaziah and Iehoram with Elizeus Ahab with Michaiah Daniel offensive to Darius Courtiers but God forbid that the Righteous should forsake his Integrity for all these things And thus we haue seene the divers kinds of Scandall against others either God or men The Scripture also shewes how men are Scandals to themselves because by corrupt words affections and lusts they doe make themselves at least to saker and be slothfull in the way of Salvation insâ—aring themselves in sins As Math. 5.29.30 and 9. verse The knowledge of these things are necessary for the informing of our minds and reforming of our judgements and for direction in the whole course of life that knowing them wee may avoid them But the further use of it will appeare in that that followes Having spoken sufficiently of the first point let us come to the second The second point is the Misery for least Christ might be thought to speake of a light or unnecessary matter he doth forewarne that it is most weighty as being not the least cause of the miseries and judgements of God on the world And this is set down in the word Woe woe which comprehends all evils Ezech. 2.20 It is a word of one sorrowing which in great griefe and lamentation is usually taken up of mourners whither for themselves or for others And Christ doth here partly expresse the heavinesse of it by that is added It were better a Mill stone were hang'd about ones neck and he cast into the Sea So that here it is used figuratively being a Metonymya of the effect for the cause For a great and lamentable evill which is to come on the world through Scandals For it must needs be a most fearfull calamity wherby not one or two but the whole world should be driven to an effeminate kind of mourning because the judgements on the same are universall and grievous Object But some may say where is this evill and sorrow Answ To this answer is made That Christ heere speakes not of the mourning which would be but of that which should bee He speakes of the certainty of the evill and how men sbould be affected in and with the same Object But the World sees it not and therefore laments it not Answ The wicked are carelesse and secure and so the outward man and the flesh have the appetite they have no Spirituall eye to discerne when the eâ—tate of the World is truely miserable But the faithfull whose eyes God hath opened to see these evils they sigh and testifie their sorrow by sighing as the Prophets while they cry'd out the judgements of God to the secure people themselves mourned and fasted Crying my leannesse my leannesse I am pained at the heart Esay 24.16 Habacuk 3.2 and 16. verses Ier. 4.19 20. Ier. 9.112 Esa 22.4 Luke 1â— 21 Christ wept for Jerusalem when it laughed fasted while it feasted he foresaw the evils to come when as they would take no notice of
be but by death So that Gods wrath is already removed the guilt and condemnation of sin is taken away with the dominion Only the reliques remaines and bodily death but so as they shall no whit hinder our full deliverance So that true it is we must Dye Simile that the truth of Gods threats may take place which once denounced could not bee revoked but as Assuerosh though hee could not revoke the sentence of Death sent against the Iewes yet hee sent forth another Edict whereby he armed the Iewes against their Enemies Simile Even so God at the suit of Christ made another decree whereby wee might be armed against our enemy Death so that though we dye yet hee prevailes not against us by reason of the great change that is made in Death For whereas his Power was extended to whole-man Soule and Body hee is altogether restrained of the one and whereas his Power was perpetuall it is now limitted to a very short time Yea whereas Death and Sin were the greatest friends they are set at greatest oddes For as Death came in by Sin so Death is made the destroyer of Sin Simile like as the Worme that breeds in the Tree kills the tree Before Death was the Divels Serjeant to arrest us and to carry as without bayle to perpetuall Prison but now it is made the Lords gentleman Usher to conduct us to Heaven Before it was said Thou shalt Dye and not Live now it is sayd Dye that thou maist no more dye but Live eternally Vse Let us apply this for our Instruction First wee are taught hereby to walke worthy this Deliverance Luke 1.74 Upon this ground are made all Exhortations in the Scripture Rom. 12.1 2. 1 Pet. 1.17 18. It had been better otherwise never to have beene delivered 2 Pet. 2. at the end Math. 12. When the Divell is cast out of a man hee seekes rest c. And if a Bond-man be escaped and catcht againe more bonds are laid on him the eye of his Keeper more observes Hee that once escapes Fire and Water and will cast himselfe into them is well worthy to perish Simile Hee that is once set at liberty out of Prison and will run into ryot againe till hee be cast in the second time hee may lye till he rot Shall Christ breake our bonds and wee make new ones Shall hee kill Sin and take away the sting of it and shall we put life and sting againe into it When the Israelites were delivered from Babell how did they Watch build with one hand and prepare to fight with the other to defend their Liberty and as Ezâ—â— reasoned Chap. 9.9 That when as wee were bond-men thou O God forsooke us not in our bondage and seeing thou hast stayed us from being beneath for our Iniquities and hast given us such a Deliverance shall wee returne to breake thy Commandements wouldst not thou be angry till thou hadst consumed us so that there should bee no more escaping Even thus ought we and must we reason with our selves Nay what can we say if wee resist not Sin Have we not a Promise wee shall vanquish When we were weake unskilfull in battell nay wilfull not listing to fight and our Enemies were strong resolute and well appointed no marvell if wee turned our backe But now that the advantage is to us and disadvantage to our Adversaries what can wee say if we faint who will pitty that man that suffers himselfe easily to be spoyled of his goods by Robbers having on himselfe good armour and well weaponed and being stronger then the Thiefe Let us then stand fast and not betray our Liberty but oft meditate of the bitternesse of our former bondage one that being long in Prison and there fed of scraps if being delivered he passe by and sees other at his old dyet hee partly trembles partly his stomack rises at it and so should it be with us Secondly This doth admonish us of Thankefulnesse No benefit to this Exod. 12. The night of their Deliverance out of Egypt was solemnly to be kept Yet this was nothing and therefore to be forgotten in comparison of the Deliverance from Babell Ierem. 16.14 Now this of ours farre exceeds both the other as being but temporary and bodily Deliverances from Miseries ceazing on the body which Death would have ended And yet for this how doth the Psalmist stirre up the people Psal 107. To thankefulnesse verses 1 2 8 13 16 21 31. Nay it is to bee observed that the Scripture speaking of Deliverance from the bondage and guilt of Sin calls all Creatures to rejoyce with Man for this his happinesse and the fruit of it Esa 44.22.24 Rejoyce yee heavens for the Lord hath done it c. Esa 49.13 And sure great cause have wee Psal 116.8 Therefore he inferres in the first and 2d. verses That he will love the Lord dearely and that he will walke before God in the Land of the living And in other places meditating of it He breaks forth Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him What was the Lord God more tyed to us then to the Angels falling yet passing by them in wofull misery hath vouchsafed us mercy Simile As if a Noble man and a Peasant being both Traytors the King should cause judgement to be executed on the Noble man and yet pardon the mean man yet thus hath God dealt with us Vse Let us then labour earnestly with our own hearts to frame them to true thankfulnesse Let us consider who was the Lord that he should look on such dead Dogs as we are And if Elizabeth could cry out in admiration whence is it That the Mother of my Lord should visit me what ravishment of affection should possesse us Let us acknowledge this unfainedly and give him the glory of his Power Wisdome Goodnesse Justice Truth Holinesse for all these appeare in our Deliverance Let us study to expresse thankfulnesse by avoiding what is displeasing to God and by doing that may please him Otherwise if forsake good and cleave to evill wee shall bee cast off from God and all goodnesse and shall be tyed by an inseparable bond to all perfection of evill as a just and befitting recompence of our own choyce Vse Third the meditation of this Deliverance offered in the word Preached shou d cause that the messengers thereof should be entertained with all willingnesse and thankfulnesse Esa 52.7 8. And because this is not thought of it is that men are so dull and heavy in entertaining the word and the Ministers thereof And thus much of the first particular Now followes the second Verse 18 To Heale the broken hearted Herein by a second comparison the misery of man is set forth with the remedy by the benefit of Christ Where first of the Misery This broken heartednesse is a fruit of sin and Corruption whereby the heart as with a mighty burden is bruised yea so heavy it is that God affirmes of himselfe that he is pressed with
order the third degree of mans Misery and doth adde weight to the former For to be poore and destitute of necessaries is heavy but if that any disease or torment be added the burden is heavier But if to these two there come a third affliction that the same should be taken Captive carryed into a strange Countrey bee evill entreated farre from all friends and acquaintance without any hope of returne Where this is what is wanting to the perfection of misery yet so it is with man And all this is caused by one and the same thing namely Sin for as in regard of Spirituall riches it being poverty and as it lookes unto the Law it wounds the Consciences and breakes the heart as is after shewed So as it respects Satan it is the very spheare under which we are sold the chaines wherewith we are bound and by which we are carryed farre from God Esa 59.2 It is that by which we cease fighting against Satan and throwing away our weapons of defence and offence we even fly into his Campe. So that Sin in divers respects doth worke the divers degrees of our Misery And this the Scripture teaches plentifully Iohn 8.44 Rom. 6.16 And that by nature we can do nothing but Sinne. Ier. 13.23 1 Kings 8.46 Prov. 20.9 Eccles 7.21 So that by Sin men are made the Divels Captives and we must know that men are not judged what they are by their stock whence they are borne nor by the place wherein they live nor by the like circumstances but by their studies and actions as if one an English man by Nation Noble by birth a Courtier yet in mind and heart be wholly a Spaniard bewraying our Counsels to them and helping theirs whose Servant would such a one be counted sure not of our Prince but even a secret and close factor and Servant of Spayne So it is with us it little availes to be borne in the Church or of Christian Parents to professe Religion to be present at the Word and Sacraments if our wils doe serve the Divell Vse Is That wee learne to abhorre Sin even for this cause that it doth bring us into bondage Who loves not and from his heart desires liberty Wherefore are Lawes but that we may live freely whence are warres but to recover lost liberty for which many have jeoparded lives and livings And shall we so much esteeme the liberty of the Body and neglect it for the Soule which is so much the more excellent by how much the Soule excels the body What do we then by Sinning Surely this we cast away our Liberty Aegypt was a figure of Hell Pharoah of the Divell The yron Furnace of death the Clay workes of Sin whereby Satan holds us bound Now how were they delivered Sure by Christ alone and that by his Bloud and that war figured two wayes First the Paschall Lamb was to be slain with the bloud whereof the doore-posts were to be sprinkled and so free from the destroying Angell This was a Figure of Christ who by his Bloud shed destroyed the first borne of death even by his power and strength and this was the first degree of our Redemption The second degree and absolute was the Drowning of them all in the Red Sea Now that was a figure of Christ which did open the way of safety to the Jsraelites and brought utter destruction to the enemies So that we see a double Deliverance in this shadow first a Killing of the chief strength and darlings of the enemies but yet not a freedome from the pursuing of the enemies The second was wherein all Perished not one escaped So it is with us The sprinkling of the bloud of Christ hath cut the nerves of Satan and Hell But when by Death wee shall bee drenched into the Sea of his bloud we shall be free from all assaults of enemies A second Type was in Ioshua whose Victories were lively shadowes of Christ For as by the blowing of Rammes hornes the Wals of Jericho fell so by the Preaching of the death of Christ the horne of Christ the Ramme Sacrificed being blown it caused the pillars of Satans Kingdome to shake and the doores to open Vse To strengthen our Faith against that horrour wherewith Satan seekes to shake our Consciences He devises what hee can to afflict us sets the griesly face of Death before our eyes cals to mind the filthinesse of our Sins hee opens even Hell it self makes us to behold it he proclaimes the severity of Gods justice Now true it is we are not able in our own strength to stand against the least of these but in the power of Christ we shall be more then Conquerers and dare boldly behold the same Vse Second know that true Liberty consists in being freed out of the bondage of these cruell Enemies and therefore not so to live as that we suffer our selves to be entangled againe By the Broken heart is not meant a heart lightly bruised or somewhat broken but a heart broken into the smallest pieces as Corne is broken twixt the Milstones or as any thing is beaten to powder in a Morter Now the heavy Milstones and the strong Pestle or Hammer that doth this is the Law of God with the Attendants The sight of Sin the apprehension of the Curse the wrath of God the feare of Hell Death Damnation and the Divell Seeing Christ cures such onely it much concernes us to stirre up this sense of Sin in us and to avoid all such things whereby it may be deaded and wee lulled asleep and to this end Christ diligently warnes us of two things Luke 21.34 The first is Surfetting and all wanton and riotous Pleasures and delights For this takes out of the heart all sense and feare of Sin Curse Death Hell Esa 22.115 Amos 6.3 For how can any Godly sorrow take place amidst all voluptuous delights the like is shewed Esa 57.4 5 6 7 11 verses For when day and night is spent in devising and musing of outward and Carnall pleasures what roome is left for holy Meditations examinations and considerations which was the meanes that made David turne to Gods testimonies So that if we regard our Soules health wee must avoid the excesse of Carnall delights and thinke it much better to sorrow heere a while and to be comforted hereafter then for transitory delight to incurre Eternall torment So for the second the cares of this World is a manifest hinderer for they choke the Word it cannot have it perfit worke this is seen in Dives this is seene Luke 14.18 In the refusall of the Invited guests This also is observed Amos 8.4 5. They thought the Saboth long because their minds were after their Covetousnesse Vse Second Let all those receive Comfort that groanes under their Sinnes for Christ is ready to heale such of all Afflictions there is none to that of the wounded Conscience for such may and doe complaine as the people of God Lament 1.12 13 14. But