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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79826	The abuse of Gods grace: discovered in the kinds, causes, punishments, symptoms, cures, differences, cautions, and other practical improvements thereof. Proposed as a seasonable check to the wanton libertinisme of the present age. By Nicholas Claget, minister of the Gospel at Edmundsbury in Suffolk, M.A. of Magdalen Hall, Oxon.	Clagett, Nicholas, 1610?-1662.; Wilkinson, Henry, 1616-1690.	1659 (1659)	Wing C4368; Thomason E978_2; ESTC R207811	268,515	321

their scoffing Table-talk when the Upright are called Hypocrites Righteous dealers are voted unjust or for one piece of unequal dealing are ever condemned so When the glorifiers of God before men out of conscience of duty because under a command are thought vain-glorious When exact walkers fearful of sin dare not run with others into excess of riot nor give allowances fond and liberal to their fawning lusts shall be called over-righteous deemed needless precisians making too much ado in the Church of God as if men could be too godly when the highest measures of holy strictness are exceedingly short of the rule and the life of Christ as if too much care conscience and pains according to requiries of Scripture either could be is or ever was in any Believer in the World as if when the word says real Saints are to give all diligence in the exercise of all Graces 2 Pet. 1. 5. c. To work out their salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. To make through work of it to redeem the time to be followers of Christ they could be too diligent and strict by the warrant of these and other Scriptures to assure and promote their eternal Salvation Every serious dying-Saint thinks he hath done too little for the honor of God and his Gospel for his own soul and others Every glorified Saint seeth his massy glory doth exceedingly outweigh his most diligent services and patient sufferings The abuse of holy examples is too general an injury to God and his choice servants The gracious the graceless are both guilty 1. The gracious low spirited Christians whose light is in a dark lanthorn that shine forth to outward view little or nothing of the glory and power of Religion O ye Christians of the lower form look to those that have out-learned you in Christs School continue not still in your weak Graces and strong Corruptions see you not some of your fellow-Converts are very Heavenly Let this correct your earthiness Are some meek let this shame and cure your passions Have they liberal hearts and hands let this open your shut bowels and purses Can they forgive great wrongs let this blame and mend you that can hardly pass by little Dare they not speak idely and frothily guarding the doors of their lips Let this urge you to repentance who speak not onely idly but wickedly uttering such corrupt communication that slanders by must needs conclude foul hearts when tongues are so foul Do they grow under the means of Grace Let their proficiency spur you to better progresses by holy Ordinances Do they practice Religion where they are most in their own Families Let your sinful Houshold omission of holy Duties or but cold formal performances your domestick disorders be reformed Lastly Do they live in the power of godliness let this warn your too powerless profession that you labor more for the power 2. The graceless are guilty of abusing the grace of God in the examples of Grace How will this load your guilt at the great day that as you have wronged the Gospel of Grace so you have gracious Gospellers you look on them as the vile off-scouring of the World 1 Cor. 4. 13. of whom the world is not worthy Heb. 11. 38. Can proudly judge them sometimes base persons for their despised though honorable Divine nature and their loathed holiness herein like to the Heathens of old who made the practice of Christianity and the Christians owning the Christian name their crime Though you cast contempt on vessels of honor whom you debase God esteems It is no flattering but Scripture Language The Scripture stiles them Precious Isa 43. 4. Jewels Mal. 3. 17. Honorable Isa 43. 4. Noble Acts 17. 11. Kings Rev. 1. 6. Princes in all Lands Psal 45. 16. that have the happiness to enjoy them If they be as dirt in your eyes they are as gold in Gods Be intreated to take a measure by the golden line of the Sanctuary whose examples are most Scriptural safe to the interest of immortal souls those you contemn or those you follow Though with a supercilious from you disdain to follow their sober chaste heavenly pious mortified penitential reformed lives Truth will make your awakned mindes when you die wish you had traced their holy steps and when you would at the great day be glad to follow them in glory this for ever will shut the door of hope and happiness you never followed them in Grace It is in vain with Balaam to wish the death of the righteous and with vulgar dead imaginary Believers to hope for the glory of the righteous when there is not with upright Saints living the life of the Righteous Holy and happy should you be that follow the huge multitudes that troop to hell in the broad way of pleasing evil examples if converting Grace did powerfully whisper in your Spirit and draw you back to the narrow way of life Here you should meet with a thin but blessed company Fellow O follow them who through Faith and unwearied patience in well-doing have their race answered with an eternall prize and them also who after their holy course is finished shall inherit the promises It will never grieve you if once you return from your mad errours and courses to your sober spiritual witts that you have changed undoing for saving presidents that you have left your soul-ruining good-fellowship for communion with Saints Angels the Mediator of the Covenant and with the blessed Trinitie for all Eternitie Have any of you ridden about life and death and with exceeding grief lost both your time and way have you rejoyced to meet with an unerring gride that hath not onely brought you out from your wandrings but set you in your way yea rode before you as a courteous faithfull guide The like joy yea greater you will find if after you have strayed like lost travellers God set before you leaders and you have the wisdome and grace to follow in the erring and dangerous wilderness of this world your holy guides to the heavenly Canaan SECT 8. 8. REconciling Grace is turned into Wantonness As in the 8 Reconciling grace is turned into Wantonness former Section the choice Presidents of Grace so in this and the following particulars the choice priviledges of Grace will appear to be abused God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself 2 Cor. 5. 10. When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom. 5. 10. The propitiatory atoning sacrifice of Christs death in putting away Gods destructive wrath is rich grace Even this is injured Reconciliation with God stands in many with agreement with Satan what in them lies peace with God and sin kisse each other as if a league with heaven and hell could stand together Seditious persons reconciled to their Prince abuse his goodness when at the same time they are Traiterous friends with his enemies hold intelligence with them doe homage to them are ruled by them

glorious aiery appellations of worldly precedencies The childless holy Eunuch was by the Gospel Prophet comforted that he should have a Name better than of Sons and Daughters The new Name either Beleever or Child of God out-titles and out-glories the highest worldly stile Fulgentius gave good counsel to Galle a noble Christian of a Godly as wel as Gentile Extraction born of the Spirit as wel as Kin to Roman Consuls Learn to ascribe nothing to your Noble Disce nihil tibi nobiluate generis assignare Fulgent Epist ad Gallam Inter saculares illustris superbiae fomes Fulgent Tametsi speciem aliquam praese ferunt homines tanquam in agris flores qui tamen refulget decori protinvs interit atque evanescis Calvinan Isa 40. In saculi culmine constituti Fulg. Praebentmalae imitationis laqueum aut bonae conversationis exemplum Magna tales aut poena manet aut gloria Fulgent de Conversione ad Theodorum stem Although you have secular illustrious glory yet especially with a perfect humble heart be ambitious of the Spirits Nobilitie If Madam the anointing of the Spirit teach you this lesson that all flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field the glory the ornament the glittering shine of it will disappear in pale gastly death and the chambers of silence and rottenness I hope it teacheth you this also that Regeneration is the birth of births and that the thriving Graces of the Spirit bosom Communion with Jesus Christ here and highest rooms in heaven will be the Honour of Honours Consider Great persons are great blessings or plagues a train follows them to Heaven or Hell they are not saved or damned alone They that stand in the worlds higher ground who either lay the snares of an evil imitation or are the presidents of an holy conversation shall have great either eternal Penalty or Glory Hath free Gospel grace shined in your soul abuse it not Hold forth the Word of Life in a gracious life If you and the faithfull conjugal guide of your soul shall speed your motions to those heavenly eternal Mansions where the better than flowings of Milk and Hony the sweet heavenly Feasts and unglutting delights of eternitie shall be enjoyed If you shall avoid this common scarlet sin of perverting Grace which with an ungrateful Wantonnesse treads under foot the Son of God thinks desires affects and lives as if the blood of the Covenant were an unholy thing and offers a proud despight to the Spirit of Grace If the study of this book shall help you both and others to walk exactly to redeem the time adorn the Gospel credit Profession glorifie God and promote your own and others eternal Salvation you will both accomplish the design of publishing the ensuing Meditations and encourage him who is your remembrancer at the Throne of Grace and remains From Edmondsbury in Suffolk Mar. 18. 1658. Your engaged servant in the Work of the Gospel NICH. CLAGET To the Christian Reader I Shall not detain thee with a long Preface lest I may be injurious by keeping thee too long in the threshold Onely a few things I shall premise concerning the reverend Author and his excellent work As for the Author he hath been well known to me at least Five and twenty years as being of * Magdalen Hall in Oxford that Society with me where from the first even to this day through Gods goodness I yet continue which hath bred and sent forth many faithful Laborers into Gods Vineyard and many † Mr. Tyndal the martyr Dr. Field Dr. Hoyle Dr. Harris M. Pemble Mr. Leigh Dr. Cheynel Dr. Wilkinson now of Ch. Ch in Oxon. Dr. Wilkins M. Obadiah Sedgwick M. Pocock M. Pynke M. Thomas Ford. Mr. Simon Ford c. Edmunds Bury Mr. Jet learned Orthodox Writers Of later years my acquaintance hath been much increased with this worthy Author and I rejoyce therein He hath for these fifteen years in Edmunds Bury in Suffolk Where he now resides given abundant testimony of his industry and fidelity in the discharge of his Ministery and hath studied to approve himself a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed He hath as it is said of Demetrius obtain'd a good report and of the truth He is sound in the faith and holy in life both by his life and Doctrine makes it his business to win many souls unto righteousness I adde no more concerning the Author neither needed I have said so much for he needs not my Letters of commendation His Works speak far lowder and praise him in the Gate That * Corporation where those † two faithful Servants of Christ do now exercise their Ministery hath great cause of thankfulness because God hath raised up such able Ministers now upon the place in the room of their * worthy Predecessors with most of them I rejoyce that I have had the honor of acquaintance And that people who like Capernaum have been lifted up to Hea † Mr. Claget M. Sclater M. Gibbons M. White M. Calamy burroughs M. Sainthill M. Wall ven with Gospel means ought to remember That where much is given much is required As for such who forsake faithful Teachers and the Publick Assemblies I heartily wish them timely and serious repentance and that their Palates might have a right taste then they will conclude that the old wine is better then their new and that godly ordained Ministers are better then upstart un-called self-conceited Seducers Concerning the Book the whole design whereof is to advance grace and decry the abuse thereof it cannot be expected that I should ingage to bring of every Phrase Punctillo or Tittle according to the curiosity of Criticks As for such whose fancies out-run their judgements and with whom affectations of new coyn'd words are more valued then the form of sound words I am not careful to answer them in these matters neither do I think their exceptions worthy of an Answer However I am fully perswaded that the Treatise is solid and profitable tending to edification and throughout the whole there runs a line of a gracious spirit And whoever profits not thereby hath more reason to question himself then the Author For if pride and prejudice be laid aside I doubt not but through Gods blessing much spiritual advantage will follow upon the serious and deliberate perusal of this Book Now if any one Object that the World is glutted with multitude of Books my answer is For good Orthodox solid Writers we have reason to bless God for such helps we have by them and ought to be desirous for the continual increase of them As for vain frothy unsound Writers we wish that they were supprest altogether For some Books we have too many and of others which are rotten heretical and blasphemous we wish we had not any at all but that they and their Authors might be buryed together and never be reviv'd as now adays with sorrow be it mentioned they

est Bern. Grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ It is a true saying of Augustine Let no man say though the longest liver and highest proficient in Religion I have enough I am righteous sufficiently He that sayes so he stayes in the way he shall never reach his journeys end Happy had it been for these wondring falling Stars had they considered there is no middle state between Proficiencie and Deficiencie going forward and going backward if they had considered it must be with Christians as it was with the Angels on Jacobs Ladder as to perpetual motion The Patriarch saw them ascending and descending but no standing still The stands of religious sufficiencie have been and are fatall to Imaginary Perfectists O the rare artifice of Satan to ruin soules where he doth it not as a Prince of darkness he speeds as an Angel of light He puts the vaile of imaginary perfection of holiness over almost perfection of sin votes a nothingness an emptyness in Religion a sufficient attainment tels real carnalists they are high spiritualists cheat them with dreams they are the darlings of heaven when they are like to prove firebrands in hell while in the pleasing folly of spiritual pride vain self-lovers admire themselves as the none such of the world and cannot judge in their coldness yea death of Charity that they are reall Saints vessels of mercy it is to be feared without extraordinary repentance these not fixed stars but blazing comets will goe out in darkness vanish in a stink and appear in the great day in the left hand as vessels of wrath SECT 12. 3. THe Frror a very sottish one of Opinion That what 12 A gross error to the the abuse of grac is this that what pleaseth the loose sinner pleaseth God Insipientes credunt does amare quicquid it si concupiscunt Lact. l. 3. 0. 6. pleaseth the loose sinner pleaseth God These things hast thou done thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self Psal 50. 21. an erroneous and impious parallel and the cause of much looseness These things hast thou done What these sins are charged on the wicked Libertine an hypocritical owning of Gods Statutes and Covenant ver 16. His hating instruction and casting Gods word behind him v. 17. His consent to the every and partnership with adultery v. 18. His evil unbridled tongue v. 19. His slander even of a natural brother v. 20. All these are put down as the sid fruits of this cursed error and reall blasphemy God the sinner are alike Thou thoughtest I was such a one as thy self I was as well pleased with thy basenesse as thy self This is a tyring wearisom error to the pure God Ye have wearied the Lord with your words yet ye say wherein when ye say every one that doth evill is good in the sight of the Lord and be delighteth in him or where is the God of judgement Mal. 2. 17 There are not a few grosse carnal Gospellers who when their unwasht heart impure and wicked lives are covered over with a white and beautifull vaile of professed Christianity do as heartily write themselves in their absurd flattering injudicious minds the children of God the dearly beloved of his soul as if they were the exactest walkers Certainly those grosly intemperate incontinent covetous malicious unnaturall prophane ones that would rage at a Minister or private Christian that should but so much as tel them they fear and suspect their persons hearts and lives are abominable to God doe not so much as scruple it but they are the objects of divine loves and delights What doth this amount to else but this virtual and interpretative perswasion the holy God and the vile sinner are alike O that such wretches would consider as the holy Scriptures in multitudes of places so Gods angry avenging Providences are the vindicating Patrons and infallible maintainers of Gods purity and after death the great day and to all eternity he will prove by sadly convincing fierie arguments the infinite distance between the holy blessed God and the lewd cursed sinner Did either gross or close hypocrites under Gospel-profession seriously consider and deliberately reason their own wickedness and Gods holyness what likes them and what pleaseth God search Scripture Records what the Lord hates and what he is ravished with so ingeniously and faithfully conclude these and these things according to the word of truth are detested with a perfect abhorrence of the pure heavenly Majesty and we are guilty of them and are as loathsome in his sight as Toad a Carrion are in ours it were impossible there should be such liberall and large allowances of carnal liberty as there are too much under the favour of a divine approbation and delight 'T is too common an error that prospering Providences are encouragers of wicked designs and practises The Devil is a Devil still lying and unclean though his temptations prosper SECT 13. 4. The Error that false evidences of Grace are true An erronious rest on these hath begotten too much Libertinism 12. Another Error that buseth grace is That false evidences are true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non beat inanis theoria in the Church of God As 1. Bare knowledge of Divine things is too weak a proof of goodness The Devils know but are unclean full of wickedness In their inlightned intelligent natures there are the spiraul things of wickedness The Apostles expression Eph. 6. 12 The light of the Sun speaks not a Thief honest nor the Adulterer chaste who are both lewd by the beams of it Bare Illumination speaks no man holy nor happy to infer a good heart from a knowing head is not a more common then a foolish and pernicious inference Ah foolish impudent Christian hath God laid thee in with a stock of knowledge to licentiate thee to sin by the light of it Will the aggravation of your sin be the evidence of your good estate A stock of Knowledge is one thing of Grace another The Gnosticks that vaunted much of their knowledge were a beastly Sect The bare light of Gospel propositions will not fit for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Surely light is never gracious and saving unless it Transform its receivers They are children of light 1 Thess 5. 5. and they do not onely see it but walk in it as children of light Eph. 5. 8. 2. An Orthodox Judgement is no conclusive ground of grace 'T is gross error from Doctrinal soundness to argue Cordial and Practical A man may be sound in the Faith Tit. 1. 13. but Metuo magnoque tremore constringer ne qui Orthodoxam sidem habere videmur eam vacuam honestarum actionum conjugio oberrare permiserimus Sophronius Hierosalymitanus Orat. in Natal Christ not by the Faith His light is sound that speaks against Theft and Adultery but he is not found by his true light that is a Thief and Adulterer Rom. 2. 21 22. A form of

prophet that sayes There is no peace to the wicked Ifa 57. 21. sayes also He that made them will shew no mercy to them Ifa 27. 11. SECT 12. 12. The Presumption of Interest in the Promises is a cause Sect. 12. presumption of Interest in the promises causeth abuse of Grace why Grace is abused as unreasonably do foolish Gospellers fancy a part in the great Charter of the City of God the gra cious covenant of promises as fools o● madmen imagine the Immunities and Priviledges of the City of London belong to them who were never Apprentices there nor in any other regular way got their Freedome This glorious Interest a part in the Promises too many vain walkers in the Christian name no less falsly then boldly do assume T is ●ith false Christians as Jewes those made this their vaunt and proofe That the Promises belonge dunto them Rom. 9. 4. And those at every turne after renewed dishonour to the Grace of God can shelter themselves in the Promises but where in the word is there a title of a promise made to the wrongings of Grace Hath the word of Promise made a soft bed for effeminate delicate lazy lustfull carnall security to sleep in the promise of life to unreturning sinners strengthens the hands of the wicked and is a lie Ezek 13. 22. The God of Truth never promised life ever threat neth death to the impenitent The Devill the flattering world the wicked promise themselves life in the wayes of Death The word doth note soure things will discover the wickednesse of their Presumption that impudent unmortified christians lazy convictions have a right to the promises 1. They have not while the Abuse of grace raignes in them a right to Christ therefore not to the promises Christ is the great gospel Promise the great moving Wheel by which all the Whee's of the promises move In him all the promises are ●ea and Amen 2 Cor 1. 20. To him they were made therefore he is called The covenant of the people Isa 42. 6. so then no part in Christ none in Promises no taking of the person of Christ no child of promise Now its evident that unreformed abusers of the grace of God Lusts-servers Flesh-pleasers have no part in Christ for they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the Affections and Lusts Gal. 5. 24. and therefore as yet are strangers to the promises and children of Wrath under the curse every moment in danger of Hell the promises have not a good word for them The confidence of being armed with the promises will not keep such black markes as are carnall wantons shot free from the mortall charges of the Lawes threatnings 2. The promise is an holy promise ps 105. 42. Now an holy promise was never made to encourage and bolster up unholy hearts lives T is true immediatly before the sinners taking Christ the promise found him unholy but it doth not leave him so In the first moment of taking Christ and right to the promises an holy nature is infused and its impossible that such a one should infuse the Grace of God and make void the promise 3. The Spirit that seales the promise to the beleevers Soule in an holy spirit Eph. 4. 20. Now as the seal leaves its owne print on the Wax so the holy spirit seales the holinesse of the promises on the Soul Where the heart is still unholy the Devill seals his false promise the spirit seals not his true one the spirits applications of promises are purifying and fortifying 4. The use of the promise is the improovement of Grace not dishonour it is for Gods sake service not the sinners not barely to comfort but mainly to cleanse Having these promises let us Impii rapiunt in sui consolation em promissiones grutiae Luther in Gen. cleanse our selves 2Cor 7. 1. Lust and the devill saith having these promises we may boldly sin the promise will help in case of sin guilt and disquier Most true is that of Luther The wicked filch and take the promises of Grace to themselves for their carnall comfort SECT 13. 13. The presumption of a false Peace hath betrayed many to Sect. 13. The presumption of false peace causeth the abuse of grace the injury of Gods grace quiertnesse speakes no safety nor goodnesse of conscience the Dormant Lion when awakened will roare and tear the Prisoner is neither secure nor cleane because he sleeps in a cold and filthy dungeon though he be merry and loose in his restraint he is under the lash of the Law and neer the sentence of the Judge Though there be no true Peace to the wicked Isa 57. 21. Yet they please themselves with the Devills peace Luk. 11. 21. While God lets them alone and the Devill disturbs them not in meane while the old man upon presumption of Liberty of conscience shelters himself under the Tranquiliias ista tempestas wing of grace This security is not long lived though it be lasting t is not everlasting sins calms prove the worst storms a calm air hath ushered in sea storms Earthquakes the wind in the bowells of the Earth is silent and quiet for a time at length it breaks out roars and hurls Hills Feilds and Houses into a dark and ruinous Abyss Indulged pampered sin in the soul is silent and quiet for a time but at length it breaks out and roares in horror of conscience and hurles all false comforts into the dismall pit of despaire Although blood toucheth blood Hos 4. 2. And there be a contiguity a close addition of sin to sin drunkennesse be Pax mihi futura ad appectum i. e. ad studia cordis mei ambulabo Junius added to thirst yet many blesse themselves in the imaginations of their hearts and say they shall have peace Deut. 29. 19. yea walk according to the deluding Dictates of their hearts because they say so Had it not beene for Lust and the Devills peace the awakning terrors of the spirit of bondage might have driven many out of Hells way into Christ but because stupified consciences are peaceable they dare be filthy and abominable and this is the sad tragicall issue of the merry comicall Acts of sin in the stage of this life That ease which hath first tempted to sin ends in torment The ease of the simple shall slay them and the prosperity of fooles shall destroy them Prov. 1. 32. When they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travell upon a woman with child and they shall not escape 1 Thes 5. 3. They shall say who shall the next verse 4. Tells us they who are in darknesse and do the workes of darknesse by the comfort and confidence of peace that the day of angry Justice overtakes as a Theife they shall say peace Ah sad peace worse then war the snare and trap-doore to fall into destruction Happy had it been for the filthy Peace-dreamers of bad hearts

and lives that with the repenting Jaylors they had had heart tremblings then with the secure Sodomites a fair morning a sun-shine of prosperity should usher in fiery avenging stormes of warth How wise and safe had been their estate that at once have peace with sin and as they think with God had they at once seen God and sin their enemy their softest beds had been to them beds of Thornes their sweetest comforts bitter vexations the creatures armed against them feared their very meat might prove their poyson every night might be the last that these awakening driving terrors might chase unquiet afrighted spirits into Jesus Christ that the fear and war of the spirit of bondage might end in the joy and peace of the spirit of adoption that tempestuous soules might hear these sweet calming words Be of good cheere t is I be not afraid Mat. 14 27. Fear not I am thy God Isa 41. 10. My Person Spirit Graces Comforts Glory infinite merits are thine Some in the Wildernesse of their sins feares and sorrowes have at length leaned on their beloved when the false peace of most presumptuous ones hath lur'd them into Hell As many there as have been tempted by secure flattery into their tormenting easelesse bed of Tribulation will have cause to think and say within themselves accursed be that calm of our polluted quiet hearts lives that hath brought us to an eternall storme accursed be that peace that hath cheated us into an eternall war accused be that sweetnesse that hath inticed us into eternall bitternesse accursed be that friendship with the world and Devill that hath betrayed us to an eternall enmity with God SECT 14. 4. The presumption of setting death and Judgement at far distance Sect. 14. The setting of death and judgement at far distance causeth the abuse of Grace 1. Death Resentment of it as of a Traveller thousands of miles off at scores of yeares removes begets through the deceits of the flesh and lyes of the Devill a tolleration yea a resolution to play the wanton not only against Nature but Grace The Epicure that beleeves not the Soules immortality concludes wanton voluptuous life from probable short life Let us eat and drinke for to morrow we shall die 1 Cor. 15. 32. And the Christian though he beleeveth his Soule shall live for ever doth wantonize in carnall delights from probable length of dayes he shall have time enough to get the Grace of Repentance and therefore he abuseth the space and call yea the conviction of returning the vilest of Christians while under the sentence and on the bed of death seeme to have some sober thoughts of the excellency and necessity of Grace and of some complying desires and wishes O that they had it who when they beleeved it yea found it at vast distance from them despised and abused the motions of the spirit and word and of Grace How Saint like is the inlightned Libertine within a few houres of his death how dissolute ten years scores of years before it 2. Judgement Because particular Judgement after death and the generall Judgement of the great day is delayed Therefore The heart of the Sons of men is set in them to do evill Eccles 8. 11. wanton scoffers walke after their own ungodly Lusts saying Where is the promise of his coming 2. Pet. 3. 3 4. That cooling word in the Indulge exple animi cupiditates scito tan dem sis ratio nem Deo red diturus q. d. fac quicquid mali poteris tandem vapu labis aut in manus carnificis incides Mercer l. 5. c. 2. hot chase of sin Remember God will bring thee to Judgement Eccl. 11. 9. is too litle remembred the words of Mercer are observeable Feed and dandle thy lusts with most cockering indulgence coming to every desire of thy carnall mind yet know at length God will reckon with you fill up your measure of sin to your utmost possibilities at length you shall smart for it and fall into the hands of avenging Execution my Lord hath delayed his coming said the loose evill servants and therefore they were intemperate and injurious rioted in drunkennesse and Beate their fellow servants Matth. 24. 48 49. As the wanton whorish woman argued to uncleannesse Come let us take our fill of Loves let us solace our selves with Love for the good man is gone a long journey Prov. 7. 18. So the wanton Christian argues to licenciousnesse he may in the spacious intervalls between his healthy time and the last Judgement bathe his fleshly mind in fleshly loves and delights for it will be long ere the last Assizes come and will it be long what if millions of years it will come at length too soon and too sore upon the injurious slighters of Gods Grace Ah Christians that sport your selves with your own deceivings Irremediabile periculum sit aliquem cupiditatibus fraena laxare ut se rationem Deo non meminerit redditurum Bernard that Gospell Grace and liberty will favour your disordered walking that give your Lusts too large roome under the plain hearing and convincements of strictnesse that stumble in high noone day slacken the Reines to your head strong desires as if God would call you to account Bernard tells you this is an irremedilesse soule danger If the Faith of the last Judgement do not teach men holy Wisdome Repentance Temperance Obedience what will what can weep you said the Apostle James to the rich loose wantons of his time And howle for the miseries that are come upon you Jam. 5. 1. why Ye have lived in pleasure in the earth and have been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slangther v. 5. The coming of the Lord draweth nigh As if he had said you play the wantons with creature mercies forgetting God and your duties but the accounting day is nigh Faciat jructū qui potest adest dominus qui fructum requirit faecundos vivificet steriles depre hendet Am. Super Luc. The Judge is at the doore They are good words of Ambrose Let every one bring forth the fruit of Grace the Lord is present in his word to faith who will require fruit will not be put off with leaves He will give eternall Life to fruitfull trees will take and cast barren ones into Hell SECT 15. 5. The presumption of time enough to repent hath brought 15. The presumption of time enough to repent doth cause the abuse of Grace forth this uncomely Monster The abuse of Grace There are not a few incurable instances in the other World who have first delayed and then everlastingly lost the space and Grace of repentance Those words of Christ concerning Jerusalem may be truly and sadly said of Grace-refusing and abusing Christians Hadst thou known in this thy day the things belonging to thy Peace but now they are hidden from thine eyes Hannibal bewailed the loss of his opportunity to master Rome when he would have