Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
lord_n work_n world_n youth_n 32 3 7.9387 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A66819 The doctrine and practice of mortification wherein is discovered the matter, manner, and means thereof, together with the blessed event that comes by it : necesary for every Christian to know and practice, that will live comfortably, and die peaceably / by Thomas Wolfall ... Wolfall, Thomas. 1641 (1641) Wing W3249; ESTC R39135 86,981 287

There are 5 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

to hinder us in the way of the spirit the Asse in the Law was to have his neck broken and not be offered unto God and the reason was because it was a dull creature so it is in this case that the flesh is dull and heavie and if so bee wee bee not stirring and zealous in our way the flesh will draw us backe and keepe us so farre backe in the way to salvation as that we had need to wish that the Sunne and Moone might stand still in their stations as they did in the time of Ioshuah or else it is to be feared we shall come short of our expected journey to the Kingdome of Heaven nay in doing the worke of the Lord negligently instead of a blessing we procure a curse upon our selves Jer. 48.10 every sacrifice in the Law was to be salted with fire Mark 9.49 that is there was to be the salt of wisedome that they did performe duties with discretion so there must bee fire of zeale that the services may be living and vigorous Rom. 12.1 3. If you would not give liberty to the flesh give God his full due the more you give to God the lesse you have to give to the flesh ●ccl 12.1 give unto God the chiefe of your time remember him in the dayes of your youth because that is the most seasonable time to give unto God our first fruits and the beginning of our strength and it is the time of most certainety for it is as the spring and summer of our dayes it is most likely that we shall doe God most service then a man will put a man into his Vine-yard when he may doe him the most worke so if we waite on the Lord in the dayes of our youth it is most likely then wee shall bee set into our worke and such a worke as shall not be without a happie reward Secondly give the Lord the chiefe of your indeavours the end to which you came into this world is not so much to plow up your lands or to digge in the earth or to follow your trades and to cumber your selves with Martha about many things Phil. 2.12 2 Tim. 4.7 1 Cor. 15. but it is to worke out your salvation with feare and trembling and to fight out your good fight never be weary of well doing knowing that in due time you shall reape if you faint not I doe not say that men should neglect their callings for he that provideth not for his family is worse then an infidell but this I say that he that is so carefull for the world that hee doth neglect his soule and the service of his God is little better then an Atheist yet let me tell you that the plough that doth plow your grounds must rather stand then that which ploweth up the fallow grounds of your hearts and you must not spend so much time in your shops as there by to neglect the trade of your soules nor be so busie about your counting-bookes as to forget that great account that you are to make with God for howsoever this may bee good husbandry amongst men yet sure I am it is none of Gods husbandry as that Prophet said unto Ahab 1. Kieg 2.38.39 behold saith he there was in the battell a man committed unto me but on these termes that if I kept him not my life should goe for his c. but while I was busie here and there the man was gone so it is in this case that while a man is busie about this and that thing that a mans dayes are spent and hee drops into hell before he is aware and loseth his soule for the satisfaction of his lusts First labour in the last place to bee alwayes on the growing hand to adde unto your faith vertue to your vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance to temperance 2 Pet. 1.5.6 brotherly kindnesse love c. then he concludeth that if these things be in you and abound yee shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull That as the spirituall part doth increase so the flesh and corruptions they doe decrease and go down 2 Sam. 17.16 Though Vriah was a valiant man yet when he was set upon by strong men then he fell and was overcome so it is in this case that though corruption cannot be denied but to be a potent enemy yet when it is set upon by these graces it will fall and bee deprived of the power it hath CAP. XXI Mortification of sinne makes Christians live with comfort and die in peace 2 THis shewes unto us the way to leade a comfortable and a contented life and to die a peaceable and joyfull death it is chiefely when we finde the power of sinne mortified and subdued by us for what is it that will distract the minde and disquiet the conscience more then sinne will this is that one thing that doth separate God from us and us from God Es 59.2 and is the cause whereby we are plunged into so many feares and why our minds hang in suspence and that our hearts are often pierced through with many sorrowes wee would have fewer cares in getting of worldly things lesse feares in heaping them up and bee very little disquieted at their losse were it so that there were not in us a covetous heart Gal. 6.14 were we but crucified unto the world James 4.4 and the world unto us then would we be friends of God and this would follow that we would be at enmity with the world there would be no heart burnings James 4.1 1 Pet. 3.4 nor malicious speeches and cruell deeds were it not from those lusts that warre in our members were there a meeke and a quiet spirit which is much esteemed of God while Acan was in the campe and his sinne not discovered nor found out there was no peace to the campe nor power to prevaile against the enemies but when he was discovered and justly punished then they went on and prospered so likewise while sin is not acknowledged nor a holy revenge taken against it so long there is no peace in the conscience but if that our hearts be once wrought to a holy indignation for our offences then feare not but there is way made for the entrance of that peace of God which passeth all understanding therefore if we would have that peace that is fraternall among brethren or that which is internall in our owne hearts or that which is eternall with God for ever then mortifie our lusts which are the causes at the first to deprive us of our peace and while they live will be fomenters of our discords but were they mortified this enmity that they have wrought could not live As Jonah said cast me out and the storme will cease so say I cast sinne out and there will be an allaying of all these garboiles that are in the world and making up of that breach betweene God and us they have a rule
that when Sathans malice was made manifest to the ful yet so as Iob looks hither in conclusion saith God gives and God takes whereas if he had looked lower hee might have said God hath given and the Devill hath taken but the humble spirit desires not to bee troubled with what the Devill or man can doe unto him because he knowes that they are but instruments and rods in Gods hand to correct his children withall therefore he falleth downe before God and kisseth his rod and cals upon his name and then the Lord harkens and heares and puts his teares into his bottle and in his good time will heale his soule In one word as it is said of the Philosophers stone that what metall soever it toucheth it turnes it into gold so is it with this sorrow that what crosse or disaster soever it doth meete withall it makes it an occasion to worke in him godly sorrow to repentance never to be repented of 3. It mends all it make up all breaches Esa 1.16.18 wash you make you cleane take away the evill of your doing which is done by this worke of mortification and mourning for sinne and then saith God let us reason together and then though your sinnes were as red as crimson I will make them as white as wooll herein is the excellencie of godly sorrow if you have losses in your estate or crosses by your children or injuries by evill men you may fit downe and sorrow till you can weepe no more but now halfe of this were it godly sorrow though your sinnes be as blacke as hell yet God will make them as white as snow if a man bee old the skill of all the Physitians cannot make him young againe but a man that is truely humbled for sinne the Lord Christ redeemes his life from death Verus penitens simper est in labore dolere delet de prateritis laborat pro futuris cavendis Ber. and renewes his youth like the Eagles that as they report of the Eagle that when shee growes old and cannot eate for the length of her bill with much adoe shee gets it broken and then fals to her meate as if she were young againe so it is in this case when wee have cast away all our abominations and our doings that were not good though with much adoe then shall we renew our lives as the Eagle and be made fit to sit among Christs guests at the marriage feast when he makes us a feast of fat things Isa 25.6 and wine when the lees are well refined 3. The third thing in this sorrow is how long it should continue to this we answer that as we sinne daily so wee must sorrow daily and because all sinne is not of one magnitude or proportion therefore it doth admit of degrees but if we speake of initiall mortification which is the thing chiefely in hand the first work that is begunne in the soule then I say 1. Wee must mourne till the generall frame of sinne be dissolved till the regiments of sinne be taken downe Judg. 14.17 Sampsons wise did never cease weeping untill shee knew his riddle so should wee never cease till we know-that our sinnes are dissolved and purged out Alasse what comfort can a man receive so long as hee remaines a slave to his hust 2 Sam. 12 20. and is under the Prince of darkenesse but now sinne is slaine in us and dead in us then we doe as David did when his child was dead hee then at oft from the earth and wa●nt and ano●hed him●●lfe and changed his apparell and came into the house of the Lord and worshipped and then came into his own house and are bread when we find that this child that wee have begotten by our sinne is dead we should doe the like then cheare up your hearts and worship God that hath given you victory against it It was comfortable neves that was brought by the Angel unto Ioseph Mat. 2.20 Returne into the land Israel for they are dead that sought the young childs life so say 〈◊〉 it will be a great stay to our soules to heare that the body of death is dead within us that sought how to destroy our soules 2. We must mourne till he that hath wounded us shall come and heale us Hos 6.1 come say they let us returne to the Lord for he hath borne us and he will heal us he hath smitten us and 〈…〉 It 〈◊〉 an easie matter to wound but not so easie to cure and heale again it is the prerogative in this case that belongeth chiefely to God the flesh can vex us and Sathan can teare and trouble us and wound us but none of these can cure us againe but now God can as well heale as wound here is one thing further to be observed that the Prophet doth not say that sinne or Sathan hath wounded us and God will heale us but he hath wounded us and he will heale us and bind us up for a man may have these wounds by sinne and Sathan and yet no true our● the cure that these Physitians can give us are of no value is either to cast a man into a deepe or rather a dead sleepe of security and harnesse of heart or to suffer him to fall into despaire and ha●●● his owns and by an untimely death as Iudas and Iuli●● did but where God once by his spirit smites the heart with true remorse for sinne then he is moved by the same shirit to seeke unto God for the cure of that wound as it was with Elisha 1 King 19 19. that after the Prophet Elia had put his mantle upon him he presently comes after him so whereas the Lord shall be pleased to works in us a true sight of our misery he never doth it without some hope of mercy that when we seele our burden we might likewise come unto him for case and comfort Psal 103.13 these are those comfortable speeches that as a father pittieth his owne children Mat. 12.20 so the Lord pittith them that feare him and that promise hee will not breake the bruised Reede nor quench the smoaking Flax c. and that exhortation Mat. 11.28 come unto me all yee that are weary and heavie laden and I will ease you CAP. XIV Shewes thee other properties of Contrition viz. shame indignation and revenge THe next thing in contrition 2 Of shame is to be ashamed of our sinnes and to loath them for the more the heart is broken for sinne the more it is ashamed for it Job 42.6 as when Job saw himselfe in his colours then hee did abhorre himselfe in dust and ashes Ezeck 36.31 and the Prophet shewes that there should come a time when the Lord would smite the hearts of men that they should remember their owne evill way and their doings that were not good and should loath themselves in their owne sight for their iniquities and for
of the wicked Psalm 58.10 And how great joy will that bee when as a Christian shall see the revenge upon his sinnes that they that were his enemies are fallen before him it is hard unto flesh and blood to be thus cruell especially against himselfe as to turne his mirth into mourning his howers of recreation into times of devotion to beate downe his body by fasting and to afflict his soule with shame and sorrow This I say is difficult but yet 1 Sam. 6.10 if you would overcome nature you must become in this thing unnaturall as it was said of those two Kine that had their calves taken from them that were appointed to draw the arke of God they went along the high way lowing as they went untill they came to the coasts of Israel a strange thing it was and it may seeme to be unnaturall that they should leave their calves and do thus yet they did it because it was Gods worke so I may say that though this may seeme unnaturall and a kind of cruelty yet we must set upon it because it is Gods worke Ps 137.9 happy is that man that takes these brats of Babilon dashes their heads against the stones for in not pittying of them he pittieth his soule CAP. XV. Shewing the great necessity of contrition which is fourefold 1 A necessity of th● precept 2 THe second thing is the necessity of a broken heart In point of mortification there is necessitas precepti of Gods command hee hath commanded us to doe this duty hee hath commanded us to mourne they should weepe as a Virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth and so turne to the Lord Ioel 1.8 where there is the greatest love there should be the greatest sorrow now the first love is the greatest love and therefore the first losse doth require the greatest sorrow 1 Which doth shew unto us that nothing should be more grievous to us than our sins seeing God hath commanded it as a thing necessary to this worke why should wee not do it Againe we are enjoyned shame thence it was in the Law that when they had transgressed the Commandements of the Lord Neh. 9.1 they used to put sackcloth on their loynes Ier. 4● ●7 and powre ashes on their heads being tokens of shame and sorrow Againe Psal 39.3 we are commanded to before displeased with our sinnes Davids heart was hot within him and the heart of Ios●ah was melted at the abominations of those times and the great transgression against Gods Law this is that the Lord doth require Lastly that there should be a holy revenge I suppose that vow of of the Nazarite that he should abstaine from wines and from the huskes of the grapes was chiefly ordained as holy revenge upon occasion of the abuse of the good creature of God Now whatsoever God commandeth us that is necessary but you see that God hath commanded us to labour for a contrite and a bleeding heart therefore it is necessary as the servant of Naaman the Syrian said unto him 2 King● 5. ●3 If the Prophet had bid thee doe some great thing wouldest thou not have done it how much more then when he saith to thee wash and be cleane so say I if God should command you some great thing for the mortification of your sinnes and the salvation of your soules suppose it were to goe bare-foot to Jerusalem or to bestow all your goods on the poore or give the first borne of your body for the sinne of your soule would you not do it how much rather then Psal 51.17 when hee saith onely this that a broken and a contrite heart shall stand instead of all these 2 There is necessitas medii a necessity of the meanes 2 Of the meanes it is a speciall meanes that this body of sinne may be subdued for as it is with water when it overflowes the ground it drives out moles and wormes and other such creatures 2 Cor. 7.11 as do infest and annoy the ground and eate up the rootes of plants fit to become food for man so it is with true contrition it doth so overflow the heart with godly sorrow as that it drives out these troublesome Inhabitants that doe annoy our spirits and would spoyle those good beginnings of grace in us therefore put wee our selves on the meanes and stand not like the hand that is set up to guide us the way and yet moves not it selfe But if wee know these things blessed are wee if wee doe them if you say that to doe thus is troublesome to flesh and blood I answer it may be so but as we say that sometimes the things that are not the most toothsome are very wholsome and good so howsoever they may be some trouble yet so long as this trouble doth free us from a greater trouble all is well it is better to mourn here wher wee have comfort than to mourn and burn in hell where wee can neither have ease nor remedy Againe our comfort will recompence our trouble for every houre of grief shal be recompenced with thousands of yeares of joy and consolation when a man hath beene ten thousand yeares in heaven and then shall looke backe and consider what a short time of sorrow it was that he endured and withall how many millions of yeares are behind which can never expire I conceive it will not repent him that he hath repented nor grieve him that hee hath mourned In one word this necessity is confirmed by the practice of such as are gone to heaven already as Saint Paul that did struggle with his corruption and beat downe his body Num. 7.27 and Saint Peter and David and the rest 1 Cor. 9. And it is prophesied of the people of God that they should goe weeping to seeke the Lord Ier. 51.4.5 and should aske the way to Sion with their faces thitherward saying come let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall covenant that shall not be forgotten Comfort your selves therefore in the use of good meanes for your passage through the valley of Baca Psal 84.6.7 or valley of mourning is to meet the Lord in Sion 3 Of our actions 3 It 's necessary in respect of all our actions that they may be right it is necessary that they should come from such a heart as hateth sinne Psal 66 1● For if I regard wickednesse in my bea rt the Lord will not heare my prayer now a man is said to regard wickednesse when the parting with it is grievous unto him as it was when Abraham was bidden by Sarah to cast out Ismael Gen. 21. the matter was very grievous unto him because he did regard and love him so it is when we respect and love our sinnes wee will be loath to part with them and then know that what action soever you doe Luk. 16.15 you cannot please God The reason is
was so wasted that shee had no more but a handfull of Meale in a Barrell and a little Oyle in a Cruse which shee was about to dresse for her selfe and her sonne and then to eate it and after dye Now it is a great comfort unto a man when a man can attaine to this 1. That he can keepe his heart that sinne doe not at any time break out into any grosse act Luke 1.6 Gen. 5.24 It is said of Zacharias and Eliz. that they walked in all the Commandements of God without rebuke that is though they were not without their infirmities yet were they without rebuke in respect of any crime or grosse sinne yet here is a large difference betweene such as doe onely restraine and keepe in sinne for some by end and such as these to whom sin is in some measure mortified even as much as there is betweene the beating out of the teeth of a Lion and the changing of his nature thence it is that this worke makes us of Lions to become as meeke as Lambs Is 11.6 so as the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie downe with the Kid and the Calse and the young Lion and the fatling together a little child shall lead them againe though a wicked man may curb and keep in sin yet can he not kill and destroy sinne and the reason is this because he wants speciall and spirituall meanes sinne will not be driven out with great words Is 58 6. nor by spreading sackcloth and ashes under you nor hanging downe your heads like a bull-rush for a day but there must be in us the love of God which will make us to depart from iniquity 2. It is a great comfort when sinne is so over-powerd as it doth not divert us from duty I doe not say distract us in the performance of them for there is no man without them for when wee are the best imployed about our devotions as reading hearing praying or mediration then is the adversary most busie to disquiet our peace and to hinder us in our work Zach. 3.1 when J●hoshuah the high Priest was standing before the Angel of the Lord Neh. 4.18 there Sathan stood at his right hand yet you may have good comfort in this when you goe on in your worke as they that builded up the wall of Ierusalem though they were much distracted and disquieted by their enemies yet did they hold on their worke though it was with their swords by their sides so a good Christian albeit hee hath many distractions yet hee goes on in duty and will not be diverted from it as it was with David when Michal his wife spake against him for his dancing before the Arke of God 2 Sam. 6.20 21 22 23. hee made his reply that if that were vile he would yet be more vile so it is with a mortified man that though there were never so many impediments and stumbling blocks laid in his way of the losse and discredit he shall sustaine yet hee lookes more at the praise of God then of men and knoweth that what is highly pleasing in the sight of men is displeasing in the sight of God Luk 16.15 and therefore takes up Saint Pauls resolution when they besought him that hee would not goe up to Ierusalem Acts 21.12 13. in regard of the present danger that they did foresee howbeit Saint Paul being bound in the Spirit for the worke of the Lord asketh them what they meane to breake his heart seeing hee was ready not onely to bee bound at Ierusalem but to dye there for the name of the Lord Jesus so is it with him that is truely humbled that nothing diverteth him from the duty 3. It is a great comfort unto a Christian Acts 8.39 when hee hath so conquered and over-powered his corruptions and that they take not away his joy and consolation that he hath in Christ neither can Sathan take such advantage by them to dispoyle us of our crowne 2 Cor. 〈…〉 5. thence it is that Saint Paul saith he will glory in his infirmities that though hee might glory in those heavenly visions that he had yet hee would rather glory in them for though in a large sense every sinne is called an infirmity because it disableth a man from the performance of duty but in a strict sence no man can be said to have infirmities unlesse that sinne in some measure be mortified for in an unmortified man sinne is alive and in his full strength and his soule is void of grace but now in a man that is truely mortified there grace receives strength and sinne is wounded and so such a man is the proper subject of infirmities now when the Apostle saith that he doth rejoyce in his infirmities he doth not rejoyce in his infirmities as they are sinnes Matth. 10. but as they are infirmities that is as sinne was deforced and diminished in him and therein he had cause of joy and we also when we finde it so in us if the Disciples rejoyced that the Devils were subdued by them much more may we that the body of sinne is destroyed and that which is worse then the Devill is subdued by us count it all joy when yee fall into divers temptations Jam. 1 2.3 knowing that the tryall of our saith worketh patience and patience makes perfect and intire we are but in this case as gold that is put into the Furnace that comes out more pure and are made by that meanes vessels of honour fit for the use of our great Master our Lord and Saviour Christ CAP. XVII Certaine signes of a dying man 2 I Come now to shew unto you certaine signes of a dying man whereby you may see whether that you be in such a case yea or no it would be in vaine to shew you signes of a dead man for as much as there is no perfection of death of sinne in our soules as there is no perfection of grace so neither is there as we have formerly shewed perfection of mortification 1 Cor. 13. onely as hath beene shewed we are daily a dying but not fully dead 1. A man is said to be a dying man when his stomacke failes when he hath no appetite to his foode when wee have no stomacke to sinne no apetite after it when wee feele no such sweetnesse in it as we have done when we esteeme the profits and pleasures of finne as an empty vessell in one word when all of them are bitter unto us and tastlesse in respect of what they have beene to us before time 2 Sam. 19.35 as old Barzillai said to David can thy servant taste what Teate or what I drinke can I heare any more the voyce of singing men or singing women vers 37. c. Let mee turne backe that I may dye c. Just thus it is when a man feele● his affection off from his sinne that he can neither relish their sweernes nor
it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps that is we are too weake for any such worke without Gods grace assisting of us and therefore we have good cause to bewaile our misery to lay aside our pride and confesse our poverty and to seeke some other meanes of helpe and redresse at Gods hand 2. To set out Gods power this is his priviledge that hee onely is able to do this work there are three wayes whereby things came to have their being existencie by Generation Art or Creation the two former must have matter to worke upon either in potentia as generation or in actu as Art and where there is not a matter to worke upon they can doe nothing now for as much as this worke of regeneration Eph. 4.24 the new creature is called a creation it is beyond the worke of a creature and onely a priviledge that doth belong to the holy Spirit to create in us qualities of holinesse and thereby to abolish the whole body of sinne thence it is that the Lord saith I create the fruit of the lips to be peace Isa 57.19 and the Prophet complaining in another place to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed it is that mighty and potent arme of the Lord that doth this worke it is by his power and therefore he must have the honour of it As Joab when he was in hope to take Rabbah hee sent messengers to David that he should come and take it 2 Sam. 12.26 because the honor that would have been given him was too great for him how much more should we seeing out hope is in the Lord and our successe chiefely by his power give all the honour to him CAP. XX. Certaine instructions from the doctrine premised FRom this doctrine of mortification we may observe divers necessary instructions both for the information of our judgement and well ordering of our lives as 1. First wee may learne that such a doctrine as doth give liberty to the flesh was never given by the spirit of God for the spirit is given us not onely as a bridle to curbe and keepe in sinne neither a scourge to castigate corrupt nature but chiefely as a sword to kill and destroy the very body of sinne it is the counsell of Saint Paul Gal. 5.13 that we being called to liberty should not use our liberty as an occasion to the flesh that is if we doe not use our liberty with great caution and watchfulnesse wee will make our liberty to be a snare to us the word used by Saint Paul is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifieth occasion it cometh as some think of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies to make an assault Acts 14.5 because that if you give but your selves liberty never so little more then is fit the flesh will make an assault upon you as it is said of the Lion that if you come but within his reach when he is caged up hee will not misse but fasten upon you so is it in this case therefore we must beware that we doe labour for temperance and moderation otherwise the flesh will seise upon us and so while we give liberty to the flesh we lose the peace of our conscience and that peace with God unto whom wee have had free accesse and audience in our prayers Therefore know this that the more liberty we give unto the flesh the more we doe deprive our selves of our Christian liberty as the more delight that wee take in the sinfull pleasures of this life the lesser and lower will be our delights and contentments in God Herod did like well of the Baptist and heard him gladly but yet his lust and the delight he tooke in Herodias and her daughter hee did eclipse it at the best and in the end tooke it quite away Psal 32. Psal 77. Nay how was David straitened of that spirituall freedome after such time as he had given liberty to the flesh behold how many teares how many prayers how many sighes and groanes did it cost him before he was restored to his former comfort and consolation againe the more liberty a man takes for the flesh the more hee doth enthrall himselfe as the bird once in the snare the more shee doth struggle the more shee doth entangle her selfe little doe men know what disadvantages they cast themselves into when they take liberty to sin 2 Pet. 2.20.21 there is a heavie doome propounded against them if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ they are againe intangled therein and overcome the later end is worse with them then their beginning if any shall say but what benefit have wee then by our Christian liberty Gal. 3.11 I answer much every way wee are freed by Christ from the curse of the Law from the irritation of it whereby it was an occasion to make us sinne more and from the rigour of it whereby we are bound to performe it and live or else in the not doing of it perfectly to die eternally we have a comfortable and free use of the creature Heb. 4.16 and free accesse to the throne of grace in time of need for the receiving of all good things both the benefit of soule and body in all these things wee see we have much liberty granted unto us but no liberty to sinne you will say how may a man doe that that hee may give no liberty to the flesh When a man will not take the full liberty that hee may take all things are lawfull 2 Cor. 6.12 but all things are not expedient it may be lawfull to goe neare the banck of a deepe river but if his foote should slip or that he should tread never so little awry he would fall into very great danger so is it here when men hazard themselves to the utmost bounds of their liberty ten to one but they drop into one sinne or another and so procure unto themselves one misery after another Gen. 34.1.2 Si tu otiose spectes otiose non specteris si tu curiose spectas curiose specteris Ber. Dinah went but out to see the daughters of the land peradventure the thing might bee lawfull enough yet because it was the utmost bounds of liberty she not being cautious lost all the fairest ornament about her before her returne thence is that of our Saviour if they say unto thee behold he is in the desert go not forth behold he is in the secret chamber beleeve it not why it might be lawfull to go and see suppose it might yet because there is a snare laid open in lawfull things wee should take heed we prevent if it may be the occasion 2. If you would not give liberty to the flesh shake off dulnesse in the performance of good duties Mat. 26.41 the spirit is willing but the flesh is weake the flesh is short-paced and too too ready