of chief regard and the acts of the outward only required as a help to our serving God in the Spirit Phil. 3.3 3. Carelesness in Duties is the high way to Atheism For every formall and sleight Prayer doth harden the heart and make way for contempt of God Men that have made bold with God in duty and it succeeds well with them their awe of God is lessened and the lively sense of his Glory and Majesty abated till it be quite lost by degrees they out-grow all feelings and tenderness of conscience every time you come to God sleightly you lose ground by coming till at length you look upon Worship as a meer Custome or something done for fashions sake Secondly Particularly 1. It is an affront to God and a kind of mockery we wrong his Omnisciency as if he saw not the heart and could not tell man his thought It is Gods Essential glory in Worship to be acknowledged an all-seeing Spirit and accordingly to be worshipped in spirit and in truth Joh. 4.24 Thoughts are as audible with him as words therefore when you prattle words do not make conscience of thoughts you do not worship him as a spirit We wrong his Majesty when we speak to him in Prayer and do not give heed to what we say surely we are not to prattle like Jayes or Parrots words without affection and feeling or to chatter like Cranes or be like Ephraim whom the Prophet calls a silly Dove without an heart A mean man taketh it ill when you have business to talk with him about and your minds are elsewhere you would all judge it to be an affront to the Majesty of God if a man should send his cloaths stuffed with straw or a Puppet dressed up instead of himself into the Assemblies of Gods people and think this should supply his personal presence yet our cloaths stuffed with straw or an Image dressed up instead of us such as * 1 Sam. 19.12 13. Michol put into Davids bed would be less offensive to God than our bodies without our souls the absence of the spirit is the absence of the more noble part We pretend to speak to God and do not hear our selves nor can give any account of what we pray for or rather let me give you Chrysostom's Comparison A man would have been thought to have prophaned the mysteries of the Levitical Worship if instead of * Chrys Hom. 74. in Mat. sweet incense he should put into the Censer Sulpher or Brimstone or mingle the one with the other Surely our Prayers should be set forth as Incense Psal 141.2 And do not we affront God to his face that mingle so many vain sinfull proud filthy blasphemous thoughts What is this but to mingle Sulpher with our incense Again when God speaketh to us and knocks at the heart and there is none within to hear him is it not an affront to his Majesty Put it in a Temporal Case if a great person should talk to us and we should neglect him and entertain our selves with his servants he would take it as a despight and contempt done to him The Great God of heaven and earth doth often call you together to speak to you Now if you think so slightly of his speeches as not to attend but set your minds adrift to be carried hither and thither with every wave where is that reverence you owe to him It is a wrong to his goodness and the comforts of his holy presence for in effect you say that you do not find that sweetness in God which you expect and therefore are weary of hâ—s company before your business be over with him it is said of the Israelites when they were going for Canaan that in their hearts they turned back again into Aegypt Acts 7.39 They had mo e mind to be in Aegypt than under Moses Government and their thoughts ever ran upon the flesh-pots and belly chear they enjoyed there we are offended with their impatience and murmurings and the affronts they put upon their Guides and do not we even the same and worse in our careless manner of worshipping When God hath brought us into his presence we do in effect say give us the world again this is better entertainment for our thoughts than God and holy things if Christians would but interpret their actions they would be ashamed of them is any thing more worthy to be thought of than God The Israelites hearts were upon Aegypt in the Wilderness and our hearts are upon the World nay every toy even when we are at the Throne of grace and conversing with him who is the Center of our rest and the fountain of our blessedness 2. It grieveth the Spirit of God he is grieved with our vain thoughts as well as our scandalous actions other sins may shame us more but these are a grief to the Spirit because they are conceived in the heart which is his Presence Chamber and place of special residence and he is most grieved with these vain thoughts which haunt us in the time of our special addresses to God because his peculiar operations are hindered and the heart is set open to Gods adversary in Gods presence and the World and Satan are suffered to interpose in the very time of the reign of grace then when it should be in solio in its royalty commanding all our faculties to serve it this is to steal away the soul from under Christs own arm as a Captain of a Garrison is troubled when the enemies come to prey under the very walls in the face of all his forces and strength So certainly it is a grief to the spirit when our lusts have power to disturb us in holy duties and the heart is taken up with unclean glances and worldly thoughts then when we present our selves before the Lord God looks upon his peoples sins as aggravated because committed in his own house Jer. 23.11 In my house I have found their wickedness What is this but to dare God to his very face Solomon saith * Pro. 20.8 A King sitting upon his throne scattereth away evil with his eyes They are bold men that dare break the Laws when a Magistrate in upon the Throne and actually exercising judgment against Offenders so it argueth much impudence that when we come to deal with God as sitting upon the Throne and observing and looking upon us that we can yet lend our hearts to our lusts and suffer every vain thought to divert us There is more of modesty though little of sincerity in them that say to their lusts as Abraham to his Servants * Gen. 12.5 Tarry here while I go yonder and Worship or as they say the Serpent layeth aside her poyson when she goeth to drink When a man goeth to God he should leave his lusts behind him not for a while and with an intent to entertain them again but for ever However this argueth some reverence of God and sense of the weight of
that hath abused mee for hee describing Religion by it's proper Acts tells us that pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and the Widdow in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the World so that that thing which in an especial refined dialect of the new Christian Language signifies nothing but morality and civility that in the language of the Holy Ghost imports true Religion Mark 12.33 34. when the Scribe told Christ that to love God with all the heart c. And our neighbours as our selves was more than whole burnt offerings and sacrifices it is said when Jesus saw that hee answered discreetly hee said unto him thou art not far from the Kingdome of God They that would have a Religion without moral righteousness talk indiscreetly and are further from the Kingdome of God than a meer moral man If wee neglect this part of Religion wee disparage the Gospel and abuse our profession wee are but pretenders to Christianity Plutarch speaks somewhere to this purpose hee had rather posterity should say there was never such a man as Plutarch than that hee was a vicious or cruel or unjust man I had rather a man should not call himself a Christian that hee should renounce his Title than that by his life and actions hee should represent Christians to the world as oppressors as unjust and treacherous dealers If men will only use Religion for to cover their unrighteousness I had rather they would put off their Cloaks and bee Knaves in querpo that every body may know them than that they should go like High-way-men in vizards and disguises only that they may rob honest men the more securely And to move you to the practice of this Rule I shall only offer to you one Consideration but which hath so much weight in it that it may be instead of many As you deal with others so yee shall bee dealt with With what measure you mere to others it shall be measured to you is a proverbial speech often used by our Saviour and which one time or other you will finde to be very significant God doth many times by his providence order things so that in this life mens unrighteousness returns upon their own heads and their violent dealing upon their own pates There is a divine Nemesiâ— which brings our iniquities upon our selves No man hath any vice or humour alone but it may be matched in the world either in its own kind or in another if a man be cruel and insolent A Bajazet shall meet with a Tamerlane if a man delight to jeer and abuse others no man hath so good a wit but another hath as good a memory hee will remember it to revenge it Hee that makes a trade of deceiving and couzening others hee doth but teach others to couzen him and there are but few Masters in any kinde but are out-done by some of their Schollars But however wee may escape the hands of men how shall wee escape our own consciences either trouble of conscience in this life or the worm of conscience in the next how shall wee escape the hands of the Living God how shall wee escape the damnation of Hell 1 Thes 4.6 Let no man go beyond or defraud his Brother in any matter for God is the avenger of all such Hee will take their cause into his own hands and render to us according to our fraudulent and cruel dealing with others Mat. 18.35 So likewise shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you c. What our Saviour saith Mat. 19.29 That there is no man that denies himself in Houses or Lands c. for Christs sake and the Gospels but shall receive in this life a hundred-fold and in the world to come everlasting life is true also here There is no man that is injurious to his Brother in houses or lands or good name or any other thing but shall probably receive in this world aâ— hundred-fold however without repentance in the world to come everlasting misery In the next world men will finde that they have but impoverished themselves by their ill-gotten wealth and heaped up for themselves treasures of wrath Read those words and tremble at them Jam. 5.1 2 3 4 5. Go to now yee rich men weep and howl for your misery shall come upon you c. Let us then be perswaded as we love God whom we have not seen as we love the Gospel which we read and hear every day would preserve the reputation of it as wee would better the world and the condition of man-kind as wee love our selves and our own peace and happiness to deal justly and equally with all men Till wee come to live by this Rule of Equity wee can never hope to see the world a quiet habitation But if this were practised among us Psal 85.9 10 11 12 13. then Glory would dwell in our Land Mercy and Truth would meet together Righteousness and Peace would kiss each other Truth would spring out of the Earth and Righteousness would look down from Heaven yea the Lord would give that which is good and our Land would yeeld her increase Righteousness would go before him and set us in the way of his steps After what manner must wee give Alms that they may be acceptable and pleasing unto God 1 TIM 6.17 18 19. Charge them that are rich in this world that they bee not high-minded nor trust in uncertain Riches but in the Living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on Eternal Life THe sum of these words is a Direction for Rich men how to make the best use of their Riches The ground or occasion of this Direction is to meet with an Objection which might be made against the discommodities and dangers of Riches noted before in vers 9 10. But they that will bee rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition V. 10. For the love of mony is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the Faith and peirced themselves through with many sorrows From hence some might infer as the Disciples did from the inseparable and inviolable bond of Marriage noted by our Saviour Matth. 19. If say they the case of the man bee so with his wife it is not good to marry So might some say if they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare c. then it is not good to be rich yea such as are rich may say Let us give away or cast away all that wee have rather than retain such Vipers as Riches seem to be To prevent such inconsequent inferences the Apostle giveth this Direction whereby hee sheweth
to take upon him to speak unto the Lord. This Example of Abraham I shall endeavour to draw forth for our Practise and Imitation He who is made to us a Pattern of Faith may be to us a Pattern of true Worship and such apprehensions or conceptions Abraham had of God in speaking to him Such conceptions of God we are to have in our Prayers and performances to him For which end I shall lay down this General Proposition Doct. That such as speak to God or speak of God such as draw near to God or have to do with God in any part of Divine Worship must manage all their performances with right apprehensions and due conceptions of God The truth of this General Proposition I shall endeavour to manifest and make clear by laying down Four particular Propositions which must give evidence to it The First Proposition is this That we cannot have any true right apprehensions or conceptions of God except we have a true knowledge of him Such as have not known God have slighted him Who is the Lord saith Pharaoh that I should obey him I know not the Lord Exod. 5.2 Such as know not God nor desire to know him are so far from drawing near to God that they drive him as far from them as they can they say unto the Almighty Depart from us who desire not the knowledge of his wayes Job 21.14 What Counsel Eliphaz gave Job whom he supposed to be a greater stranger to God than indeed he was may be an useful instruction to us Job 22.21 Acquaint thy self with God To know God and to be known of God is our highest priviledge Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace the reason why any are real enemies to God is because they know not God and the reason why many think God is an enemy to them is because they are not acquainted with God so intimately as they should Acquaint thy self with God saith he and thereby Good shall come unto thee But what Good and how shall this Good come It is partly exprest v. 22 23 24 25. but more fully v. 26 27. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty and shalt lift up thy face to God Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him and he shall hear thee and thou shall pay thy vows So that except we know God aright and have some acquaintance with â—im we cannot delight our selves in God we cannot make our prayer to him nor lift up our face unto him The Second Proposition is That we cannot know any thing savingly of God further than he is pleased to manifest and make known himself to us No man can make known God but God himself Moses who had seen as much of Gods glory as any man when he desired a further manifestation of Gods glory in a higher measure or degree than formerly he had seen he goes to God himself for it Exod. 33.18 I beseech thee shew me thy Glory The great Promise Christ maketh to them that Love him and keep his Commandments is the manifestation of himself to them by Himself Joh. 14.21 I will manifest my self to them for none else can A Disciple puts a Question to him about it vers 22. Lord how is it that thou milt manifest thy self to us and not to the World We have a clear Answer to this Luke 10.21 this very Doctrine which is so much matter of indignation to the wise and prudent of the World is matter of rejoycing and exaltation to the Spirit of Christ and he said I thank thee O Father that thou hast hid and thou hast revealed For so it seemed good in thy sight Hence is that of our Saviour John 17.25 O righteous Father the World hath not known thee but these have known The Third Proposition is That the clearest manifestations of God to us and such as can beget in us right apprehensions and due conceptions of him are made out to us In and By Jesus Christ Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Therefore no man ever did or can apprehend any thing of God truly that is upon a saving account but in and by Jesus Christ The Divine Essence or Godhead no man hath seen or can see in it self 1 Tim. 6.16 Something of this Eternal Godhead is manifested in the works of Creation Rom. 1.20 The invisible things of God viz. his Eternal Power and Godhead are clearly seen in the things that are made But yet this knowledge of God in the Creature could not bear down the vain Imaginâ—tions or Idolatrous conception of God in mens hearts as appears vers 21.23 Much of the Eternal Godhead is manifested in the works of Providence God doth great things past finding out and wonders without number Yet loe he goeth by us and we see him not he passeth on also but we perceive him not Job 9.10 11. God is Invisible in himself and Incomprehensible in his works Job made it his work to trace God in his works Job 23.8 9. Sometimes God was working forward or before him sometimes backward or behind him Sometimes on his right-hand sometimes at his left hand Job follows him up and down if he might apprehend him and the reason and designe of God in all his works but he could not perceive him God hid himself from him Much more of the Eternal Godhead was manifested in his most righteous and holy Law But the manifestations of God here affrighted them that saw it the People cry out Let not the Lord speak any more to us lest we dye and Moses himself said I exceedingly fear so terrible was the sight of God there Heb. 12.21 Hence it will follow that the clearest sweetest most comfortable manifestations of God to us and such as can beget in us right apprehensions and conceptions of God are made out to us only in Jesus Christ who is the Image of the Invisible God Coloss 1.15 In whom God hath made such discoveries of himself as can no where be seen but in Christ He is the expresse Image or Character of his Fathers Person Heb. 1.3 The exact resemblance of all his Fathers excellencies in their utmost perfections therefore when Philip desired him to shew them of the Father to give them a sight to satisfaction John 14.9 10. He that hath seen me saith Christ to him hath seen the Father Believe it Philip I am in the Father and the Father is in me In the works of Crearion God is a God above us In his works of Providence a God without us In the Law a God against us In himself a God Invisible to us Only in Christ he is Emmanuel God manifested in our Flesh God in us God with us God for us Hence follows the Fourth Proposition That the manifestations of God to us in Christ are those which alone can beget those due apprehensions and right Conceptions of God with which we must
may be out of our power It is therefore good to limit it so far as it shall be in your power and so long as it continues in your power to perform your Vowes These two things are requisite to a well composed Vow an occasion or exigency more than ordinary and then a thing lawfull acceptable proportioned to the mercy and within our power Now when these concurre A third must be added that is Thou must vow cheerfully and with a ready mind there must be much of the will in it 3. Vowes must be cheerfully made Some tell us the Latin word noting a Vow comes from the word which signifies the will Indeed all that is in a Vow so farre as it is a Vow is and must be of our will for it consisteth principally if not solely in the manner of our obliging our selves and this is voluntary God hath left it much at our liberty to vow or not to vow only he requires us to do it cheerfully if we vow it is matter of our choice Deut. 23.22 If thou forbear to vow it shall not be sin unto thee Yet if we will vow it is matter of duty to do it cheerfully for so the Lord loveth a cheerfull giver 2 Cor. 9.7 and therefore expects a speedy performance Defer not to pay Eccl. 5.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tempore respirationis festinatio Hence the Rabbinicall Proverb Speed suits the time of deliverance As a Vow suits the time of dangers and straits so hast from a ready mind fits the time of deliverance and mercy But Fourthly He that will compose his Vow well must vow sincerely and uprightly that is to the end he may most honour God by 1. The Commemoration of his mercy 4. Vow sincerely and goodnesse Vowes are mercyes Monuments on which are written the praise of the Lord. 2. The publishing the mercies of God for the engaging others to admire the Lord and to trust him and to seek unto him 3. The setting grace on work in the heart and soul of him that Vowes It sets grace on work both in that part which eyes God to draw nearer and to keep closer to him and in that part which keeps eye on sin to prevent mortifie and destroy it So then when a Christian having received or being in expectation of some extraordinary mercy from God doth deliberately promise what is lawfull in it self acceptable to God proportioned to the mercy and within his power to performe who so doth this chearfully and sincerely that God may be honoured in the continued remembrance of it in the publick declaring it and in the exciting of grace in the person Vowing Then hath a Christian well composed his Vow And such a Vow doth very much further Religion Which will appear by handling the next thing How much or in what things it doth further and promote Religion 4. Generall How well composed Vowes promâ—te Religion The credit of Religion Now there are three grand concerns of Religion than which it hath none greater and all three are carried on and promoted by such Vowes as these First Religion hath its concernment in the credit and reputation which it hath in the world Religion hath a name to look after so well as you or I and it loseth or gaineth as it is either honoured or reproached by the Professors of it Now when times of extraordinary danger drive us to our Prayers and Vowes to the true God and we resolve to have mercy from him or to choose to fall into his hand this fâ—ts the credit and honour of Religion that it can have recourse to God whom we know can deliver us This is somewhat but the making a Vow doth not so much honour Religion as the performing of it doth when it is hereby declared to the world that Religion is the thing makes men the same in their mercies which they were in their distresses that the God they worship is the true God able to require their Vowes if they should neglect to pay them A Heathen who in distresse makes a Vow and in his safety performes it carefully putteth a very high honour upon his false God upon his Idol What Christian soever makes and keeps his Vowes duly doth likewise put an honour on the true God It honours 1. The power and providence of God by acknowleding its Soveraignty over all in the world and its particular disposing and over-ruling of us and our concerns when thou Prayest and Vowest in a strait thou seemest to tell the world thou believest that thy God rules the world by his power and providence But when thou payest thy Vowes thou really testifiest to the world that thou believest and ownest this power in thy particular case so when Jephthah when David paid their Vowes they did give real testimony that their God delivered them by his power and providence and this is Religions honour that it is the Worship of so mighty a God 2. It honours God in his readinesse to hear and in his faithfullnesse to answer the prayers of his suppliants Prayers conceived speake a belief that he is ready Vowes made speak our confidence that he is faithfull but now Vowes performed speak thus much that we have found him so to us when David said I will pay my vowes it is that he may render to the Lord for the Lords readinesse and faithfullnesse to hear and deliver him Now its Religious honour that it is the worship of a God of truth and faithfullnesse 3. It honours God in his Omniscience and all-seeing eye it declares to the world that we worship and serve a God who takes notice of us in particular and who observes whether we keep our word with him or no when thou hast made a Vow and canst performe it yea dost perform it because thou knowest and believest thy God remembers when thou didst make it and observeth how thou wilt performe it what is this but to give him the honour of his all-seeing and all-observing eye 4. It honours Religion in that it is a Demonstration that Religion teacheth men gratitude It is a high charge which is laid on the Romans in their Heathenisme that they were unthankfull Rom. 1.21 It is a very great reproach to Religion to have its professors branded with this It is though but one single miscarriage left on Hezekiah's name like a spot in the Moon to endure while his name shall be in remembrance That he remembred not to return to the Lord according to the benefit done unto him 2 Chron. 32.25 But now thy care to make thy Vowes well that they may be kept and thy thankefullnesse in keeping them when so made do clearly evidence that thy Religion engageth thee to aime and attempt at the highest gratitude Si ingratum dixeris emniâ—dicis Now according to the old Rule if you say a man is unthankefull you say he is all naught so if you say he is thankfull and his Religion teacheth him to be
understand it or 2. For an expression of the prolonging of his sojourning for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to draw forth or to prolong and thus the Septuagint renders this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom the Arabick Syriack and vulgar Latine versions follow with some others and the next verse seems to favour this sense ver 6. My soul hath long dwelt c. but either way gives us the same ground of complaint only the first sense doubles the ground of the Psalmists trouble and the other suggests the circumstance of the long continuance of his sojourning By Kedar is understood part of Arabia the inhabitants whereof are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bochart ut sup or dwellers in tents because they had no fixed and setled habitation but were robbers and lived upon the prey Now we are not to suppose that David did really sojourn and dwell among these barbarous people but he speaks this of his wandring about from place to place without any setled habitation and to set forth the cruelty and inhumanity of those among whom he dwelt he doth expresse it thus Woe is me that I dwell c. as if one living among professed Christians who deal with him more like savages than Christians should say Woe is me that I sojourn among Turks and Saracens And thus you see Davids present condition which he bewails is his absence from Jerusalem and the Tabernacle or place of Gods solemn worship and his converse with wicked and ungodly men and then these two truths lye plain before us in the words It is oftentimes the lot and portion of good men to be deprived of the Doct. 1 society of the godly and of opportunities of publick serving God and to dwell among and converse with wicked and ungodly persons It is a real ground of trouble and sorrow to a good man to be thus deprived Doct. 2 c. 'T was that which here made David proclaim himself in a state of woe and misery 'T was that which the Apostle tells us did vexe the righteous soul of Lot 2 Pet. 2.7 and which made the holy Prophet Elijah even weary of his life 1 King 19.4 You may easily imagine what a sad heart a poor lamb might well have if it be driven from the green pastures and still waters and forced to lodge among Wolves and Foxes where it must feed upon Carrion or starve and be continually in danger of being lodged in the bellies of its cruel and bloody companions unless lome secret over-ruling hand do restrain their rage and feed it with wholesome food and truly such is the condition of those that follow the Lamb of God in holy Lamb-like qualities when deprived of green pastures and still waters of Gospel Ordinances and forc'd to converse with wicked and ungodly men In handling of this Point I shall first lay before you the grounds of it and then adjoyn such practical application as may be usefull and profitable The grounds of this Truth do partly refer to God partly to wicked men and partly to the godly themselves if in such a condition a beleeving soul either look upwards or outwards or inwards he will see much cause of grief and trouble 1. With reference unto God and that upon a double account 1. It is a real ground of sorrow to a beleeving soul to be deprived of occasions of solemn blessing and praysing God the soul that is full of the sense of the goodness of God that knows how many thousand wayes the Lord is continually obliging it to love and bless him cannot but be afflicted in spirit to be kept from making its publick acknowledgements of divine goodness The Psalmist tell us Psal 65 1. that Praise waiteth for God in Sion that is in the publick Assemblies of the Church and truly 't is a grief to a believing soul not to wait there with his thank-offerings not to pay his vows unto the Lord in the presence of all his people Psal 116.17 Psal 66.18 in the Courts of the Lords house c. not to declare to all that fear God what he hath done for their souls 2. It is a real ground of sorrow to live among those that are continually reproaching and blaspeming the Name of God to see sinners despise the goodness of God and trample upon his grace and mercy and scorn his love and kindness and kick at his bowels and spit in his face and stab at his heart who is our God our Father our Friend our good and gracious Lord and King This must needs make the beleeving soul cry out Woe is me that I live among such Let us suppose a person that hath been hugely obliged by a Prince to love him and that indeed loves him as his life if this Prince should be driven from his Throne and an usurper get into his place would it not be great affliction and sadning to the spirit of such a person to live among those who every day revile reproach scorn and abuse his gracious Prince Why Sirs if you and I be true beleevers we know that the Lord is our Soveraign King Prince such a one who hath infinitely more obliged us to love him than 't is possible for any Prince to oblige a subject we do love the Lord as our lives nay better than our lives or else we love him not at all must it not then be matter of grief to hear ungodly sinners who have driven God away from their hearts souls where his Throne should be set up and who have let that grand usurper the Devil set up his throne within them and among them and who daily say unto God as those wicked ones Job 21.14 Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes to hear such curse and swear and blaspheme God and in their lives by wicked ungodly courses do him all the despight dishonor that they can bring his Name to the Tavern to the Stews upon the stage and there foot and defile the great and glorious Name of God with the worst of polutions Certainly Sirs he cannot account God his Friend his Father his good and gracious Prince whose eye doth not run down with Rivers of tears to see men so far from keeping Gods Law 2. It is a trouble to good men to sojourn c. with reference to those wicked ungodly persons among whom they live it grieves their souls to see sinners run into all excess of riot eagerly pursuing hell and damnation greedily guzling down full draughts of the venome of Asps and the poyson of Dragons it pities them to see sinners stab themselves to the heart and laughing at their own plague sores jeasting away God and heaven and eternal happiness If any of us should see a company of men so far besotted and distracted as that one should rend and burn the Evidences of a great Inheritance which others labour to deprive him of another should cast inestimable pearls