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Table. But yet the thing is in a very r great measure applicable to thofe, who! having devoted themselves to God by this: Federal Mystery, take the confidence af-v terwards to let themselves loofe again to their Enormities, wherewith they shad polluted their Souls and Consciences bel fore. The laft State of those Men muftfi needs be worse than the firft; and that according to the Nature of the thing it felf. For hereby Vice becomes familiar with them : It lofeth that ugly and ghaftly Afpect, which at firft makes it appear very shameful and frightful; their Acquaintance with it makes it the more friendly and free, like ones converfingi with the Devil, that by degrees wears! off that Horror, which is ready to strike another through at the very Thoughts of his Appearing. There is naturally fuch Turpitude in Wickedness, and do contrary it is to our Reafon and true Intereft, that an innocent Perfon, when folicited to it, is apt to be startled at! the first Motion; and if he be perfwa ded to act it, he cannot but feel great Remorse and Anguish in his Mind after the Commiffion. But Custom and Fami liarity directly tends not only to remove that Fear and Shame, which was once fuch Guards to the Mind, but moreover

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to make the Confcience hard and crufty; like Flesh feared with an hot Iron, so that itelofeth the faculty of Senfation. And when a Man is come to fuch a wretched pass, it is as impoffible for him to Repent and come to himself again, without the mighty Affiftance of God's Spirit, as it is to live, and move, and breathe in a Grave. And what Reafon and Grounds are there to expect that extraordinary As fiftance, after fuch monftrous Provocations given, notwithstanding the strictest Ties and Engagements to the contrary? We read in Scripture, of Refifting, of Grieving, and of Quenching the Spirit. Nor is it poffible for thofe, who were once enlightned at the other Sacrament, and afterwards at this have tafted of the heavenly Gift, and been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tafted the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come: 'Tis not. poffible, I fay, for fuch to fall of to a vitious Courfe of Life, but by contumelioufly intreating the Spirit of Grace, by offering great Violence against his ftrivings, by spoiling. his holy Workmanship, and by bringing to nought thofe Virtues and Perfections of Nature, which were the Results and Effects of his Divine Operation. And what is all this, but the next way to

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ftifle and put an end to all his Motions, and to force him utterly to depart? Because these Hoftilities thus acted against the clear Light of Reafon, and the loud Clamours of Confcience, cannot proceed from any other caufe, but from Wills that are obftinately fet upon Evil, and from Affections that are defperately in love with that which neceffarily leadeth to Destruction. For it is to be fuppofed, that whoever comes to this tremendous Mystery, muft, if he comes with fincerity of Heart, carry with him these Convictions, That the Religion he profefseth is of God; That Chrift fealed it upon the Cross with that Blood, whereof there is a Representation in this Myftery; That the Covenant between God and Mankind is immutable; That eternal Life therein promised is to be chafen before the whole World; That a Life of Sancity is the certain way to it; That Virtue is Eligible of it felf, and for the Peace and Satisfaction it rewards them with in this Life, beyond the grofs and tranfient Pleasures of the Flesh; and that it is the extreameft Folly for a Man to chuse those Courses which bring a kind of Hell to him, before he arrives at that which burns with Fire and Brimeftone. There is no understanding and ferious

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Perfon, but muft grant all this and more: And therefore to Relapfe into a State of Wickedness, after fo many Vows, after fo many Convictions, and confequently after fo many Reluctancies and Struglings of Conscience, can proceed from no other Caufe but the ftrong Malignity of a carnal Mind, which is perfect enmity against God, 'utterly inconfiftent with the things of the Spirit, Rom. 8.

THESE are the Reproaches and Dangers of Relapfing into a wicked State of Life, after the reception of this Sacrament; and fhould a Man die in fuch a wretched Condition, I tremble to confider what an endless State of Misery he muft drop into next, because (as I have already fhew'd) nothing but entire Probity of Mind, and a vertuous Temper, can capacitate or difpofe us for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. I do not now fpeak of Sins of Ignorance, of Inadvertency of Infirmity, and humane Weakness. For as there is no poffible fufficient Fence against them, fo there is no ftrict Obligations upon us to keep our felves free entirely from them; nor are these the Sins which the Word of God cries out upon fo, as to threaten them with eternal Death, or with the Derelictions of Chrift's Spirit. No; it is finning

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with an high hand, and against an Honest Confcience; and against Stipulations and Promises which were in our Power to perform; this is that prefumptuous acting, which lays Men naked and deftitute of the Grace of God in this Life, and leaves them expofed to God's everlasting Dis pleasure in the next.

YOU have therefore great need, as foon as this Solemnity is over, as to bow your Knees to the Father of Lights, from whom every good and perfect Gift cometh, that he would now hold up your goings in his Paths, that your Footfteps may not flide; fo to be very cir cumfpect and diligent your felves, to make ftreight Paths for your feet (as the Author to the Hebrews fpeaks) left any Man fhould fail of the Grace of God; left any Man fhould turn Fornicator or Pro phane Perfon, as Efau, Who for one morfel of bread fold his birthright. For ye know, how that afterward, when he would have inherited the Bleffing, he was rejected; for he found no place of Repentance, (no way of changing his Father's mind) though he fought it earnestly with tears, Heb. 12.

CHAP.

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