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and his Angels: wherein all the unregenerate Race of Adam are likewife threatened to be punished. Teach

us, O Lord, the Language of thy Spouse, to cry, Behold! how beautiful are the Feet of them who bring us good Tidings of great Joy. We plainly fee that the Harvest it plenteous, but the Labourers are few: O mayeft thou, who art the Lord of the Harveft, fend us fuch faithful, enlightened Minifters, as might fhew us the right Way to eternal Life, left our Souls are loft (in this fulphurous Gulph) for lack of Knowledge, Hof. iv. 6.

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When the Spirit of the Lord fhews the Sinner his loft Condition by Nature, he flees to the Covenant of Works for Salvation, and like his Father Adam, Jews Fig Leaves together to cover his Shame, endeavouring to palliate bis Crime, and make Peace with God's broken Law, and fo continues on the wild Olive Tree.

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Let the Preacher beg of God to humble the Pride of Man in himself first, and then he will fee the Neceffity of the People's Converfion in order to Chriftian Conversation. Let not Ministers of Congregations prophefy fmooth Things to the People, pretending they are all Chriftians, because they were baptized with Water; (which is only an outward Sign of the inward and fpiritual Grace) when very few, in Comparison, are baptized with the Holy Ghoft, which they must be, if they be

born

born again And unless Men are born again, they cannot fee the Kingdom of God, John iii. 3. "Wo

is me! (faith the Church) for I am as when they have gathered the Summer-truits, as the Grapegleanings of the Vintage there is no Clufter to eat (no Entertainment for God) though his Soul defires the first ripe Fruits," Mic. vii. 1. God's People are few in Number, and his elect Children often go aftray, which feems to grieve him, and make him cry, Turn! O backfliding Children, for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a City, and two of a Family, and bring you to Zion, Jer. iii, 14. By the few in Number which go to Heaven, according to the foregoing Scriptures, one might eafily be induced to believe and acknowledge the Propriety of what our Lord Jefus faid in this Refpect, "Enter ye in at the ftrait Gate; for wide is the Gate, and broad is the Way that leadeth to Destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because ftrait is the Gate, and narrow is the Way which leadeth unto Life, and few there be that find it," Matt. vii. 13, 14. What depth of Thought can conceive, the Curfes the Damned in Hell will pronounce against fuch foolish Shepherds, who have deluded them thither: who took upon them the Care of precious, immortal Souls, to lead them fafe to Heaven, only for the fake of filthy Lucre, 1 Tim. iii, 3, 8. "They ran (faith God) but I never fent them," Jer. xxiii. 21. Strangers to vital Religion having not received the Spirit of Adoption, enabling them to cry, Abba, Father. Neither did the Spirit ever bear witnefs with their Spirits, that they were his Children, Rom. viii. 15, 16. Deftitute of divine Grace to affift them in fo arduous a Work. God declares he will require his People's Blood at fuch Teachers' Hands, Ezek. XXXIV. 10. "For my People perifh (faith the Lord)

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for lack of Knowledge," Hof. iv. 6.

"For what Man knoweth the Things of a Man, fave the Spirit of Man which is in him? even fo the Things of God knoweth no (natural) Man, but he only who hath the Spirit of God dwelling in him,' 1 Cor. ii. 11. "The Spirit fearcheth all Things, yea, the deep Things of God," verfe 10. "And those that have not the Spirit of Chrift (whether Preachers or Hearers) are none of his," Rom. viii. 9. What Business then have fuch People to prefume to unfold the facred Mysteries of the Word of God, or take God's Covenant into their Mouth? feeing they hate to be reformed, and caft his Commandments behind their Backs, Pfal. 1. 16, 17. Whose Eyes never faw, whose Hands never handled the Word of Life, 1 John i. 1. The Holy Ghost (the Fountain of all Truth) describes fuch Watchmen to be "blind and ignorant, nay, dumb Dogs, that cannot bark; fleeping, lying down, loving to flumber." Heedlefs of the Condition of every Soul whofe Lot it is to be under fuch Paftor's Care. And yet, "greedy dogs which can never have enough, Shepherds that cannot understand, every one looking (fharp) for his Gain, from his Quarter," Efa. lvi. 10, 11. They relinquish no Perquifite, fpare no Fleece that can be had, though the Sheep want it to fcreen them from the nipping Cold. Therefore thus faith the Lord, "Woe be to the Shepherds of Ifrael that feed themselves? fhould not the Shepherds feed the Flocks?" Ezek. xxxiv. 2. But fome may think me too aggravating, and will fay, Stop Friend! wilt thou not affront many by dealing fo plainly? Yes, I know I fhall affront those whom the Truth gauls; and I know Satan will ftir up his People against me, as he has done already: and I know he will rage, but I am fore-warned whom to tear: Chrift bids

me

me" fear not Man, but God, who is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell; yea, I fay unto you, fear him, Luke xii. 5.

Question, But is it fo bad with us now, or are we in like Circumstances with Adam when he was driven out from the Prefence of God?

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Anfwer, Yes, the very fame; "For we by Nature are all born Children of Wrath, even as others," Eph. ii. 3. And until we are born again of the Spirit, and baptized with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire, the Fire of God's Love, we are Aliens from the Common-wealth of Ifrael, Strangers to the Covenants of Promife, having no true, faving Hope, and without God in the World," Epb. ii. 12. And alas! how loath we are when Storms arife to caft our Anchor of Hope on firm Ground : for as foon as Chrift by his Spirit has convinced us of Sin, we presently endeavour to fecure our Souls on the quick Sands of Self-righteousness, or like Adam to cover our Nakedness with the Fig-leaves of formal Obedience and although God fays, The Soul that finneth fhall die; yet the Devil fuggests, We shall not furely die, but by our Amendment we may excufe ourselves: prompting us prefumptuously, as he did our Mother Eve, to take the forbidden Fruit: fo now, (notwithstanding the Seraphic Swordsmen) to snatch at the Tree of Life, as we vainly fuppofe it to be, viz. the Covenant of Works to be performed by us for our Salvation. And if we cannot live as well as we would, yet we hope God will be merciful, for we endeavour to keep the whole Law as well as we can, and trust God for the Reft. Here I think you'll fay, This cannot be the Advice of Satan; for who can do more than this? Ah! my dear Neighbours, beware, look well to yourfelves, for Satan lies in wait to deceive. Our Lord faith, "Many fhall

come

iv.

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come in that Day and fay, Lord open to me, for I have eaten and drank in thy Prefence, and in thy Name caft out Devils, and in thy Name done many wonderful Works. But Chrift will fay, I know you not, depart from me ye Workers of Iniquity," Luke xiii. 27. And we are forbidden to look after Salvation by a Covenant of Works: "Why fpend ye your Money for that which is not Bread ? ́and your Labour for that which fatisfieth not?" Ija. 2. Your good Works (being imperfect) cannot justify you in the Sight of God: "For by the. Works of the Law no Flefh fhall be faved," Gal. ii. 16. The Serpent knows of the flaming Sword, which turns every Way to keep the Way of the Tree of Life: viz. The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, Eph. vi. 17. which God has placed to keep Rebels out of Paradife, in these Words, "Curfed is every one that continueth not in all Things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them, Gal. iii. 10. "And whereas all our Righteoufneffes are but as filthy Rags," Ifa. lxv. 6. And when we have done all the Good that is poffible, we are still but unprofitable Servants, Luke xvii. 10. Therefore now behold and fee that the Devil is leading you to Prefumption, hurrying you on, impotent as you are, through vain Conceit of prevailing against the Dint of the Sword, the flaming Sword of God's Word (appointed by him to humble the Pride of Man) attempting to clime the Tree of Life through your own natural Ability, whether God will or not. But, alas! poor lost Sons of Adam, you must yet according to God's Command till the Ground from whence you were taken. God made your Father Adam out of good Earth before it was curfed; and when he had made him, Behold! he was very good, Gen. i. 31. But his Sin became your Sin, and the Ground of

your

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