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Show ~70 t668. ~ c~.xv~n. ltom. '4· to the .End. Gen•4• f• 2l'et.t. 3• Eph·~· 7• 1tom 14.1,to the6nd. Lam. 4· ~· Pnw.21. 17. Job21.13114, Pfai.H•23o Przl. 37· 10. E.cd, 8. 12. Pfal,n, 1 , 2 ProT. 2, ~22, /io C R 0 S S, No C ]{ 0 W JJI. Vot.L cefs, and a meer excitipg others to continue in their Abufe, becaufe ther find Perfons reputed Sober to imitate them, or o~herwife give them 311 Ex· aq:~ple : Precepu are 110t half fo forcible tU Ex•mp/u. §. JIJ. Every one that pretends to Seriouf~cfl, ought to infpe8: himfelf, as having been too i9t~t~rd to help on the Excefs, and c;1n never make roo much Haite out of thofe Inconveniencies, that by his former Example he encouraged ony to; that by o New Qne he moy put o feofonable Check UQOn the lnrempera.nce of others. A. Wife P~rent ever withdraws tbofe Obje&, however innQCent in themfeh•es, which are too prevalent upon the weak Senfes of his Cbildre9, on pUJpofe thor they might be weoned : And 'tiS as frequ,cnt with M:en to bend a _crooked Stick as much the contraIf Way, that they mjght make it firaight :lt taft. Thofethat have more Sobriety than others, fhould not forget their Stcw:ud(hips, but exercife that Gift cf God to the Security of their Neighbours. 'Twas murdering Gtin that rudely afked the Lord, Wa~ be U Brotbcrt &epcr? For every Man is neccffarily obliged thereto; and therefore fhould be fo Wife, as to deny himfelf the Ufe of fuch indifferent Enjoyments, as cannot be ufed by him, without too manifeft an Enc;ova~me,qt to l}i• Neighbotus Folly. · §. IV. God hath fufficiently excited Men to what is faid; for in the Cafe of the Brazen Serpent, which was an Heavenly lqfiitutioo and Type qf Chrift, He with great Difpleafure enjoyn'd it {hould b~ broke tp P~eces, becaufe they were too (ond and d.ot;ng upon it. Yes, the very Groves them· fehes, however Plcafanr for Situ:uion, Beautiful' for their Walks and Trees, rnuft be cut dowp ; And why ? Only bequfe they hld been nbufrd to Idoldlrorlf Ufrs. And W~lt's an Idol, bur t)qt wh\ch the Mind puts <tt qver Ellimate or V!!lue. ~pon? Non~ can benefit themfelves fo much by ~n indifferent Thing, as others by not ufing that abufed Liberty. §. V. If thofe Thln~s were conveni~nt in themfelves, whlch i! a Step nearer Nrft.ffity, than tf!eer l~differency, yet when by Orc~mltanc;s they become prejqdicial~ (uch Convenic:ncy it felf ought tP be put \IP ; much. more whar•s but hulifferent, fhould be deny'd. People ought not to weigh their private SatfsfaEHons more than a Pl1b/i(k Good~ nor pleafe themfelvts in too free an Ufe of Indifferent Things, at the Coft C?f ~eing fo rcallr. prejudicial to the Puhlick, as they certainly are, whofe Ufe of them (if no wprfe) becomes Exemplary to others, and begets an Imp:uiency in .their Minds to have the like. Wherefore it is both Reafonable and incumbent on all, to make only fuch Thin~s necefrary, as tend to Life nnd God lind!, and to'employ their Freedom with molt Ad vantage to their Neighbours. So that here is <\Twofold Obligation; the Ont, not to be Exempl:lry in tbe Ufc of fuch Things; which, though. they may ufe them, yet not without giving too much Countenance to the Abnfe :1nd exceffivc Vanity of their Neighbours:. Tl\eother Obligation is. that they ought fo far to condefcend tQfuch Religious People, who are offended at thefe Fa!hions, and th3t Kind of Comrerfltion, as to reject them. §. VI. Now thofe, who notwithftonding what I hove urged, will yet proceed; what i~ it, but th3t they have fo involv'd thernfelveS' and their .Ajfellif!JU in them, th3t it is hard\y poffible to Reform the:m ; and th:l.t for all theu many Proteitations a.gainft their Fondnefi to fuch Fopperies, they really love them more than tbrifl and His Crofr. Such cannot fcek the Good o.f others. who do fo little refpe8: their own. For, after a Serious Confideration, W!Mt V'tlnity, ~ride, ldlenej!, Exp{nce of Time ond Eftatu, bave bun, 11nd. yet are? How many PerjQJu debauched ftom. their jirfl Sohri• ety, and Women ftom tbeir Natural Sf/l.eetnefr tntd lnnoc(nq to Locifr, A~ry. W.dllt011, and many ti~Ul mtJre Enorm&TIS PraOicer? Ho~ many plenrijJJl Eftater have .hun over-run I!} numrrom Debtt, Cba/1ity enfnored by accurfod LMflfulllltrtguet? Youthful Health trVtrtahn by the Hnfly Sei.zure of Unna .. turai Diftempert, and the re11111ining Dnyt of fucb fient upon a Rack cf their Victr ~rocuri'!g, a~ fo made SltiT.Jes to the unmerti[11l, bJQ.- nuejfary Eff-eOr of tbelr own znor.dtJtate P!eafures? In which Agony tbty Vow th~ gretllljl T(m· peunce; but are no foontr out of it, than in their Vice t~g-ain. §. VJI. No CROSS, No CROWU 37' §, VII. That thcfe Tlhing> are til~ Gate, ~nd almoll innumerabie niore . , 668 J.am perf'!aded no t~~enlebs Perfon of any £xpe1'ience will deny: How rhm' ~ ~pol! a fettous Refle£hon, a.nr th~t pretend Co•ft,e'!lce, or the Fur tif GoJ Ch XVIJt :.Aintcg/lly4 CJ.n longer ~nhnue m the Gar~, Livery and CoRverfluion of l · 6 • thofe, who.fe wh?le . Ltfe ~end~ t.o linle elfe, than what J have r;peared 7~r8,1 'J: 1• 6J "'"Ch lef• JOYn Wltft them':" tbm abominable Excefs, I lelve to tlie Juft Princlple in themfeltes ro Judge, No furcly I This is not to obe the v, · ,fG~, who in 311 A.gesdi~ ~oud1y cry to all,Gmre our of(of what? 5 thew=~~ fr.~.~3• 1 , to 1'4/htonr~ CQftverf_e and Sptrlt of Bttbylcn; Wh~t·s that ? !be great City of ,riJ 16. 3 tbtfe V~tn, Foclijb, W.1nton, S.ptr.f!;totl.t, and Wu'kt>d Prnllues, againft Which Jer. 'SO. 8. the Scnptures denounce moft dreadful Judgmenu: ; afcribing all the lnteln· ~~o! $6 6, 1- ptrfln« of Men and Women to the Cup of Wickednefs lhe hath given them 6 • 'h t~ drink; whofe arc ·rhe Thihgs Indifferenr, if they muft be fo. And for 4' 1" • 1" Wltnefs, bear what the Rroektio11s fay in her Defcription. How much ./ht batb glorified her_(eff, and lived aeltcioufiy, fo '!Tteb Tor:"!en; and Sorrow give hr. A•d the J.(;n~s of tbr Emh, who bavr llvrd drltcrokj/y witb her jhnU It Jtwail and lame lit btl'; and the Met·chantr of tbt Earth jhttO roee ove~ her. ev. ' 1·7· l. for n~ Man huyeth r.heir JJ1trcbandi{e ""!more: The Merchand'fre of Gold: Verr. 12, 1tnd Stiver, alld PretroNJ Stoner, anJ of Pettrlt and Fine Linnen and P11rptr. ,mJ SiiA, and Sctt,rl~z-, pnd an Manner. of Vejfi/1 of Ivory, t~nd ;l1 Mal!ner ,if Ytjfelr 11/ moft PrettctJ.t Wood; and Crn11amon, and OdoiJrr and Oinrmtmtr trtrd Franltincenfe, 411d Wine, and Oil and Fine Flower and benjlt and Sl v ' y r. . •nd Sort!t of .M~, Behold the <;h~.ra£le_r and Judg~ent of L~xury :a A~d er' ' 3• though I know lt hath a farther s.gmficatton than Whlt is Literal yet there is e'!ough to (hew the P"mp., PlttttJ, Fulne(s, Ulenefr, Eife, rVomonneft, Vamty_. L11J1,. and Exce{s of. LMxury, that re~~n in her. But at the Tern~le · Day, Wbc tt)l1J. t.o to he; Exchange any morel Who to her Plays ? Wbo flliU /oflow ber Fajhton.t then . .And who jhaT1 Tra~ck in her Delicate Jnvent1onr? Nat one; for ./ht ./hnl1 be 111dged. No Plea fhaO exc"fi or refcfle her ftom tbt TVratb cf the ]Ndge; for Strong U tb6 Lord who w1ri prif_orm 11 If yet V r. 1 thefc ~~afonable Pleas will no; pr7vail, however I fball caution fuch, in the er · • Repenuon of Part of Babylons m1fera~leDoom: Mmd, rnyFriehds, more Heavenly Thrngr, bttjlen to obeJ that Rtghreom PrmCJp/e, ftlb1ch «Oii/J exer· ft(eand deh&bt JON rn that wh"b n Eternal~ or elfe with Babylon rb M Verf.r+J 1 tber of Lujt and Vfmtty, the Fr11i1r tb.at your So11lr lufl after p;all Jepa;; from you, 111rd al117ungr rbhrcb are Damtj dnJ Goodly foal! depart ftonr ) OU 4nd you jh11U find them NO MORE: 0 Divu' No ~ore. Lay your Tre;. furet tbert/ort up'" Heaven, 0 ye InhabJtants of the Earth where nothing L can btea'k through to harm them, but where 'nmr {hall thortly be fwal- •.k• 12' ~~ lowed up of Erermty f 34 §. Vlll. But my Arguments agoinft thcfe Things end not here ; for the Conr':ary moft of a~l conduces to Good, namely, Ttmptrance in fOod, Plaifr· Co!. ~. 1 6. llt/7111 .ApjMrci; U.'ltb a med, Jl;aflie·fac'd and quiet Spirit, and that Conver- 1 Ther.4: 1 {. fa.uon flihJCb dorh only txprifr t~e .(nfllt in all Got!IJ Hone fly: As the Apoftle 12. fi1~h, ~~ no corrllpt Co16111Mnt~al~cn proceed our of your Moutb, bur that • Pee. 3• 1,2. ubrcb u GOt?d to t~ f!fe of ~,fy_mt,, that !t may adminifter Groce to the lpt 4o 29& Jf!arers; Nerther Ftlthmefs, nor foolijb_ Ta/kmg. nor Jeflin~, but rather gi- S• 3, 4, s,6. 1JIItg of Tbankt : Fer let 110 Mall deceive you witb vam Word.r ~ecau(e tf lbtfe. Tbingt cDmetb the Wrath of God ttpon the Childrtn of rlifohedttnu. -And 1fMen and Women were but th~s Adorned, after this Truly Chriftian 1 ~m. 4· 12.· Manner, Inrpud1nc1 would foort recetve a Check, and Luft, Pride, Vanity, Ph1. 3· t6. to 1111J. Wanton.efs, find tJ Rebu~t>. They would not be able to attem r fuch 2.~ Unrv;rfaiCbJJflity, O! encounter fucb Godly .A.Nflerity: Yirtllt woufd be in Pro~. . ~~.·:;. . Credu, and Viu afratd and :lfhamed, and E~tcifr not dare to !hew it•• Face. to 3'· T~ere would be 3D }!nd ~f GIJtttony, tNfd G_n":~inif.r oj .Jlpparel, Flau.erillg ~~~.r; •:; ~Tlt! u, ond a Lux'III'{Dus Life; and then Prtm1trve ftrnocency and Plmnnef.r J 4 3 wonld come ~ck again, and that Plain· hearted Downright Harm!efs Lift! t::~ 2. 2• would be .reftored, OJ not 111Jt~h Cat:ing what we fboJtid &t, DrinR, or p11r Luke 12. 22; M, 3s CbnH relb us, tbe.Gt1tlllr1 dtd, and as we know this Age daily does; 30.. UJ:tder Otll its Talk of~eligioa: Buras the Ancitlllt, who with 111oJuare Car; :~,t~3~..: Blobo forPfaL••·•· · |