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Show Fo:~u,. and fpoil the work of grace in the Soul ; fo far they alf partake of the more general nature of Foxes. There is al(o in fome of them, fomething of the peculiar craft and fubtilty of the Fox ; therefore Brrnard (in one of his Sermons upon this Tetx) rxpounds it of peccata q~t£ info virttttn mmtiuntur; Such lulls as have in them a colour or appearance of Duty and gracioul aas ; be· they what they will, if they be lulls, f am fure they are Foxn as to their general malir;nity to what of God is ill any Soul, If they have pretmcu of duty, and yet be but lulls, they are more Foxu. Thus felf-feekjng is a Fox; pretend ina the honour and glory of God, this Fox jpoiled Jehs, in his fetting out for the fervice of God;. had thisFo.>: been firll taken, he had both done God and> hiJ'llfelf more fervice than.he did by his furious march againll the houfe of Ahab; this fpoils Zeal, it fpoils our alms,our· prayers, in• deed all our acts of grace;, which are dillingui01ed from moral. llaions, as by other things, fo by nothing more, than the lincerity of obr intention, and direcHng them to the glory of God as their end •. Coveton{ltrfs, (which· is our irregularJulling alief riches,) is a Fox, it fpoileth our doing good and diftributing to the nectffitiu oftbl Sa inti- ( the Sacrifice with which God is fo well plea fed :) yea it fpoileth all duties; it is true in Spiritual things, avarut nibil rt{Jefacit, Self.pleafing and love of pleafures is a Fox, it fpoileth {elf-denial, fuffering for the name of God, bringing our body into f~bj~ction; and it doth it like a Fox, fometimes under the fair pretence ofa free ufe of the creature: in fhort,therc is no corruption but is a Fox. Our leal! lulls are but little Foxes, which fpoil our fruits of Righteoufnefs, and efpecially. while they arc· tender. Thofc litrle flies make our Boxes of Oiutwrnt to jiin~. 2 .• . Temptation! are Foxes. Thus Bernard in his fecond Sermon on my Text ; Vulpes font temptationu, all tempters are Foxes •. 'F.he Devil is the old Fox; men his inllrnments are little Foxes; whofoever temptdh [ that is folicitclh another to Sin J is a Fox, he dellroyeth or deeth what in him lieth, to dellroy. the work of God in-his Soul; and the fubtilty of the Fox is in this feen, that irta. ll temptations, in all drawing away of the Soul from God, there is fome inticemmt; Jam. r. a man it tfJCn tempted ( faith the Apo-. file J whm·he is draw,. away and ·tnticeiJ~ all temptations either prevail .upon the Soul, or do not prevail •.. If they do prevail, they p.olhm the Soul, and hinder the fruits of Righteoufnefs, and bring • forth forth the fruits of lin and wickednefs; if they do not prevail, yet at ]call they trouble the Soul, hinder its Faith, peace, joy in the holy Gholl, and fo one way or other fpoil the tender Grapes 1 thde are another fpccies ofFoxes: then, 3· A Third fort ofF•xu are perfecutors. Chrill hath given this generation their name, Lu"' q. 32. Go teU that Fox, bebold I ea/i out Devils to day aHd to morrow, and t!JC third day ljhaU be perftfJed. A Perfecutor is one who makes another to fi•ffer, for his Confcience towards God. That thefe men fpoil the Vines, needetb no words to demonllrate: Thefe cut up the Vines by the ~oot, How many Vines have thefe Anthropogaphi [men-eaters J dellroyed? eating up the jlejh of the Lordi people lik! Birds? How many more have they difcouraged and made afraid of the paths of purity and holinefs, becaufe of the (nares, which in thofe paths rhey had fee for them. Thefc are the Churches Cunibals, the great enemies to the Lords Vineyard, the wild Boars of the wood, and the wild Bealls of the Ferrell which devour it. And they are Foxes too. They have fubtilty as well as malignitn They appeared heretofore like Lions, proclaiming their fin as Sodom rending and tearing in their own names; But they have Iince lear~ed, r. To fhelter themfelves under the procecti.on of Laws, We have a law, faid the Jewt, a_nd \!y that law he w.ghno die. So that none !hall fuffer now for hts confcience towards•God,but for his difobedience to the laws of the I! ate. · This is but a Fig-leaf to cover their nakednefs : Paul purfued Chrillians by a law, yet he perfect<ted the Church of q1rill (as he confelfetb, '·Cor. I 5· 9; 1 Tim. r. 13.) furely Chrill was Jerfoc~tted, yet he dted by aiJ>v which they had made. 2. Their courfes likewife oflate, not to make fo many Bo11ejiret with Mmyrs bon<'s is but the trick of a Fox. Thtfe made coo great a noife, they will now do the fame thing by their inqui!ilions, their pining them in prifons, &c. they do ~ot tear (as formerly ) like Lions, but they get the blood llill hke Fox.es; .but I !hall to this 'j_dd no more. , Lallly, fal[tTeacher~ are Foxes, All Interpreters almof\ agree In this, and interpr~t the Text, chie'fly In reference to them. 'I meari'thofe who in!lil any Doctrine into people dellructive to holin~ f~ ; holinefs, the[r11its of holin•Jt ~re the tender Grapet which .are here mentioned, ahd ihey are Doctrines which tend to the abatement and dellructi'On ofholinefs which fpoil the Vines. It is not every' diifeience bf inotl\er in ·opinion from me, that makes .. . 1.-t • , t him |