12. Take notice hereby of the difference betwixt the condition §2of believers and unbelievers, servants of the Lord, and slaves of the Devil. They have their rest: a rest that may stand with external unquietness. Though in body, and in outward estate they may seem to have no rest: though in that respect they may be thought, qas Christ, to be in a worse case then foxes, that have▪holes, and birds of the air that have nests, because they have not where to rest their head: yet have they a rest for their soul: a rest that refresheth and solaceth both soul and body. But it is otherwise with the wicked. The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked, Isay. 57. 20, 21. Though they have health of body, and all outward prosperity, though by reason thereof they say (as the rich fool did Luke 12. 19.) to their soul, Take thine ease, eat, drinks, and […] merry: Yet cannot this be but only to the teeth ⟨p. 92⟩3outward. They seem to have rest, and to enjoy quiet. But that is no rest where the soul is restless. That is no peace of mind, where the mind is troubled with stings of a guilty conscience. Their conscience is like to the fore-mentioned troubled sea. If they feel it not, it is because they are intoxicated, and made senseless, as the drunkard that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or upon the top of a mast, and feeleth nothing, Prev. 23. 34, 35. Their conscience is seared with an hot iron, (1 Tim. 4. 2.) When it is roused it will be as a roaring lion, and arranging bear: or a bear robbed of her whelps. Pro. 28. 15. & 17. 12.
12. Take notice hereby of the difference betwixt the condition §2of beleevers and unbeleevers, servants of the Lord, and slaves of the Devill. They have their rest: a rest that may stand with externall unquietnesse. Though in body, and in outward estate they may seeme to have no rest: though in that respect they may be thought, qas Christ, to be in a worse case then foxes, that have▪holes, and birds of the aire that have nests, because they have not where to rest their head: yet have they a rest for their soule: a rest that refresheth and solaceth both soule and body. But it is otherwise with the wicked. The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked, Isay. 57. 20, 21. Though they have health of body, and all outward prosperitie, though by reason thereof they say (as the rich foole did Luke 12. 19.) to their soule, Take thine ease, eate, drinks, and 〈…〉 merrie: Yet cannot this be but onely to the teeth ⟨p. 92⟩3outward. They seeme to have rest, and to enjoy quiet. But that is no rest where the soule is restlesse. That is no peace of mind, where the mind is troubled with stings of a guilty conscience. Their conscience is like to the fore-mentioned troubled sea. If they feele it not, it is because they are intoxicated, and made senslesse, as the drunkard that lieth downe in the midst of the sea, or upon the top of a mast, and feeleth nothing, Prev. 23. 34, 35. Their conscience is seared with an hot iron, (1 Tim. 4. 2.) When it is roused it wilbe as a roaring lion, and aranging beare: or a beare robbed of her whelpes. Pro. 28. 15. & 17. 12.
- 1Information in the difference betwixt Saints and worldlings.
- qMat. 8. 20.
- 3Videntur habere tranquillitate•, videntur quietefrui: sed non est quies ub▪ a•imus inquietus est: non e•• tranquillitas mentis ubi animus exagitatur obnoxi• flimul• conscienti•. Amb. Comment in Psal. 112. Serm 17. vers▪ 5.
