First, There must be a prevention of the Acts of profaneness. Profane principles in the heart of a man, lying still, and as it were, dormant, not breaking forth, are out of the reach of others; Neither the Magistrates Sword, be it never so long, nor the Ministers Word, if alone and unaccompanied with the Divine Spirit, can reach it, or prevail against it. That is the mighty and glorious work of the great Jehovah, who alone knoweth the Heart and searcheth it, and can change, alter and mend it. None but he that made the heart at first, can mould it anew: None but he can cast Salt into that Spring, none but he can graft such holy principles as to make a corrupt tree good. But wicked and profane practices in the lives, of men as are the wretched products, fruits and issues of base and cursed principles, may be curbed, restrained and prevented: So that though the wickedness of the wicked will not depart from him, yet it shall not be committed with that frequency and boldness, and openness as it hath been, and to this very day is. With shame and sorrow be it spoken. In the Heb: 12.15. Look diligently, lest any man fail of the Grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you. You may understand it both of unsound doctrine & abominable practices, but I am now only to deal with the latter. Sin, lust, corruption in the heart is a root of bitterness, yielding that which is bitter to God; his Soul hates and abhors it: And it is bitter to man in the sad direful consequences and effects of it, which when the foolish self-humouring sinner comes to taste he will certainly find worse than Gall. Sin is his dainties, he rolls it as a delicious morsel under his tongue, but it will prove the poison ⟨image 163⟩of Asps within him. Now it nearly concerns every one to endeavour the pulling up of this root in his own heart, let him set both his hands to the work, let him lay the axe to it, and call God in to his assistance. It is ten thousand▪ thousand times more desirable to have in you that root of the matter which holy Job spake of, than to have this root of bitterness in you. But then it ought to be the care of all, specially Governors, both in Families, Churches, Kingdoms and Nations, they should look diligently to it, that this root do not pullulare, spring up;
First, There must be a prevention of the Acts of prophaneness. Prophane principles in the heart of a man, lying still, and as it were, dormant, not breaking forth, are out of the reach of others; Neither the Magistrates Sword, be it never so long, nor the Ministers Word, if alone and unaccompanied with the Divine Spirit, can reach it, or prevail against it. That is the mighty and glorious work of the great Jehovah, who alone knoweth the Heart and searcheth it, and can change, alter and mend it. None but he that made the heart at first, can mould it anew: None but he can cast Salt into that Spring, none but he can graft such holy principles as to make a corrupt tree good. But wicked and prophane practices in the lives, of men as are the wretched products, fruits and issues of base and cursed principles, may be curb'd, restrain'd and prevented: So that though the wickedness of the wicked will not depart from him, yet it shall not be committed with that frequency and boldness, and openness as it hath been, and to this very day is. With shame and sorrow be it spoken. In the Heb: 12.15. Look diligently, lest any man fail of the Grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you. You may understand it both of unsound doctrine & abominable practices, but I am now only to deal with the latter. Sin, lust, corruption in the heart is a root of bitterness, yielding that which is bitter to God; his Soul hates and abhors it: And it is bitter to man in the sad direful consequences and effects of it, which when the foolish self-humouring sinner comes to tast he will certainly find worse than Gall. Sin is his dainties, he rolls it as a delicious morsel under his tongue, but it will prove the poison ⟨image 163⟩of Aspes within him. Now it nearly concerns every one to endeavour the pulling up of this root in his own heart, let him set both his hands to the work, let him lay the axe to it, and call God in to his assistance. It is ten thousand▪ thousand times more desireable to have in you that root of the matter which holy Job spake of, than to have this root of bitterness in you. But then it ought to be the care of all, specially Governours, both in Families, Churches, Kingdoms and Nations, they should look diligently to it, that this root do not pullulare, spring up;
