8. This gives us the genuine Reason, and Cause, Why the word of God, and all the good things contained therein, find so little room in the Hearts of many great Professors. It is to me a prodigious thing to consider, among the crowd of notional Professors, and Hearers of God's Word, how few entertain the same in an honest heart. And where lies the main bitter root of this cursed Infidelity, but in love to the world? So Mark 4.18, 19. And these are they, which are sown among thorns: Such as hear the Word; and the cares of this world, and the Deceitfulness of Riches, and the Lusts of other things entering in, choke the word and it becometh unfruitful. It deserves a particular remark, that the Thorny-ground hearers here characterised are ranked in the highest form of notional Hearers, as much surpassing the Highway-ground, or Stony-ground Hearers: For in these thorny-ground Hearers the word takes some root, yea with some depth; and so springs up into a blade, and green ears; and so endures a cold winter, yea a scorching summer's heat: and yet after all it is choked. How so? why, by the cares of this world. [Greek or Hebrew], the amorous, distracting, anxious cares, and the deceitfulness of Riches. O! what Deceitful things are Riches! how soon do they choke the word? and the Lusts of other things: Namely Pleasures, which deserve not to be named: (y)For so the Hebrews were wont to express vile abominable things, by other things. Thence they termed Swine, [Greek or Hebrew] other things.
8. This gives us the genuine Reason, and Cause, Why the word of God, and all the good things contained therein, find so little room in the Hearts of many great Professors. It is to me a prodigious thing to consider, among the croud of notional Professors, and Hearers of God's Word, how few entertain the same in an honest heart. And where lies the main bitter root of this cursed Infidelity, but in love to the world? So Mark 4.18, 19. And these are they, which are sown among thorns: Such as hear the Word; and the cares of this world, and the Deceitfulness of Riches, and the Lusts of other things entring in, choke the word and it becometh unfruitful. It deserves a particular remark, that the Thorny-ground hearers here characterised are ranked in the highest form of notional Hearers, as much surpassing the Highway-ground, or Stony-ground Hearers: For in these thorny-ground Hearers the word takes some root, yea with some depth; and so springs up into a blade, and green ears; and so endures a cold winter, yea a scorching summer's heat: and yet after all it is choaked. How so? why, by the cares of this world. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, the amorous, distracting, anxious cares, and the deceitfulness of Riches. O! what Deceitful things are Riches! how soon do they choke the word? and the Lusts of other things: Namely Pleasures, which deserve not to be named: (y)For so the Hebrews were wont to express vile abominable things, by other things. Thence they termed Swine, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 other things.
- (y)Solenne fuit Hebraeis uti voce [Greek or Hebrew] alius, quoties cunque rem abominandam tacitè innuunt. Horting. Thesaur. Philolog. p. 51.Solenne fuit Hebraeis uti voce 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 alius, quoties cunque rem abominandam tacitè innuunt. Horting. Thesaur. Philolog. p. 51.
