O Sinners, that in these workings of the wickedness and malignity of your hearts, you would at last but know your selves! Is it not the Carnal mind that is thus at enmity to God, and neither is nor can be subject to his Law, Rom. 8. 6, 7, 8? Which will you take to be your friend; Him that loveth your company, or him that is a weary of it, and is glad when he hath done with you, and is got away? What would you think of Wife, or Child, or Friend, if they should reason as you do, and say, What Law doth bind […] to be so many hours in the House, or Company, or […] of my Husband, my Father, or my Friend• You do not use if you have a Feast, or a Cup of Wine before you, to ask, Where doth God Command me to Eat or Drink it? You can do this without a Command! If you hear but of a gainful Market▪ you ask not, Where doth God make it my duty to go to it? If one would give you Money or Land, you would scarcely ask, How prove you that I am bound to take it? You would be glad of Leave, without ⟨p. 105⟩Commands. If the King should say to you▪ Ask what you will, and I will give it you, you would not say, Where am I bound of God to ask? And when God saith, Ask and it shall be given you, you say, How prove you that I am bound to ask? You can sing ribald Songs, and Dance without a Command; You can Feast, and Play, and Prate, and Sleep, and Loiter in idleness without a Command; But you cannot learn how to be saved, nor praise your. Redeemer without a Command. A Thief can Steal, a Fornicator can Play the Brute, a Drunkard can be Drunk, an Oppressor can make himself hateful to the Oppressed, not only without Law, but against it? But you cannot Rejoice in God, nor live one day together in his Love and Service, without a Law, no nor with it neither. For because you had rather not Love him, it is certain that you do not Love him: And because you had rather play than pray, and serve the flesh than serve your Maker; it is a certain sign that you do not serve him, with any thing which he will accept as Service. For while he hath not your hearts, he hath nothing which he accepteth. Your Knee and Tongue only is forced against your will to that which you call serving him: But your Hearts or Wills cannot be forced. When you had rather be elsewhere, and say When will the Sermon and Prayer be done, that I may be at my Work or Play? God taketh it as if you were there where you had rather be.
O Sinners, that in these workings of the wickedness and malignity of your hearts, you would at last but know your selves! Is it not the Carnal mind that is thus at enmity to God, and neither is nor can be subject to his Law, Rom. 8. 6, 7, 8? Which will you take to be your friend; Him that loveth your company, or him that is a weary of it, and is glad when he hath done with you, and is got away? What would you think of Wife, or Child, or Friend, if they should reason as you do, and say, What Law doth bind 〈…〉 to be so many hours in the House, or Company, or 〈…〉 of my Husband, my Father, or my Friend• You do not use if you have a Feast, or a Cup of Wine before you, to ask, Where doth God Command me to Eat or Drink it? You can do this without a Command! If you hear but of a gainful Market▪ you ask not, Where doth God make it my duty to go to it? If one would give you Money or Land, you would scarcely ask, How prove you that I am bound to take it? You would be glad of Leave, without ⟨p. 105⟩Commands. If the King should say to you▪ Ask what you will, and I will give it you, you would not say, Where am I bound of God to ask? And when God saith, Ask and it shall be given you, you say, How prove you that I am bound to ask? You can sing ribbald Songs, and Dance without a Command; You can Feast, and Play, and Prate, and Sleep, and Loyter in idleness without a Command; But you cannot learn how to be saved, nor praise your. Redeemer without a Command. A Thief can Steal, a Fornicator can Play the Bruit, a Drunkard can be Drunk, an Oppressour can make himself hateful to the Oppressed, not only without Law, but against it? But you cannot Rejoice in God, nor live one day together in his Love and Service, without a Law, no nor with it neither. For because you had rather not Love him, it is certain that you do not Love him: And because you had rather play than pray, and serve the flesh than serve your Maker; it is a certain sign that you do not serve him, with any thing which he will accept as Service. For while he hath not your hearts, he hath nothing which he accepteth. Your Knee and Tongue only is forced against your will to that which you call serving him: But your Hearts or Wills cannot be forced. When you had rather be elsewhere, and say When will the Sermon and Prayer be done, that I may be at my Work or Play? God taketh it as if you were there where you had rather be.
