The water of life, or, A discourse showing the richness and glory of the…The water of life, or, A discourse shewing the richness and glory of the…

True, there are men in the World that abuse the Grace of God, as some are said to turn it into wantonness, and into lasciviousness. But ¹this is, not because Grace has any such tendency, or for that it worketh any such effect; but because such men are themselves empty of Grace, and have only done, as Death, and Hell hath done with wisdom, heard ⟨p. 83⟩the Fame thereof with their Ears. ²'Tis a dangerous thing for a man to have the notions of Grace while his heart is void of the Spirit and holy Principles of Grace; for such a man can do no other than abuse the Grace of God. Alas, what can be expected of him that has nothing in him to teach him to manage that knowledge of Grace which he has, but his Flesh, his Lusts, and lustful Passions? Can these teach him to manage his knowledge well? Will they not rather put him upon all tricks, evasions, irreligious consequences and conclusions, such as will serve to cherish Sin? What Judas did with Christ, that a graceless man will do with Grace, even make it a stalking horse to his fleshly and vile designs; and rather than fail betray both it and the profession of it, to the greatest Enemies it has in the World.

True, there are men in the World that abuse the Grace of God, as some are said to turn it into wantonness, and into lasciviousness. But ¹this is, not because Grace has any such tendancy, or for that it worketh any such effect; but because such men are themselves empty of Grace, and have only done, as Death, and Hell hath done with wisdom, heard ⟨p. 83⟩the Fame thereof with their Ears. ²'Tis a dangerous thing for a man to have the notions of Grace while his heart is yoid of the Spirit and holy Principles of Grace; for such a man can do no other than abuse the Grace of God. Alas, what can be expected of him that has nothing in him to teach him to manage that knowledge of Grace which he has, but his Flesh, his Lusts, and lustful Passions? Can these teach him to manage his knowledge well? Will they not rather put him upon all tricks, evasions, irreligious consequences and conclusions, such as will serve to cherish Sin? What Judas did with Christ, that a graceless man will do with Grace, even make it a stalking horse to his fleshly and vile designs; and rather than fail betray both it and the profession of it, to the greatest Enemies it has in the World.