An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eleventh, twelfth, & thirteenth chapters of…

you tell me of Sacrilege, but I am sure I have had a good Voyage after it. Oh! these are Heathenish reasonings, and yet I fear they are not altogether rooted out of such as profess themselves Christians. You that have good Voyages abroad (observe it) it may be if you meet with an ill Voyage, then you begin to recollect your self, What sin have I been guilty of? but now, if you have a good Voyage, though you have contracted much guiltiness upon your spirits while you were at Land, yet prospering in your Voyage, you never think of any danger, but all is well because you have a good Voyage. Oh no, a good Voyage is no sign that there is not guiltiness: As sometimes I have told you, that a painted face is no sign of a good complexion; it may be it is the Curse of God upon thee that doth let thee so to prosper, and if God had any love unto thee he would not let thee to prosper so as he doth, he would cross thee in thy ways that so ⟨p. 229⟩thou mightest bethink thy self, There's another man perhaps that was as wicked as thou, and yet the Lord had a love to him, and he crossed him in his ways, so that he hath begun to bethink himself, and not to be at rest till he gets the guilt of his sin done away; but for thee, Gods heart it seems is not yet towards thee, he hath no love to thee; and if he lets thee go on and still prosper in a sinful way, this is from the fruit of Reprobation; and certainly there cannot be scarce a greater note of a Reprobate than for a man to prosper in a sinful way: This ¹is that we should all pray to God to deliver us from, Lord, let us never prosper in a sinful way, if thou feest our way be naught, that we contract guiltiness upon our spirits in our way, Lord, let us not thrive and prosper; if we do, a thousand to one but we are undone for ever. He said he was rich, and he had found substance.²

you tell me of Sacriledg, but I am sure I have had a good Voyage after it. Oh! these are Heathenish reasonings, and yet I fear they are not altogether rooted out of such as profess themselves Christians. You that have good Voiages abroad (observe it) it may be if you meet with an ill Voiage, then you begin to recollect your self, What sin have I been guiltie of? but now, if you have a good Voiage, though you have contracted much guiltiness upon your spirits while you were at Land, yet prospering in your Voiage, you never think of anie danger, but all is well because you have a good Voiage. Oh no, a good Voiage is no sign that there is not guiltiness: As sometimes I have told you, that a painted face is no sign of a good complexion; it may be it is the Curse of God upon thee that doth let thee so to prosper, and if God had anie love unto thee he would not let thee to prosper so as he doth, he would cross thee in thy waies that so