The Fountain of Life Opened

Now put all this together, and see to what these particulars will amount. You have heard how God the Father hath engaged you to this conversation purity, by his designment of your Salvation. Rewarding your obedience. His pleasure in it. His Promises to it. And his great confidence in you, that you will thus walk before him. The Lord Jesus hath also engaged you thereunto, by his death and sufferings, whereby you were Redeemed from your vain conversations. The Spirit hath engaged you by telling you plainly how much you will grieve, and wrong him, resist and quench him, if you do not keep your selves pure. Yea, you are ⟨p. 617⟩obliged further by your selves, your clear illumination, your high profession, your many prayers and confessions, your many censures and reprehensions of others, do all strengthen your obligation to holiness. Yea, you are obliged further to this holy life, by the shame, grief, and trouble your loose walking will bring upon your friends. And the mirth it will make for, and mischief it will do to your enemies. Who will fall and break their necks, where it may be you only stumbled, and brake your shins. Who are Justified, and absolved (as before you heard) by your miscarriages. And now what think you of all this? Are you obliged or not, to this purity of life? Are all these bonds tied with such slip-knots that you can get loose, and free your selves at pleasure from them? If all these things are of no force with you, if none of these bonds can hold you; may it not be questioned (notwithstanding your profession) whether any spiritual principle, any fear of God, or love to Christ, be in your souls or no? O you could not play fast and loose with God; if so, you could not as Sampson snap these bonds asunder, at your pleasure.

Now put all this together, and see to what these particulars will amount. You have heard how God the Father hath engaged you to this conversation purity, by his designment of your Salvation. Rewarding your obedience. His pleasure in it. His Promises to it. And his great confidence in you, that you will thus walk before him. The Lord Iesus hath also engaged you thereunto, by his death and sufferings, whereby you were Redeemed from your vain conversations. The Spirit hath engaged you by telling you plainly how much you will grieve, and wrong him, resist and quench him, if you do not keep your selves pure. Yea, you are ⟨p. 617⟩