A second volume of discourses or sermons on several scriptures

For the demonstration of the point, I shall give you them in these following particulars,

For the demonstratious of the point, I shall give you them in these following particulars,

First,¹ The Examples of others may here be a convincing Argument. If I should summon in the most excellent of God's Saints, a Man might wonder that Drunkenness, Incest, Murder, and Abjuration of Christ, that such Brats of Satan should ever be found in company with such an Angelical Troop as they are; and yet Noah is Drunk, Lot is Incestuous, David Murders, and Peter Abjures; these glorious Stars have had their twinklings; and if the Leaders and Champions are thus foiled, what may we think then hath in all Ages befallen the Crowd of Vulgar Christians: We may with truth and boldness say, Never was there a sin committed in the World, ⟨p. 210⟩how horrid soever, unless the unpardonable Sin against the Holy-Ghost, but God may find it written down in his Book of Remembrance under their Names whose Names he himself hath written down in the Book of Life. And what shall we say, when we see a Stone falling, that there is no weight nor propenseness in it to fall; shall we say, when we see such Eminent Christians falling into sin, yea even into great and gross sins, that they have not strong propensions and inclinations to sin. Yet O ye Saints, divulge not these things to Wicked Men, whisper them softly one to another with fear and trembling, least some Profane Wretch or other overhear you, and take that for encouragement that was only meant for caution: What is more common, than for the Vilest Sinners to plead for their Excuse, or warrant rather the foul Miscarriages of God's dearest Saints: Thus the Drunkard looks upon Holy Noah as a Pot-Companion, whereby he discovers his Nakedness in a worse sense than ever Ham did. And thus the unclean Sensualist Quotes David, and calls him in to be the Patron of his Debauchery; certainly ⟨p. 211⟩