The poor doubting christian drawn to Christ· Wherein the main lets and hindrances which…The poore doubting christian drawne to Christ· Wherein the maine letts and hindrances vvhich…

But such as these (mark it) when reason is plain, and the Scriptures are evidently against them, they do not so much attend what the Minister saith, but they stand and invent how they may answer the Minister, and so put away their own comforts. Let the fear of God fall upon every soul that hears this, and know that howsoever you have taken leave to you selves, and have taken up pleas against the truth, yet now go ⟨p. 60⟩your ways, and mourn for it, and wonder that the Lord hath not taken away all the comfort of his grace, and all the motions of his Spirit from you. The Prophet David prays the Lord to turn away his eyes from beholding vanity: ¹now if God must do that, then much more must he turn away our hearts from attending to vanities: I must attend to God, and the voice of his Spirit, but to listen to those carnal pleas which I have no warrant to do, I sin deeply, and hurt my own soul dangerously thereby. No man would deal with a cheater; carnal reason is a cheater, therefore ⟨p. 61⟩let us not attend thereto, unless we resolve to be cozened; and if the danger of the sin cannot make us do this, then let the sorrow that will come by it constrain us:² Behold all you that kindle a fire, and that compass your selves about with the sparkles that ye have kindled, this shall you have at my hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow. I will show what is meant by sparkles, and what by fire; in the old Law you know there was heavenly fire continually in the Sanctuary, that shadowed out to us the will and wisdom of God in his word: but there was also strange fire, that is, there were divers ⟨p. 62⟩sparkles of their own imaginations, and conceits; every poor creature caries his tinder-box about him, and he is ever kindling of it; which the Lord doth not allow of: In that text are two things: first, that the heart of man will naturally invent carnal reasons and pleas against it self, and be settled upon them: secondly, the issue that follows thereupon, This shall ye have of mine hand, you shall lie down in your own sorrow. When the Scriptures are clear, and reasons are evident, and yet you will have your own devices, thus much I tell you, you shall lie down in sorrow