The First COUNSIL.

The First COUNSEL.

The First COUNSIL.

Renounce and Forsake the Service of those Idols which you have heretofore been enslaved unto. We must, as Joshua here assures us, we must purr away other gods, if we we would serve the Lord. Our Lord has admonished us, in Matth. 6. 24. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. Even so Ye cannot serve God and Satan. And again, Ye cannot serve God and Sin. The Holy God may say of you as of them, long since, Ye have served strange gods. But, O do you now say to Him, as they in Isai. 21. 13. O Lord, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us; but we will now, be for Thee alone. Become weary of your Captivity under those Task-masters which have hither to been torturing your souls. There are two sorts of Tyrants that every unregenerate man is a Servant unto; his Tempers, and his Tempters. Let the Tempers within us, no more cause us to toil, and run, and sweat, for the gratifying of them. Let the Tempters without us, no more hurry us too & fro, that their Humours may be pleased. Souls, I give you no bad counsel, when I propound this; and I do propound it, O, Run away from your old masters. Come away poor souls, come away from the land of your Captivity. ⟨p. 24⟩Look upon the grim face of the Patroons […] which you groan; say to them all, Farewell, you malicious, you bloody, you sordid Masters, Farewell; We hope you shall never have any of our Service more. O look upon the Calamities of your Service under your invisible Adversaries, and say, Tis enough▪ Say, The time past may suffice! Thus, Take ye the Wings of a Dove, and flee away.

Renounce and Forsake the Service of those Idols which you have heretofore been enslaved unto. We must, as Joshua here assures us, we must pur away other gods, if we we would serve the Lord. Our Lord has admonished us, in