Gods Hatred against SIN AND unsettledness. Wherein is discovered the odiousness of the Sins of these times, as Pride, and Lying, Blood-shedding, and Wicked imaginations; Mischief, and false Witness, as dissension, setters of strife and debate: very necessary for these times, and worthy to be kept in memory after ages. Written by Roger Hough. Psalm 119.113. I hate vain thoughts, but thy Laws do I love. Verse 115. Depart from me ye evil doers, for I will keep the commandments of my God. John 15.14. Sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee. Ephes 4.25. Speak every man truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another Printed by H. B. for T. passenger, at the Three Bibles on London-Bridge, 1683. To the READER PEruse this book, consider well The fruitful things that herein dwell; Here is Gods Hatred against Sin, That in the first man did begin. Pride of Looks, and Lying Tongues, Hands full of blood, Hearts that do wrongs Feet that run swift to Wickedness, That mischief do, and false witness; Those that speak lies, and sow discord, All these are hated of the Lord. Therefore if I may you advice, Be Lowly, Civil, Just, and Wise: Be humble, careful, circumspectly, In all your ways: do you reject All Thoughts and Deeds of Actions evil, Hate sin as you would hate the Devil. Love righteousness, and follow Truth, If you be Young, now in your Youth, If you be Old, think't not too late To enter into Heavens Gate. To which if we once do ascend, Our joys increase our sorrows end: O that we might as Christians then Walk in the way, even so, Amen. Gods Hatred against Sin and Wickedness. Proverbs 6.16.17.18.19. These six things doth the Lord hate, yea; seven are an Abomination unto him. A proud look, and a lying tongue, and hands that shed Innocent Blood. A Heart that deviseth Wicked Imaginations, and Feet that be swift in running to mischief. A false Witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among the People. BEloved, he that will be preserved and spared from danger, must be watchful over himself; he must not be like the sluggard that Solomon speaks of, in the former part of this Chapter, at the 10th verse, crying out; Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep. For so saith he, shall thy pover●y come as an armed man, verse 11. And as Cicero saith, The slothful man sleepeth in his own want. And Seneca tells us that sloth is the Mother of poverty: the fruits and signs of the wicked men are comprised herein, as it was well observed of one, who said: In doing nothing, me●… lear● to do ill. Wicked men e●er walk frowardly, v. 12. But he that will be had in acceptation with the Lord, must be watchful over his own soul, to provide in time of prosperity for times of Afflictions, as one that provideth in times of plenty, for time of want▪ And such a person is compared to the A●t, i●… the 7.8. verses of this Chapter, which having no guide, nor overseer, nor ruler, provideth her meat in Summer,& gathereth her food in the Harvest, and therefore David speaking of the blessed estate of the Righteous, saith, Psal. 1.3. And he shall be like a three planted by the Rivers of Water, that bringeth forth her fruit in due season, and whatsoever he doth it shall prosper. But saith he, verse 4. The ungodly are not so, but they are like unto Chaff, which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the Iudgment, nor sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous, for the Lo●d knoweth the way of the Righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish: The Lord hates ungodliness, and the ways of sinners are abomination to the Lord, the Lord abhors sin, and more especially these sins mentioned in this Text of Scripture. A proud look, and a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent ●lood, a heart that deviseth wickedness, and feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that ●… weth discord amongst brethren: And that I ●… ay discover unto you the filthiness and odi●… sness of these sins, I shall here speak of them 〈…〉 their order as they are here situated, and presented to your view, that so I may plainly ●… ew you Gods indignation& hatred against ●… hem; and also Gods hatred against all sins whatsoever. God hates all manner of sin, and ●… t is odious unto him. Therefore I shall en●… eavour at this time to present to your view: 〈…〉 say first, the noisomeness and filthiness of ●… hese, and all manner of sin. And Secondly, ●… abour to present you with some few loving Exhortations to fly your sins, I mean to persuade you to hate your sins, as they are the very enemy of your poor souls. Nay, let me tell you, sin is that enemy that will destroy souls, it is that will cast you out of the savour and love of God. But first, The Lord hates a proud look, Prov. 24.4. A high look,& a proud heart,& the ploughing of the wicked is sin: It was well observed of Augustine, when he said, Pride Envy, and Impatience, are the three capital enemies of mans consta●cy. For consider, in the end the Lord will pull down high& lofty spirits, Psal. 18.27. But thou wilt save the afflicted people, and wilt bring down high looks. Consider this soul, if ever you intend to receive mercy at the hand of God: do not deceive yourselves, the Lord that made you looks upo●… you, and sees you, he beholds all the Inhabitants of the Earth, Psal. 33.14. He looked upon the Earth, and it trembled, Psal. 104.32▪ Secondly, A lying tongue the Lord hates, 〈…〉 lying tongue is but for a moment, Pro. 12.19▪ A poor man is better than a liar, Pro. 19.22. Lying is a most heinous and filthy sin,& much used now a days: through a lie Joseph was cast into Prison,& St. Chrysostom sent into Banishment: Cyrus once told the King of Arminia, that a lie deserved no pardon,& indeed the Scripture is very full to that purpose, Rev. 21.8. And all liars shall have their portion in that Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Consider beloved, here is the written Word of God against lies, he that speaketh lies shall not escape Thirdly, Hands that shed innocent Blood: That is also hateful, the Lord hates wicked and blood-thirsty men, Isa. 1.15. When you spread forth your hands, I will hid mine eyes from you▪ and when you make many prayers I will not hear, your hands are full of Blood: Hear this, all you that live in your Sins and wickedness, it is your Sins& Iniquity that defiles you& slains you with the blood of soul-murder,& so your hearts being full of iniquity, your hands are full of blood, Isa. 59.2.3 But your iniquities hath separated betwixt ●… ou and your God, and your sins hath hide his ●… ce from you, that he will not hear; your ●… ands are defiled wi●h blood, and your fingers●… ds with iniquity; your lips hath spoken lies, ●… nd your tongue hath uttered perverseness. Fourthly, A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, the Lord hates. Wicked imaginati●… ns are a fearful and wicked sin for persons to ●… i've in God destroyed the old world because of ●… hat very sin, when God saw the imaginations of the heart to be evil, and that continu●… lly, Gen 6.5. And God saw the wickedness of man, that it was great throughout the Earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of the heart was only evil continually: And it repen●ed the Lord that he had made man, and it grieved him to the heart. Therefore the Lord for that very sin destroyed the old world, as you may further see in the same Chapter, O therefore happy is the man that feareth always, but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief. Prov. 28.14. 5ly. The Lord hates Feet that are swift in running to m●schief. Saith Cicero, Where men do all that they will, they indeed presume to do that they should not, Ps. 94.20. Shall the Throne of iniquity have fellowship wi h the which frameth mischief by a law? and Prov. 1.16. For their feet run to evil, and make hast to shed blood, Prov. 11.27. He that dil●ge●tly seeketh good, procureth favour, but he tha●… seeketh mischief, it shall come unto ●im. Sixthly, A false witness that speaketh Ly●… the Lord hates, and such a one is an abominatio● unto the Lord, Prov. 19.5. A false wit●e●… shall not go unpunished, and he that speake●… lies shall not escape, Exod. 23.1. Thou sha●… not raise a false report, put not thine ha●… with the wicked to be an unrighteous wit●…ness, thou art commanded not to bear fals●… witness against thy Neighbour, Mat. 19.18. O consider, ye are guilty of the breath o●… Gods Commandements, that bear fal●e w●tness against your neighbours, and you commit abomination in the Eyes of the Lord. And lastly, He that soweth discord amongst brethren is abomination ●o the Lord. Consider this all you that are Tale-cariers,& meddlers of other Mens matters; Numb. 32, 23. Be sure your sin will find you out. And Solomon saith, A saithful witness will not lie, Prov. 14.5. Saith David, Whoso privily slandereth his Neighbour, him will I cut off,& him that hath a high look, and a proud heart, him will I not suffer, Psal. 101, 5. And thus you may see, beloved, that these sins are hateful and abominable to the Lord, and though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished, Prov. 11, 21. So that hence we may hear that all sin is hateful unto the Lord, and the Lord will se●… erely punish all Sinners that live and die in ●… heir Sins unrepented of: and now to apply ●… ease to our consid●rations, I shall as briefly ●… s I can speak to you from them. And first of all Pride of heart is spoken of ●… y the looks, Mat. 1●. 34. Ou● of the abundance ●… f the heart the mouth speaketh. The eye s●e●… ng, the heart conceiveth,& then the mouth ex●… resseth: Saith Augustine, A wanton eye is a ●… essenger of an unchaste heart, Luke 6.45. An ●… will man out of the evil treasure of his heart, ●… ringeth forth that which is evil, for out of ●… he abundance of the heart the mouth speak●th. Pride is often seen and heard in the word: Your words hath been stout against me, saith ●… he Lord, Mal. 3, 13. Proud Nebuchadnezzer ●… oasted himself in his words: saying, Dan. 4, 30. Is not this great Babylon that I ●ave built for the house of the Kingdom, and the honour of my Majesty. 2ly. Pride is seen in the actions, the Daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks, and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet, Isa. 3.16. Thirdly, Pride is seen in the Apparel and fashions of the times, and so Herod arrayed himself in go●g●●us Ap●arel, and Di●es was clad with fine linen and Purple, and fared deliciously every day. Beloved, consider, Go●… will call you to account for this sin of Prid●… and God will bruise you for it, if you do n●… repent of this your Pride. O that you wou●… but seriously consider this, all you that live 〈…〉 this sin of Pride! Whose eyes is it that n●… doth not drop down floods of water? Wh●… heart is it that is so hardened, that it will 〈…〉 be touched with this Hammer of the Word Sinners, if you continue and die in this 〈…〉 of Pride, what do you think will become 〈…〉 your precious souls, in the great day of t●… Lord, when this very sin shall be laid to yo●… charge, and you shall be Arraigned at the 〈…〉 of Gods Iustice for it: Sure if you do not r●…pent of this devilish S●n of Pride you may g●… down to eternal misery, with the Devil tha●… first invented it: Pride is the root and original of all other Sins, and the Devil was th●… first that ever committed it. Now look abo●… you Sinners, all you that live in drunkennes●… and proneness, and yet Pride your selve●… in these Sins: you that are Drunkards,& ca●… reckon and tell others what you have don●… in your drinking, how many Cups you drun●… at such a time together, and yet were no●… d●unken: and you saw such a man drunken, and such a man sick, and such a man you made your scorn and saughter at, because he could not endure to drink so much as you have done: and you have spent so much in Ale, and so ●… ch in Wine, and so much in Sack at one ●… ne; and have been in such and such compa●…, and have drunk this health, and the other ●… ith. Ah! poor souls, it will not be so with 〈…〉 when you come to appear before God, and ●… se things be laid to your charge, and you ●… aye to be tumbled down into eternal woe& ●… isery for ever: And also you that are swear●… s, that profane the Name of the Lord at ●… ery word, by your swearing; some there are ●… at are so ready in this sin, that they can hard●… speak without swearing an Oath, and yet ●… ill not be persuaded that they do swear at 〈…〉 to give any offence; either they say they 〈…〉 not swear so great oaths as others do, or ●… se they say it was but in their hast, and they ●… pe the Lord will not be offended for that, or ●… se they say many a better man, or many a ●… etter woman than they either are, or may be, hath sworn as great oaths as they have done, ●… e. But consider souls, the Scripture saith, ●… at. 5.34. Swear not at all. Now our blessed ●… aviour tells us more, v. 37. That whatsoever cometh o● more than yea. yea, and nay, ●… ay, is evil. Now consider this all you sinners, Zach. 5.3. Every one that sweareth shall be 〈…〉 o● off. Now here is a lesson for you that lo●e so much this sin of Swearing, God will meet with you either at one time or other, and will reward you and scourge you for it, Jer. 3, 10. saith the Prophet there, Because of Swearing the Land mourneth. And Mal. 3.5. there th●… Lord saith, he will come against, and be 〈…〉 swift witness against swearers& adulterers▪ O Consider this, God hath a perfect hatred against your sins, God hates thy sin& my sin, 〈…〉 every sin committed against him, and therefo●… it is good for every soul to look about to it●… standing; look about you, all you that are sinners, that are common drunkards& swearers adulterers, murderers, and back-biters, bastard-getters, liars, and profane persons atheists, and despisers of Gods people, for it is to you sinners that I speak unto, and it is to you only that God pronounceth his sort displeasure against, Rev. 1.8. But the fearful, and unbelieving,& abominable Murderers, and Whore-mongers, and Sorcerers, and Idolaters, and all liars, shall have a part in the Lake that burns with fire and Brimstone. Oh! consider unbelievers this dreadful sentence, you have here a portion prepared for you, but it is in misery, it is& will be a portion of misery, a portion of woe and of sorrow without measure, such a portion as will be everlasting: it is not for a day, or for a year, or for a 1000 y. but it is for ever, you shall endure weeping and wailing& gnashing of teeth forever in unmeasurable woe& misery: O sinners therefore if you have any space, if you have a●… care, if you be not so hardened in your sins ●… at you cannot repent take so muc● pains as ●… o return from your former ways and courses ●… nd repent; if you will but come with repent●… nce& godly sorrow for your sins, you shall in ●… o wi e be cast off, come unto God in the name 〈…〉 Iesus Ch●ist, beg pardon fo● your sins, come ●… ith a purpose and strong resolution to leave ●… our sins, and resolve to become new Crea●… ures, and though you should suffer for it ●… fflictions and scoffs of the wicked men of the ●… orld; yet come, though your friends should ●… and afar off, and though your kindred of near ●… elation should hate you for it, yet come, say ●… unto God, though thou kill me yet will I trust ●… n thee. Sinners, consider, if it were possible ●… ou could live the years of Methuselah, in as ●… reat pleasures as ever any man did live in, ●… n as perfect health as ever any man had, in ●… s great riches as ever Croe us had, and in as much honour as ever Solomon had; nay, if a man could enjoy the whole world at his pleasure, yet it is nothing, a thousand years are soon expired: But when you have been in hell millions of thousands, your punishment is never the nearer end, and your sorrows are never the less. Consider this, Oh all you liars that make it a practise to lie, and set debate and dissension amongst Brethren& Friends, all you that love this sin of Lying, and live it, to you I speak, the Lord hates your sin; Lying Tongue the Lord hates, Psa. 63.1. T●… mouth of him that speaketh lies shall be stop●… Psal. 40.4. Blessed is the man that maketh 〈…〉 Lord his refuge, and respecteth not the pro●… nor such as turn aside unto lies, Prov. 12.9. lying tongue is but for a moment. Oh sinner consider what profit have you in these thin●… you may be ashamed to appear before G●… your lies will one day throw you down 〈…〉 Hell without Repentance: what hope can 〈…〉 liar have, that hath this fearful Sentence p●…nounced against him? All liars shall ha●… their portion with unbelievers, in the lake t●… burns with fire and Brimstone: No one th●… worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, sha●… enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Conside●… this oh! all you that are common great liar and count it but a small sin to tell lies, yo●… lies, if you live in that sin, will undo your pr●…cious souls, your lies will turn again upo●… you, and witness against you: Lying was th●… Devils sin at the very beginning, and the Devil is the Father of all lies, John 8.44. Yo●… are of your Father the Devil,& the Lusts o●… your Father will ye do. He was a murdere●… from the beginning& abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him; when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is liar, and the Father of it; and indeed it hath ●… een oft in my thoughts, how great this sin of ●… king is at this day, and how little persons do ●… gard it: Is it not sad to see a time wherein ●… en bend their Tongue like a Bow to speak ●… es, Jer. 9.3. Oh souls, if you would but con●… der of it, it might make your hearts to ●… remble to think of that filthiness of this de●… ilish sin of lying, this soul-destroying sin that ●… aches you right the devils children, and fits ●… our souls for misery in hell for ever: consider ●… his you that are Parents, keep your children ●… p,& teach them to speak the truth, fo●e-warn ●… hem of evil, use the means God hath appointed you to use, instruct them in the fear of the ●… second, teach them to speak the truth, Prov. 22.6. Train up a child in the way that he should walk. and when he is old, he will not depart from it. I press this the more because that at this time, lying in a common sin with many especially amongst Children, little Children can learn to lie as soon as ever they can learn to speak, they can presently learn to excuse themselves by making lies to their Parents. Beloved, lying is a sin from the beginning, it was the very first branch that ever sprung from Pride, the Devil first Prided himself,& then by founding a lie, overthrew our first Parents in Paradise, therefore my desire is that all that hear or reads this small B●… leave this Sin of Lying, learn to speak eve●… man the Truth, and forsake the way of lyin●… Ephes. 4.15. O consider Sinners, Sweare●… Drunkards proud Persons, Thieves, a●… Murderers, you that are such Sinners, yo●… hands are full of blood: the Devil first out 〈…〉 pride caused a branch of lying to spring up, a●… so o●ercame our first Parents, and murde●… their souls: For man being creat●d in Im●…cency his blood was innocent but through 〈…〉 delusions of Satan, transgressing the Co●…mandment the Lo●d had given him to obser●… he made him liable to death, and murder●… himself and his Posterity: beloved, no Sinn●… can be innocent, Psal. 5.6. Thou shalt destr●… them that speak leasings, the Lord will ab●… the bloody and deceitful man. Consider this 〈…〉 you worldly rich men, you that are outwar●…ly rich, but poor in Grace: Isaiah cries out●…gainst you, Isa. 3.15. What mean you that y●… beat my people to pieces, and grinned the fac●… of the poor? saith the Lord of Hosts. Conside●… this all you that care not so you can get gai●… if the poor starve: you covet after the Worl●… as if it were your rest, and for ought I kno●… it may well become your portion here& her●…after it may bring you down to misery. O souls! For the Lords sake consider yo●… that are thus bloody minded, you have a grea●… share in this Iudgment, blood defileth both ●… ou and the Land wherein you Inhabit, Num. ●… 5.33. bloody persons shall not live out half ●… heir dayes. O Sinners, that you would but ●… eriously consider this; if thou be a Wicked ●… erson, but it may be that though thou be a ●… ommon profane Sinner, thou wilt acknow●… dge no less, but that thou hast been drunk, ●… r that thou art subject to swear now and then ●… n Oath; but happily thou( ●t may be) wilt say ●… how never committed murder in all thy life, ●… ou art not a murderer, thou art not guilty ●… f such a Sin, thou art free from murder, and ●… ree from blood. But I tell thee soul; while ●… how livest in any known Sin, thou art a ●… urderer of thy own soul; doth not the Scrip●… ure say, no unrighteous person shall enter ●… unto Heaven; doth not our Saviour Christ say ●… hat except you repent, you shall all likewise ●… erish; and he that believeth not, is condemned already: How canst thou conclude then, ●… ut that thy soul is murdered, and who is the ●… urderer but thyself? Consider this all you ●… hat be outside Christians, formal and outward Professors; and all you that have evil ●… earts to device wicked imaginations, con●… ider you that imagine deceit all the day long, Gen. 5.6. Therefore consider this Sin is ●… ateful, and how this sin doth accord with all other sins, any rational man may well co●…ceive. The Lord help us to be watchful over o●… own hearts: And let me advice you to t●… one thing, to strive to cast down every wi●…ed Imagination, and every high Though●… 1 Cor. 10.5. Let none imagine evil agai●… his brother in his heart, Zach. 7.10. 〈…〉 none imagine deceit all the day long, but 〈…〉 every one labour and strive to the utterm●… of their power to endeavour to do that w●… is good and upright in the sight of God. ●…gain consider: You whose feet are swift 〈…〉 running to do mischief, God may in due ti●… meet with you in your wickedness: M●… it not be cause of great sorrow, and mourni●… to see how forward some persons are at t●… very day, to run to any manner of Sin: 〈…〉 Drunkard, how forward he is to run to 〈…〉 Tavern, the Gamester to the Game he 〈…〉 delighteth in, the Swearer he proceeds on 〈…〉 his ordinary course of Swearing: and 〈…〉 liar he abounds more and more in his de●…lish practise, and every Sinner in maki●… way for his Sin, and excusing himself the●… in, Prov. 10.23. It is sport for a Fool to 〈…〉 mischief. Wicked persons delight so much in m●…chief, that it is a sport for them to do mi●…chief, it is their delight, therefore they run to 〈…〉, Prov. 14.9. Fools make a mock at sin, but ●… ong the Righteous there is favour. Consider you also that bear false Witness ●… ainst your Neighbour, by your Lying and 〈…〉 your speaking evil: you also will the Lord ●… ve a controversy with, your Sin also doth ●… e Lord hate, and you also will he reward ●… cording to your doings Num. 32.25. Be ●… re your Sin will find you out, God will have 〈…〉 controversy with you, and you shall not ●… scape. You are commanded not to bear ●… lse witness, yet you do it, and it may be you ●… o it against your Neighbour too, and when ●… ou thus do break the Lords Commandement, ●… ou are sowers of discord amongst brethren. ●… xod. 20.16. And the Lord will reward you or your evil: 1 Cor. 3.8. Every man shall ●… eceive his reward according to his doings. Beloved, I would desire you seriously to ●… onsider it, the Lord hates Sin, and every ●… also way is abomination to him, and there●… ore my advice is, that you would strive and ●… abour to avoid Sin, as your utter Enemy; ●… nd as it is the Enemy of your souls, and in ●… he end will destroy you for ever, God ●… ends his Servants, the Ministers of the Gospel unto you, to warn you of your Sins. ●… er. 44.4. How be it, saith he, I sand unto you my Servants the Prophets, Rising ea●… and sending them, saying, O do not this abominable thing. Beloved, Sin is an abomin●…ble thing, and therefore I would desire t●… Sin might be beaten down, and as it we trodden under foot. Oh have nothing to 〈…〉 with any Sin, it is the very enemy of yo●… poor Souls: And now Christian Friends, 〈…〉 humbly desire you, that you will accept 〈…〉 these few loving Exhortations, which I sh●… here lay down, and so conclude. First, Seeing that Sin is that which t●… Lord hates, and that which will without t●… Lords mercy destroy your precious souls, 〈…〉 you labour to destroy your Sin, hate S●… with a perfect hatred: when any Sin presen●… itself unto you in a fair Garb, consider wh●… the wise man saith, Prov. 14.34. Sin is a Reproach to any Nation. Consider and pond●… and say thus to thyself: If Sin be a repro●… to any Nation, then if I commit Sin it w●… danger the life of my precious Soul: Say a●… the Prophet David said, in Psal. 101.6. Mi●… eyes shall be upon the faithful in the Lan●… that they may dwell with me. He that wal●…eth in a perfect way▪ he shall serve me. C●… off all manner of Sin, let not Sin reign i●… your mortal Bodies, let not Sin rule ov●… you: Sin is as it were a Cart-rope to d●a●… you to Destruction, Isa. 5.18. Oh therefore 〈…〉 watchful and forsake your Sins, count ●… em your utter Enemies, give no way nor ●… erty to Sin, Prov. 1.10. My Son, if Sin●… rs entice thee, consent not. O that every ●… inner would turn so to this Scripture con●… nt not to commit sin upon any terms, let no ●… ticem●nts prevail with you, to commit ●… in. Consider in what estate man was at the ●… rst, Created in Paradise, and then consider ●… hat estate man was in having fallen. First, Consider what estate man was in at ●… he first: at the first Man was Created in the ●… mage of God perfectly holy and happy, Gen 〈…〉 .27. A most blessed and a happy estate, where●… n a man might enjoy the presence of God, and ●… ommunion with God, and perfect liberty in Paradise, a most blessed place, free from sor●… owe, free from across, or loss a place of peace, wherein a man might freely enjoy every ●… hang but Sin; but having once Sinned, he ●… old not enjoy any thing at all, he must be ●… ast out, he could not enjoy the place itself. Secondly, Consider what estate Sin made man in, it made him dead in it, Gen. 2.27. In the day thou ●atest thereof thou shalt die the Death, Man in his first estate by creation, was a living soul, verse 7. but having Sinned. he became dead in Sins and Trespasses. But I cannot stand upon this point, to she●… you how man became a bond-slave to Sata●… and a Child of Wrath, &c. But must proceed. Secondly, Love a very good and holy W●… frequent the company of Gods people, labo●… ever to be in company with such as fear th●… Lord: for with the holy thou shalt be holy, 〈…〉 with the Perverse thou shalt learn pervers●…ness. Consider, That God h●th chosen his Pe●…ple in Iesus Christ, that they should be ho●… Ephes. 2.4. God is a holy God, and therefo●… Holiness becometh his house, and his people 〈…〉 Learn therefore, saith Christ of me, for I a●… meek and lowly, and you shall find rest f●… your souls, Mat. 11.22. Thirdly, Forsake evil Companions, 〈…〉 Drunkards, Swearers, Whore-mongers 〈…〉 and Adulterers, B●anglers, liars, and Idolaters, and every one in whom appears ev●… forsake Pride and proud persons, 1 Thes. 5▪ 22. Abstain from all appearances of evil, hav●… nothing to do with sin, but flee from it a●… from the Devil, k●ll it in every appearance, and constantly hate it. Fourthly, Dally not with any bosom Sin that you are in love with, it may be you have some Sin wherein you delight, but though it he so cast it away, have nothing to do with it: if it be as dear to you as your right eye, ●… uck it out and cast it from you: Yea, if it be 〈…〉 useful to You as your right hand, cut it off ●… d cast it from You. Mat. 5.29.30. Lastly, To conclude, Close with Iesus ●… hrist, put on the Lord Iesus Christ, and ●… ache no provision for the Flesh, Iesus Christ 〈…〉 a comely Garment, O therefore embrace ●… im, that he may embrace You: Lay hold on ●… esus Christ; and though thou hast grievously ●… fended, do so no more, Rev. 2.5, Remember ●… om whence thou art fallen, and repent, and ●… ome home to God in the name of Jesus Christ ●… nd be humbled before him: Sin no more lest 〈…〉 worse thing befall thee. Strive to enter in ●… t the strait Gate, that shall led thy soul to ●… verlasting happiness, and bring thee unto ●… even in the end, where there is pleasure un●… efiled, and Ioy unspeakable, World with●… ut end. Amen. THE author TO THE READER Redeem the time while thou hast space, Only to God for pardon pray; Give him thy heart, and beg his Grace, Ever to guide thee in his way: Repent and seek him everyday. Hate Sin, and every evil thing, Only upon thy God depend, Unto him that is Heavens King Give praises due, world without end, He'● save thy soul, and thee defend. From Old Alderley in Cheshire, Sept. 29. 1660. FINIS.