396 APPENDIX. 



the fountain that should wash us, to defile the 

 salutary waters of affliction, to prophane the holy 

 fires of God's furnace, and to pass through the 

 fire to Moloch, to some reigning and domineering 

 sin, some tyrant lust, or mistress-passion. Cor- 

 rection without instruction, this is the scourge of 

 asses, not the discipline of men, nor the rod of 

 the sons of men. To suffer much, and not to be 

 at all the better for it, it is certainly one of the 

 saddest portions that can befal us in this world ; 

 if not the foreboding and prognostic of a far sadder 

 yet to come, the very beginnings of hell here, the 

 foretastes of that cup of bitterness, of which the 

 damned suck out the dregs. 



And wilt thou, after all this, hide the sweet 

 morsel under thy tongue, when thou sensibly per- 

 ceivest it already turning into the gall of asps? — 

 Still long for the delicious portion consecrated, 

 and snatch it greedily from God's altars, though 

 thou seest thy fingers burn, and thy nest on fire 

 with it? — Still retain the old complasence in thy 

 sparkling cup, though thou feelest it already biting 

 like a serpent, and stinging like an adder? — Say 

 still, * Stolen waters are sweet, though like those 

 bitter ones of jealousy, thou perceivest them carry 

 a curse along with them into thy very bowels? 

 fDare we thus provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are 

 we stronger than He? J Gird up now thy loins 

 like a Man, thou stoutest and gallantest of the sons 



* Prov. ix. 17. t 1 Cor. x. 22. t ^oh, xxviii, 3. 



