doth God know it? is there knowledge in the most high? And so depart from the presence of God, as Cain and his posterity, & Nimrod & his followers, &c. setting afterwards their actions, as (before,) their mouthes (as David saith) against Heaven.
Or they relie on their owne wisedome, and forsake God the fountaine of living waters, and dig to themselves pits, even broken pits which will hold no water. They account the preaching of the Crosse foo∣lishnesse, which is the power of God for the salvation of them that be saved. As for their owne wisedome (for so they esteeme it) God turnes it into follie.
Or they follow the il examples of their fathers, so that when their fathers have forsaken Iehovah, and walked after other Gods, &c. They doe worse then their fathers; and walk every one after the stub∣bornnesse of their owne hearts.
Or so addict themselves to pleasure and volup∣tuousnes, as that they cannot come to the heaven∣ly banquet of salvation, according to his answer, I cannot come. So the wicked before the flood (Noah being the preacher of righteousnes to them) ate, dranke, maried and gave in mariage: and so will they do before the generall day of judgement, neg∣lecting the call of Gods preachers: till destructi∣on sweep them away, as it did the old world.
Or, they suffer the cares of the world, and the de∣ceitfulnes of riches to choak the good seed of the word, and forsake the feast of salvation made readie, for to goe after their farmes, and oxen and matters of profit.
Or, when persecution comes, because of the Gospell, they are offended, and suffer the seed of God, for want of deepe rooting to wither, &c.