Bolton - Houston-Packer Collection BV824 .B65 1634

andperpetud.!l quide. and £landers, .to di(couragc.Gods child, and to ' r fiop his courfc i11 thewayes of righteoufneffe; · and in laying dONI}e fome comforts againfl: them: becaufe thoufands.,at the v~ry firll: cntrance,or a.f- . ter fome fmall continuance, are wofullytmned . backe from grace,and finceritie,.by temptations, •rcproaches,~nd troubles ray fed again!l them; by ' their owne rebellious flefh , Sathan, ·and pro- . phane men. · . 9' . Now,.in a ninth place, if all this will doe no. ' good ; if rhe heat o.f perfecution inflame the zeale of the true Chriftian ;. ifreproaches andaf.. fl.iil:ions be fo farrc from dauming and dulling hi.s:forwardneffe, that they fe·t an edge upon his affeCtions, and adde fi:rength tohi~ refo.lution, in, Satan hinders the working of theWord,by fpir~ual. Pridc; · . proceeding in theglt>rious fiate 0fChrill:ianirie:. . . Why then; the lafl: fleight and temptationof Sa- : than,to hinder the fanetifying p0wer and ·fucceffe j o~the Word;and to rnakoit fruitlelfc and unpro~ ' fitable, is fpirituall Pride; which, by his ma!ici- : · ous cunning, and helliib'Aichymie, bee extra6ts .: ·even. out of his graces and vertues; out of fuch : fw<.'et H0wers,he r;tyfes poyfo.n: an.d lirh he can- :· not keepc goodneffe Lltterlyout of the foule, he ·. · ufesit'felfe as an infirument,towcakcn & ~vound ; it felfe. For wben a man is moJr endued and eo- · · riched with exrraordiharic g-ifrs,h{9lygraees,_and . fpirin1all ihengrn; Sathan feekes mofl: bMily to :– make himprood of them-, and to puffe him up ;with an o~e.r-we~r'i1ng cotlceir of his owne worth; . ·t t?hat fo tumfelf~ r11ay lofe the .conlfort of'them~ . .his.brethren. the fruit of rhcm,and God the-glory ·; 1 ' of · ' ' I, • . t ~

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