grateCounfelr a The things thatareeuill, and grieuevs, to far aswe fee themwithgriefe, hurtvs not. Threerulesto 3 Seeingawoman lamentingfor thefinnes of the people, hefaydvntoher, (not pur- trie ourfarrom poling to caufeher to ceafe from fogood an a&ion , butadmonifhing herto looketo her forthefamesofaffe &ions) you Ihallwelitrii your heart,laid bee, ifthis forrow for lione befirft bredfor , othermex. your owñe finne,, andfromyourIdleproceedeto the finnes of others. Againe,thetnca- ,, fareof yourmourningmuff beagreeable, and proportionableto the finne. Laftly, your 3 griefe muft fo befor the perfon,as you maybemoued rathertopitie and prayfor him,thert to hateand defpifehim: 4 That is true furrow and griefe for finne, whichneither canby outward pleafuresbe ftdllen away, norby continuance of time betaken fromvs, but onelyin Chrtft, í Becaufegreat, naturali and worldly forrow and ioy, will caufea-man to breake his fleepeatmidnight, he would triehtmfelfe whether forrow for finne, or ioy in faluation had castled him co dothe like. Trial ofoar 6 His greatefforrowwas,when hefpake ofTomegood thing,thatwasnot inhimfelfe, joyes. and thegreateft ioyhehadwasinthecontrary. 7 As bynature ncc arelong and liard tb be brought to begrieurdfor finne: fo being Twee:zremi- once downe,we are hard toget vp, and to rifeoat of oùrgriefe againe. Fortwo extremr- tiesofioyahsd es attend vponvs ; the one tobegrieuedand feared too little ; the other, to be grieued ferroro. and feared too much: the one makesvi fecure, and the otherdeadand dull. Toaneete with thefetwo, it is good intime of ioy tothinke what iudgements Isaac befallen vs here- tofore,what maybefall vs hereafter. In timeof humbling weareto confider what mercies we hauereceiued,and what mercies are fcoredvp, and tarrie forvs againe : and furely,no onething makes griefe moretowalevs,than theforgetfulnesofGods merciespaft,and doubtfulnes ofGodsmercies tocome : and nothingBothmore ftrengthenOur new temp- tations,thanthe forgetfulnes ofGods iudgements paft,andthecarelefnefleofthem that are to come. Thoughmercies fucceedmercies,yet thelea ofGodsmercies is neuer drawne drie, ifwee Jaime hóldof them by ourfaith and former experience. Hardnesáfheart. He caufe why mens hearts are hardened nowadaies,maybee this inpart, be- caufetheyfee as greatgifts oflearning, tongues, andciuill life inPapifts, and heretikes, as in Gods true feruants. Euenas the caufeof Pharaohs obftinacie wasthis,that beingwilling to be deceased bee would notobey the Lord, be- caule other Sorcerers in /Egypt coulddoe (as hethought) asgreat mattersas Afofesand Aaron. a To one that complained of hardnesof heart, helaid :You muft waitefor comfort, and know,that youcan now no more judgeofyour felfe, thana man fleepingcan iudgc ofthings whichbeedid waking : or a thanwandring in the darke can difcerne of bright Simile. colours :for as the one maywhalehe waketh doeexcellent things,and yet nowneither he himfelfeknoweth of them, norany other canepicthem thhim : and theother may bea- mong flowers,& for wantof liglst,can IssuenovieofIsis eyes,norplealure in theobie&s: fo youbane done greatgooctthings whileft God gave youa waking heart to putdiem in pra&ife,and thelight of hisfpirit todifcerne his graces inyou, thoughnow youhauenei- ther thefight nor fenfe ofthem: And thisis the thingwhich deceiuethand difquietethma- ny :they looke for that difcerningof themfelues (when in them Gods graces weremore oppreffed) whichthey had when Gods fpirit wrought in thefweeteft and fulleft meafure in them : and becaufethere is fume intermiflon oftheworke ofnew birth,they thinke it is a flatWulf-son indiem ofthe fpiritof God. Butas it is a token ofa minde too prefumptu- ous and infatuated,in time ofdead fecuritie, toperfwade our felues frill of that fafetie,for bauingchofe graces which lometime wee had : fo it is a figneof aminde abie&,and too much defpayrmto thinke thatbecaufe that we haue not men prefent feelingofthole ioyes,glortousand vnfpeakeablewhich wehauehad; thereforeweneuer, hadthemhereto fore,or chat we thall neuer Issuethem againehereafter. î Admonifhing
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