Book 11. G®ar lbttl) :;!Ctbils. Chap.4.Sect.;. ------------------~ I know not any that fear GQd, but in fomc meafur~ or other, they have felt this 8 ,/ron ;" his a!fault. Ble!fed Mr. Bolton could fay, If S~tan, mett with a m•n, that by t~e grace of difcourfe of God i1 alre•<iy emml' into aft m of regeneracy, then be jlandi lik$ a grt•t red Dra•on <ru< happinefs la rht way , and cajli out of bit mntth fioodr_ ofP;rfewtion , vexationt, and opp~jitioni , that fo he may over-whtlm and cmjh hzm bifore he com1 to an)'growth or ftrength in Chri<; and to thill end be [eti on fi>ot •nd fire too; ami ,.,beu ,.ith ks<n Razari ma• .ry lerr;d and propbam tonguu , to fcoff, difgrace, and difcourage him in , hi1 narrow 1 bl<i blcffed paJJageto immortallity: But how do they do it! why either by reproacher, flanderf, cxprobration of hit fermer life, orbyodiouf namuof bypocritt, jinguiarift, Pu– rit•n 1 a feliow of irregular co»fcienct, aud jlirring humour, •f a falliotif ami crmtra– dWioltf fririt, and }itch lilt!- Nor is it thus only at firfi entrance, but ever after, for fo he goes on ( Every faitbf..UCbrijlian lzn'"'' bygood,xeperience, tbat M he(hall ftir in a good caufc, jf..wi againfl the corruptionJ of the place where ht livu, or Jif ch~rge bit "calli~tg with con{cience •nd fairhfuiJteji, that prefently he jhall have the Jpirit of pr>pbanemji tofly in bif f•ce with bmitijh and implacablemalice ~nd i»folency . So trJte ir • Tim.3.u,u 1bt of tbe Apoftle .e Anuoch,at lconium,41 Lyftra,Iendtmdperfect<tionn yea, 8 ndall that will live godly iu Chrijt Jefur, [halt foff'ir perfeCKtion. SECT. I 11. . Of mr •~reftling with Satan at totbii a,[fazsh. I N repelling thefe a/faults, confider we the kinds of perfec~tion wherewithSatan affaults; 1t is either in word, or in deed. 1o 1f it he only in word, JSraunts, jeers, reproaches,th<n practice thefe rules.- r. Take heed that we be not hindred in our way, or break off our profetlion of Re– lii?ion becaufe of reproach; wlm though there be ti!th.cafi in the way, !hall we decline uur way? though Clouds do •nfe, a~d darkwtbe bght of the Sun, does the Sun ccafe in its cour!C becaufe it is dukned? N0, no, it goes on fii\1, and anqn it bre•ks forth; (o !hould we go on and fay, I l;.new tbii way would be cLudy, I entred into it upon tbefe te~mt to be williug to foffer rtproacbti; tbi1 i1 Gods ordinary W"J towardi bii people, a11d I expillyugreater tryali than tke[e. IJ i ••ha in 2. Conudcr, how is God -nd Chrifi reproJcheJ daily 1 how is the Majefiy, Sov<raignl'fa 122. ty, and Authority ,of God contemned in the world' how are the dreadful threatnings ; ~~r:'h p~t: of God ,and the Rniclation dGods•wrath fcorned in the world ?this m1de nLutb<rto fay, n~rl~~s ~t,he' No 7'!faN w 6ble to be.., fo much contempt 11< Chriji be.ri daily ; and Bolton to !ay, If ""Yilletl;. Gofpel would JPirit jh,u/d fit but "" h•mr in the 'Throne of Gotl Almighty, and jhou/d look._ down up– want one of. on the earth, 11< God dath continuJI/y, he wnu!d lfndozebted!y in tbe next h•ur Jet all thennr/J ~~c b•~gt• ot on fire and not fitjfe>· hi1 wrath tJ 6e pacified, or tbefiretobe qumched; be thou then for inElg~~~ thce~ng. ever ajh~~med to t4i<,t on, or to hre.1k_ patio:ce for tvery trivialprovGcation. Oh what be our office; were names to Gods name? ot what are the reproaches of a creature, to the reproaches, <hry not thus difhor.our, aI'd villifyingof God' reproachfully 3 . Confider the great mercy of God in concealing the fecret fins of our thoughts' ~~'~/n':,~art there are none fo innocent, but if God !hould turn the infide outwards, and difcover all which belongs the filth and bafeneiS within the heart to the world 1 certainly it wol\\d make thema– to the tJ UC~i· fharncd of the tociety of mw. Now if God conceal thefe, well may this quiet our heartS, n;fl;r. 1 of <hcb when troubled for any reproach: It is a great work of nature to keep the filth of the Go.pc . to e b d h , , . f b . r, h r . - f G d followeel by o y, w en 1t JS 1n a man, rom emg un avoury toot ers, 10 1t IS agreat mercy o o fuch blackto keep the filth of the foul, though 11 be uH!avoury to God, from that unlavourinefs toot mou•hed Lnc· it might be to men. [1~l-i~';i;~~~[ 'I· Cnnfidtr what honour God .hath put, an:l will put up~n us, befide tJ~ * ho. fpccches are nour of reproa(b 1t fdf: Hath not the Lord bee11 pka~td to bnng us 11110 the honouta– ro far their blc dlate of fons and daughters ? Hath he not put h1s r;lory upon our fowls, and ho' friends as to noured us by thot near relation we have to Chrll ? Hath he not honoured us in the hearrs· ~ccp '\'cm ot his Saint's , men of precious fpirits, who know much of Gods mind, who are a· ;,~,%:~!;be ble to }udge wherein true excelkncy confifls? when Doer, re_proached David with """J'" when devo11ring b1fe words in Sau/i Court, yet Davidbk!fed himfelt in thJ>,But/ Amlikt a aUmtn {peak green Olive tree in the ho11Je of my Ged, !fa. 52 8. q. d. 1:;oeg flourifheth in the <:=ourt, and "''-~of~·· - my name may be b!alkd there, but in the houfe ot my God my name 1s preciOus f.:; ;,;t;,:%:n -~ am there as a t~rceo Olive trc~. Befid~s, what honour bath the Lord provided for usIll
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