Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

i: ioolcJng unto :Jefm. · Booi V, xr55 thou art my Father ; was I ever in want, and thou didft not relieve ' me? was 1 ever in weakneJT~ , and thoH didft not ftrengthen me? wJU I ever in ftraits, ,4nd thou dtdH not deliver me ? was 1 ever in fic /zyef[e, and thou didft not cure me f was I eve~ in mifery, and thou didft not fuccour me? haft thou not been agrac;ous God to me? all my b.~nes Ci4tl fay , who islik_e lfll tO thee L ord, who is like unto thee? and fh,dl I thtu and thus rew.trd the Lord for all his mercyes towards me ? heare 0 heavens, ancl heark!;n 0 earth ; Sun ftand thou fhll, and t ho;~ A1o?ne be thou amaz..ed tit this ! heare Angelr, and hetllre devils ; hellre heaven, .1nd heare hel~, find be rou ~tvenged on fuch a fin .u this is!Othe fi l!lfulmf{e ofmy fin m regard ofthefe many circun')- · fiances ! 3. We muft condemneour felves, or paife a fentence againft our own fouls: Lerd, the worft _place in hell is toogoodfor me; Lord here is my foul, thou mayft if thou pleafeft fend Satan for it, and givt me a portion among the aamnetl. This felfe-judging, or felfe-condemning is ~xemplified to the life in Ez..ra ; forI . He fell on his kpen; he did n?t bow dGwn his knees, but Ezra 9 . 1• like a man aftoniihed he fell on hts knees; he had before rent his garment, and mantle, and pluckt off the haire of his head and off his beard, and fate down aftoniihed; and now at the evening ' facrifice he falls on his knees, and on the ground in great amazement. 2. He JPread BUt hu hAnds unto the Lord. q. d. here is my breft, Vcr. 5· and here is my heart-blood, I fpread my arme~ , and lay all open, that thou mayll fcc the naked poynt of thy fword of ju£U:e at my very heart. · · 3 . He is dumbe, and fpeechleife (as it were) before the Lord ; And nowO ourGgd, what fhalt we fay after all this.< for we have Ver, Io; forfakjn thy commandemems. q. d. ihall I c:xcufe the matter? alas! it isinexcufab!e; what ihall we fav after all this? ihall we ca!Horthypatience? weilave had it, but how did we abufe it ? ibould we call for mercy ? indeed we had it, but our ilub~ borne hearts would never c-ome down: 0 our God what ihall we fay? I know not what to fay, 'for we have finned againft thee. 4· He !ayes down hi~ foul, and all the people3fouls at Gods feet q. d. here we are, thou mayfr damne us if thou wilt, Behold ' H hh h h h h 2 we

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