Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

Of Efeflion. ~ his own; and fo is provoked to pity and velicve him. Tho like you have 1 BooK VI. Cor, 1 o, 13. 110 Temptaltoll /;,llh takm l'Ott: They llad fain into Grofs !ins; ye[ ~ he calls them by the name of Temptauons. '• And the reafon is, as becaufe he is the God of a!J Graa, and loves our Perfons; which makes him to.account !in,, (which is our grearell real mifery) fo it cau(eth h1m to look upon 11 as 'us a m1fery to us, whom he loves. Shall I fay more than he hates !in? I may fay rather than as it is a !in again!\ him– ft!f; efpecially when he .confiders how much, and how it is occa!ioned by Sa– tall, that hurnes on to a, 2. As alfo becaufc his Grace , that is wrought in our Hearts, (which is but a drop to what is in him, ) caufeth our felves w l?ok upon our !ins , and Cor– ruptions, and Temptauons, as our greatell mlfenes: Do you know the Heart of him that cned out, and fatd, 0 miferable Mall that I am! who )ball de– liver meJ A.nd why,and whereupon fa id he it? Even for havingbeen held cap– tive Why fhould I enlarge upon a Pomr, wh1ch all the Samrs wtth one coofent will give their verdid: in upon experience ; who ufe to look upon every T emp· tarion, the next which they fear to fall into, or be call into, with as dread tu! an eye, a1 a Man that is apt to Fevers, and Agues, cloth upon the next Fit that is like to come upon him. And this affords to us great, and high confolation : For then it follows t·hat our fins and infirmities under Temptations, and Sattm's hand, do move God to pity us, and help, in point of pronenefs to, or falling into fin, more than under any other mifery that can be/a) us: Why? For they are the great· e!t miferies( which his Children have) even in his eye, who is their Father. Well might Paul fay, who jhatl 6e againj/ m, if God 6e for m? For if fins, as'\hey are T emptations and Miferies, do move God for us, what is it elfe can be again!\ us? Of Envy, it is faid, that it is more fierce than wrath or anger; Prov, 2 7• 4· Wrath io cr11el, and A11ger u outragioll4; 6ul who io a6/e to flmtd afore tn· vy ? Wrath bath Crimes, and Injuries ufually for its Objed: to incenfe it; which yet the confideration of fame goodnefs, or worth in the Perfon, may allay, and turn away the fiercenefs of: But Envy, having for its Objed:, other Mens worth and excellencies , the greater they are, and the higher their plea is for a Man, the mare cloth envy fwell. Butthe contrary is in God, by rea– fon of his love and Grace to us: Ifhis love is pleafed to account our fins through Temptations, our greatefi mifery, fo as he is aftlid:ed in all much more than we, a poor battered, humbled, bruifed !inner, a Child of God's, whom he bath fo loved , and fo long, coming and crying out to God again!\ his fins, and /hewing him his wounds, and fares that feller; this moves all that is in God, who is a Godof all Grace, to this kind refolution, I havF fan hu ways, a11d l will heal him. I ask,how lhall an'y thing be able to !land up,againll fuch a Soul? What will become of Satmls Accufations againft fuch an one? or his renewed alfaults, though again, and again, they prevai) ? The Grace of God towards him will break his Hearragain,and bring him in again: And Chrift,he will llrike in, and intercede for his relloring, when fain; And then for his Pardon, when rellored: And in the end, God will give more Grace to over– come, asis promifed in the Text. After ) 'O" havF fujftreda while, tht God of all Gract by .7ef:uCbrifl, jhall f/rmgtbm, makt yo~ perfdt: And where is Jm,m then ; And what IS become of all hiS Tempia!ions? Another Encouragement concerning rhefe fufferings is , that they are faid to 'E q. ~.:1be accomplijhed, or perf'er1ed, in all the Brothrfhood in tht 1-f!orld: There "'·'" ""' muft be fame great thing in this, importing this to be a matter wherein God drives on a glorious, nnd mighty defign, .which he bath to a_ccomp!tjb and perfetJ: And that 'tis a General, and an umvcrfal one, wherem every Same in the World hnth a lhare ami lot. There

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