l 116 A' profitable Expofition 6. PETITION. generalitie in my opinion contenteth not euery mart : for oftentimeswhen a manrconfefeth the generall,nametr that the Lordbyaduerfity /warmth his chüdré,yetfaileth be in the particu- tar, and loóking at his owne of ate entreth intofeme feare,thatyet not in fuch andfuch afort hecdealethpitharybutwhom he bath calloff; And therefore in my opinion itfhouldnot beamifetoder, esethégenerall into partiexlars,andtoJhewfomefeueralttryalsoft/ kind, with their comforts or examples out of the wordofGod. AfiE!ioutin- Let it bee fo fi nee th at contenteth you. And then taking this courfe, let vs re- W4rdor out - member thatthefe things are either inward in the foule & confcience,or outward ward, inbodie,goòds, children, friends, fame, and fuchlike. Of the inward(peaketh_ with no little vehemencylob,whenhe faith: The arrows ofthe almighty are inme ,the, 74,6.4. ve iomewhcrofdoth dr: k.op rfyfpirit, &the terrors ofgod fight againft me. For heerby . ' he declareth that heevás not only of 1idted in body, but wounded in confcience, Howtoknow which is the greaten battaile the faithfull can haue. Now of the inward confliets, our eleetaif the greatmaine äne is, when a man or woman falleth into feare, & faintings con - weebe temp_ cerning eledion,doubting in themfelúes, after Tome fort, leafs they belong not tcd with:any therunto,& therfore let vs make this our beginning,yet (peaking but briefly of it doubt (fit. hecaufe many haue handled the poynt right well. Knowe wee then our comfort heerin if the Lord euer pleafc to try vs thus,Eleetion is a thing reuealed by Reps, andwhofocuerwill finely and fafely finde it out, muakeepet efame. For as it were amadne ire ifIdefiredtoclimbealadder, tofeeketofetmyfooteatfirftwp- pon the highcft flep, fo fhall it bee if I feekeout my eleftion fin i before I looke unto other things. And as there the higheft Dep is truely troad vpon at the laft, ifI begin at thelowefl, and fo goe vpward : fo is eletioncertainely found ifwec keepe the like order. Thisfpirituáll ladder then tlandeththus. Whom the Lord elefleth before all time, them doth bee ewer call in time,either at morning, at the ninth leífáon:; houre ,orcleuenthhoure,orfomehoure. Then Whom her calleth, themdothbee, iuf ife ,thatis,whomheeeffeftuallycalleth : Whom heiuffifutb, them dothhefancii- 7Jocatoon. fie and whom hefan`lifeth,themdoth heglorifie. So now then iflwould come to my, lufláfcation. eleftion, andconfequentlymyglorification which is the higheft Rep, and is in San 1sfiicat:oo heauen with God, then mull I begin at thelowell fteppe, to wit. Sanftification. which is inmyfelf e and afcend thus: IfI bee fanftified,theniuflified, ifiulbfied,; then called, ifcalled, then elefted, and fo farre to bee glorified. Ourfanftifica- tion euery one ofvs knoweth, feeleth, and findeth, and how truely it carrieth Iohn.15 with it a note of Gods Childe, chofen in time to inherite heauen. Marke the 4 Scriptures. Asthebraunch (fayth our fauiour Chris) cannot beare fruitofitfrlfe, S. except it abide in thevine, no more can jee exceptyeabide in me. I am the vine, yeeare thebraunches, hee that abideth in me and l inhim, thefame bringeth forth much fruit, for withoutmeeyee can doe nothing. Heere you fee a coniunftion comfortable, name -, ly, of holy fruitesand COI ll, of fruitfull braunches and thevine, Co that if the Lord hauewrought this bleired worke in vs, that wee aredead to finne and alum to righteoufnelre, then are wee in him and heein vs, yea, euen Co Cutely as it is certaine that the bearing bough is flot broken fromthe tree, which if it were, it coulde not beare. Ir is a maruailous proofeto vs ofthis good, therefore marke Rom.B,r, it well. The Apofileagaine faith, There isNO condemnation to them that areín ChrsIESVS. Yea; but who bee thofe ? See what followeth. Which walkenot afterthefefb, hue after thefpirit. So then IfI would know whether ¡bec in Chrilt Iefus or no, I muff looke how I walke, that is, flat how I am fandified. And if I finde that the GOD of mercie by his perpetuali fpirit hath wrought in mee a change, that whereas once I walked after the fiel t, that is, was ruled,guided, and gouerned by my corrupt nature, now it is not fo, but the holy Gholt leadeth me into a feruent loue of GOD, and true hatred of euill, then is the conclufion, inferred by the very fpirit oftrueth himfelfe, I am in Chrift IESVS, and there is no condemnationto mee, nor formee. So that Sanetification, the lowefl Rep
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