Ito 4 profitable Expofitaon 6. PETITION. groningvnder the griefe of fundry wants and eakenes, yet fo atfured:himièlfe of his eledion, by to much s. he had, that in the next chapter he is not afraid to breake out thus,Iam perfwaded that neitherdeath nor life,Angels, norprmcipalities,nor Rom. 8. 3 8. powers,nor thingsprefcnt, nor things to come,nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature Jhall beable to feparate vs from. the lose of Godwhich isin Chr: Iefiu our Lord. Sc then, and neuer forget it that lanaification though but in parte anti with much want, yet is accepted with Godand man, and ought yeelde that man and woman that bath it,fuch acomfortable perfwalionas this,namely, that nothing (hall be able to feparatethem from their God. So that they bee not negligent in harty hun gring (till after more. Which euer is to bee Iearched for carefully in our Celtics. Yerfe.zz. Foreuenfo did thisApo llleif you markeit. I delight faith he, in the Lawof God concerning the inner man. And as long as he found foe meafure ofgrace , and an- heart that 11111 wilhed more, and fighed for more, and delighted in good,fo long Verf:z3. was he cheerefull touching his efiate with God, albeit till his dying day bee fawe another lawe in his members rebelling againfithe lawe of hisminde, and leading hits captiue to the law of lìnne, which was in his members. This example then is notable to this end,and let vs not forget it. Would God alfothe contrary were moreearnelllycontidered than it is, namely , that iffomemeafure of holy con- uerfation togetherwith a mind moll fervently wishing more, and even grieued for want of more,yeeld mens foules comfort,that neither life nor death, nor any thing (hall feparatethê from the Lord,what wil,neitherany meafure at all,neither anydefire ofany,nar any griefe for want of any, or for huge floods ofvngodlines that ouerflow vs both body andfoule,our words,our workes, our thoughts, or lookes, and all things we do : I fay what will this yeeld to the confcience one day, but euen a dreadfoll blow,that as the other neuer,fo wee euer are appointed, and atfured to be Ceparated from Chrill Iefus. O then take heed betimes,and cutting ofeuery day by the fword of Gods giuen grace,iniquitie, and finne, letvs hunger and thir(1 to ferue God in holynetfe and rigbteoufnelfe before him all the dales of 2. Cor. z z. our life,and by fruites of a truc new-birth, to snake, as Saint Peter hath told vs, our elation rare, Another proofe to your qu.eUion, thatimperfeftions in our newe birth and fan lification may not difcourage vs is the fame- Apo(ile againe, trou- bled in another place lb grieuoufly withhis owne concupifcence that prickedin the flefht hemelfenger of Satan, that hebefought the Lord thrice that it might departfrom'him. The Lords ánfwreas wee know was this , that his gracewas fuflicient for him. For through weaknes his power was madeperfe& Plainly teaching vs and gracioùfly cheering,. sethat for our imperfedions he will not re- ieftvs. It is one thin gtohaueIInnetaigninginvs, and another thing to haue it dwelling in vs. The one weearefotbidden, the other wee (hall bee ¡lib ieêfto while(' wee hue. For, 1 know that inwee, that is, in my fie&dwelleth no good thine, Rem.G, r z. confelling with griefe that fin dwelleth in him, though to his comfort, through Rom.7, r8. grace itrsigned not in him.. Full is the Scripture of firength againi1 this feare of imperfections, but I trua this fufficeth. O, but the Children of God arefiebieïll many times to fueh a dulne f]e and deadae ffe iss eotnparifon offweeteratufhmgmotious that' they hauefelt,that Satan catchingandwatch- ing his opporerseities,isreády to perfwade that fore y now they are f ailen away, andGOD hathgiuenthem otter. Moll true it is,& yet all for the beIl.For furely,if we had not filch alterations& changes,we (houldthi like that grace were nature in vs, we should not elleenie of thatfweet power ofthefpirit as we do,when after a dulnes itreatrneth again; nei- ther any way bethankful.asnow we are.But to be too mite call downewith fuch Pfat'.3z. tumbliings, and to enter into fuch; defl ieratefeares,truely the Lord would itnot. For what change thinlçtyou felt Dastidwhen he cried,Olet mee feele the comfort of z 9 thy f irit againe, and when CO often he trieth,O quicken me as thouwafl:ant, quicken
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