Babington - Houston-Packer Collection BV4655 .B23 1615

8 Q efRions and Anfweres, i .Command readily challenge the wrong, and hoatlyfeeke retie' ige thereof, in thy caufe and for thy fake I haue no heate nor courage, but either perlons, place, danger, or Ionic circiurn fiance or other, qucncheth my heart, tyethvppe my tongue, and maketh mee like a Traitour, to my Lord and Maifler: What might I fay of that fecret miflikint that fomctimes wili creepe fo clofely into my minde, of the poore d+ate ofChriíii his members on earth? Chrifl liketh me not fo well, when bee )jeth in the liable, in the manger, when he fiieth into ,,,Egypt tor his life, when bee Lukeri bath not an hole to lay his head in, except it bee in a corde prifon, as he doeth Á when heerideth to the Citie, and the people cutting dowse boughes ofPalmes, hlaub.ri x;. flrowe them in theway, fprcad theyr garments,aud crie, Hafanná,Tle ff ,lae hee that commetlasn the name of the Lord, as when they feeke to make himaking, end the hira6,ar,S, worlde doeth feeme hisfriend. No, my heart will eucn flccpe fomctimes priuily 1b chchis wifit:O that the Gofpell and the Worlde might alwaies bec friendes, and goeh3udin.hande, So that liking not curry way fo well in trued) of CHRITin pouerty, as in plentic, and in feeling not my heart fo well contented to begge and fuffer with him, as to rule and raigne with him, there is not that loue in mee to warde him that ought to bee. Againe,marke how I raile in publique affemblies to hearethe wotde, to pray and fuch like, when I might bee prefcnt I would. Marke how negligent I am in publifhing the ['miles ofmy G O D, and labouring there- by to drawe others to a greater liking of-him, with a number fuch like wantes, and ô loue ofG O D, in nsee no lour in deede,but dead, blotted out, and quite extinguifhcd. See now how guiltie lamcuenof the fiat thing that iscommanded feate of God, mee in this Commaundernent. The fecond thing is, that I fhoul d feare thee about, all. The thirde is, that lfhould pray to - none but to thee. The fourth, toac- knttwledge thee the guider and gouernour of all thinges, of whome I receiue all the benefices that I haue, and therefore Oat I trufi and flay vpon thee alone,Fift- 1 , that I (hold labour to knowe thee out of thy word, fo fully and perfe&ly as thou haltreuealed thy (elfe therein:bccauffe of knowledge all thefe other followe. And laflly, that I fhould for all benefices giue thankes onely to thee, and in fuch full manner and meafure of feeling as any wayis due to that bleffing which I ce- ceiue. In which pointes as in othermoe, which might yet bee named, Omer - cifull Father, I heere before thee confeffe I am no better than in the firfl, I dare cleare my felfe, I cannot, I ought not. O Lord glue mee eyes to fee my wantes, forI haucfeared men, and their threates more than l ought ; I haue feared the loffe of their fauour more than I ought ; I haue feared the Tolle or worldly com- modities more than I ought; and haue not as thy blefled Apoflle taught me by his example, accounted thole thusoes that were vantage voto mee loffe and very dung, for pLiIL'p 3 the excellent llaowledge fake oflefut (brig my Lord. Sometimes Sathan bath rocked this Soule of mine inthechayreoffecuritie, that I haue even flept as it were a dead fleepe, and not confidered of thy judge_ mentes againfl finne, as I ought, neyther taken the profit by thy extraordi narre workesin the ayre, in the earth, in the bodies of men, and beafles, that. I fhoulde, but paffed them once with alittle wonder or motion for a fhort time. When my linnes haue bene touched, or appeared vnto mee, I have flattered my owne Soule, and put veto them honeflnames, as cloakes to hide them with- all. The plaine pride ofmy heart, and meerevanicie,I haue ri.udged clenlineffe orne.ceffarie for my cane. Miferable couetoufneffe bane fudged lawfull care for things necefíárie, and fo forth, a manifeft token ola dead heart within, and voide oftailing any hor- ror in finne. . By all which and many more thinges that my minde may eafily fee, it is apparant to mee, that I haue euen broken this point alfo of thy la-we, in not fea- ring thee, foasloughS, Alas

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