Babington - Houston-Packer Collection BV4655 .B23 1615

Qtaeflions and Anfweres 3.Ommand. For to here the Lord btddeth, but not for thefe ondes. Thus feruing the Lord in a thing commaunded, not as he commanndeth, I feria. him with mine owne atuention,andguil y moll grieuoufly I am beforehim. O that I were any better in the duery ofprayer ? ,4m Ineuer negligent, calde, andfrozen ? Burneth the fire with my tongue ? Shaketh my flefh with the vehemency of my fpirit ? T suerftayeth my heart from prefent prayer ? Neuer haft l to an end, orweari lywyb the voycef hare toceafe, it is too long ? Ah wretch, how dare 1fayit? Con fcience cryeth and will not be bribed, this duety of prayer thus corruptlyperformed, the Lord acknowledgeth not as a feruice by him edmanded,but asmine smite inuëtion, &a breach of this his precept. My conference with otbersin fbewe fo good, in reorder fo faire, talleth it neuer oflil¿ing of my felfe, or vaine delight to heare mine owne dtfcourfe, cfpride to Teem and to bee knowire a man indued with fisch and fogood guifts ? Tendeth my heart in truth to the praifeofmyGod, and the comfort of my hearers,, whenfoeuer I fpeakeof fruitful thfnges without all vaine refpell and hidden euillwhatfoeuer ? If it doe not, then the thing that in it felfe the Lord bath commatinded, as !perform tt, he vt ter y abborreth, and it is mil -moos. fhip of mine mono, norprefcribed duety by my god : iberefore a breach of this Commaunde- ment. What fhoseld I fay ? The more I fcarch, the more I fie : I am not as I thought concerning the keeping of his Law. Moe thnges yet in it ire corn mounded, an4 macthings well by theft I fee I Oise notperformed. Thus much feruetb o found damnation to met, andwitneffe fuffrcientindreadfullday frail this my !rah exhtbue againft met, befdeie curfe vpan my pefterity to many generations. But, O Lord thymercy reacheth unto the MI; Heauens,and thy faithfulnes unto the cloudes. Gracious art thou O gracious God, Nehe.g.ty. andfufl ofcompaffroit,flowe to ánger,and ofgreat goodneffe. Were my fiuisca as crimfon, thou canllmake them as white as (now" : though they be as red as skarlet, Eby. t,i8. bone ca-nthhou cauCe them to bec as the woolL Deacefather hauemercrvponme, and barioin the borrow oftheSea (that they neuer more appeare before thee) all myfnnes, and by name my breaches of this Commaundement. O myGod,as thouhaft vaeechfafed me a Sonar to quit mefromthiscurfe, fo due vntome for mydifobedience, fo in that Souiour ofmine thine oreisedeare Tonne lookevponme. Hee was borne for my f.kZe, bee lixedformy fake, he dyedfor my fake, then let his birth, his life, his death good Lord profite mee, in win ring pàrdon ofthee for my faultes, and direllion efthy fpirit fort be time to come, that better day lie¡muy know to ferne thee, and mew in truth as thou ft pre f cibed,performe the fame vita thee. ..Qmengood Lord,heare me. The thirdCommaundeaaent. £ueftion. Flat is the meaning of this Commaundtment? Anfw. God chargeth vs in this third Commaundement thefe three thinges. Ertl, that Wee vfe with moll high re- uerence the name ofGod, rvhenfoeuer wee eitherfpcake or thinke upon him. Secondly, that we neuer l,lafpheame the name of God by coniuring,witchcraft,foreery or charming, or any fiich like, neither by turfing or banning. Thirdly, that we neuerfwearc by the name of G OD in our common talke, although thematterbe neuer fo true, but onely where the glory ofGod is fought, or the faluation of our brethren,or before a Maieflrate in witneflingthe truth,when we are thereunto lawfully called. In which caufes we muff curly fweare by the name of God. But as for Saints ,Angels,Ifoode,Booke,Croffe, Maffe, or any other thing, we ought in no cafe by them to fweare, Quell. what is meant by the name of God heere t Philip.2.9. "Infw. Not onely any worde vfually giuen to him in Scripture,as Iehouab, or fuch like, but alfo his Maieily and excellency, with fuch attributes as declare the fame, as Leuie.12.3 i. his viifdome, his ruf lice, his proutdencc, his mercy and fo foorth. Againe, his lawe =.Tim.B.r. and

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