170 of the temptations wherebySatanfeeketh to §4' 5.7hey received the truth atfrrfl without due trial!. Remedy. ]oh. I. y. Faithmay be true, though much were ami)]i , whenfirfl we rrceived'the. truth. §:e. s. They never had that deepe Jb»ow which many have felt. lemedy. gods denles net with all alike. Againe , this maketh him the more to prize the fenfe of Gods mercy,andwith thegreater care topreferve hisfaith, and to fbunall finne and wickedneffe, which might hinder theapprehenfionofhis continual! love. §. 5.. Satan tempteth fcme to doubt, becaufe at &ft they received the truth without due tryall and exami- nation ; wholeduty it is carefully to reforme whatfoever they eipie tohave beene arifl'e but for one rotten pof+ it is no wifedome to pull downe the whole building. For God is mercifull, and ready to forgive our imper- fections when upon the knowledge and fight wee con- fefie and bewaile them. The Difciples at firít followed Chrift in hope of temporal] preferment , and yet their faith was found and true ; forwhen they came tothe know- ledge of theirerrant. they reformed it, and did flillinfe- parably cleave unto him. It is the great wifedome and mercy of the Lord , for a time to hide fromhis children the fight of their infirmities and wants, and notwith- (landing their manifold weaknefles to afford unto them the full-6 of his love ; left they íhould bee utterly difcouraged and faint under the burden for want ofex- perience, finding the entrance into life hard and diffi- cult. Naturall difcretìon teacheth us to deale with children according to their ability, and not to difhear- ten them by exaCling what is above their ftrength :The likecompaffion doth the Lord thew tohis, by thecom- fortsof his Spirit preparing them to endure theafi'aults of Satan. §. 6. Many Chriflians beeexercifed with this tempta- tion, that they cannot bee thechildren of God, becaufe theynever had that deepe forrow and long lying underit that many of their brethren have had. Whereas: they thould know, that not mens examples, but GodsWord muff be ourrule ofdirecttion. The Lord dealeth not with all alike, becaufe inwifedome hee knoweth whatis moll meet for every man. Doth any man complaine becaufe', hisjoints are let, or his wounds cured with little(mart andi
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=