z 86 of thetemptations wherebySatanfèeketh to and tafteth not the Tweet meares ofconfolatìon, w was wont (as the bodywhich is in a courfe of Phyficke) will they judgethemfelves tobefparke dead, orin a con- ditionirrecoverable? -Wee have experience, how divers times the difeafé prevaileth over the ficke perfón, that aó ions faile,and faculties feemequite tobe fj ent ; neither handnorfoot is able todoe theirdude; the eye is dimme, the hearing dull , the taflc'altered , and the tonguedifla- fleth all things, even of moll pleafant rellifh; and the weake and feeble patient fecmeth to attend the time cf difi'olution : when yet notwithifanding there remaineth a fecret power ofnature, and aforcible fparkeof life , that overcommeth all thefe infirmities, and confumeth them like droffe , and rendreth to the bodya greater purity and firmenefi'e of health than before the fickneffe it did en- joy. Evenfo it is in thisfpirituall efface, the foule is ficke, and not dead, faith is afîailed, but not overcome; and if in patience the finning of this fecret worke, which paffeth all conceit and capacitieofman, be attended, thefe burningfeaversoftemptations (hall appeare tobee (lacked and cooled by the mercy and grace ofChrift, and that fparke offaith which now lieth hid and over-whelmed with heapes of temptations, to breahe forth againe : And as nature after a perfe6t crifè difchargeth her felfe, to the recovery offormer.health : fo (hall alldoubtsand feares and terrours be removed,, and flrength offaith reflored with fuch fupply,as it (hall beable tomakeevident proofe,what fecret vertue lay hid, and yet not idle,in all this uncom- fortable plight. Againe, as in outward fenfes we feefome- times , andfeele , and heare, when we doe not perceive it : fo wemay alfohave faith, andnot alwaies have the fenfible perceiving thereof. Yea, f.:ch as moll hunger and thirll after righteeufnefl'e and are Poore in fpirit and broken in heart, as they doubt and feare in every aólion left God be di(honoured by their converftion, fo are they jealous .of their precious faith, left it be notin fuck n;eafure as they defre, or in truth be none
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