vvheì ivt be exereifed withmara & longaffi'r5fi©tw.t. (who is more mercifull thenany Father, and more pitti- fùll then anyMother) hold us overlong, or deale rigo- roufíy with us : but ordering all correetions by his Fatherly providence, he will in his good time make themworke together for good, andnot for evill untous. But the very haires ofyour bead are all ssumbred. Feare yesnot therefore,yeeare ofmore value, then may; Ipar.- rowel Thirdly, faith fetteth a man about his worke, that is, ferioutly to make inquiry intohis heart and wayes; deepely to humble himfelfe before God ; and fervently to intreat mercy for finne pail , wifedome to make ufe of prefent mifery, arld favour and mercy to be delivered and fet free. Sinfull men (if well advifed) ílrike not without caufe : the juft God, when he correc`teth, bath ever jullreafon. And forafmuch as our confciences for themot} part are blineed with ignorance and felfe love, or over clowded with fìnfùll lulls, (as looking gfa%s co- vered with dull) that we cannot finde out ofour felves much that isout oforder, nor amend what we efpie to be amife, faith direeteth to feeke unto God by hearty prayer, who can throughly acquaint us withour felves, and teach us to reforme what he wouldhaveus toamend. WhyBoth the Lord givehis children the repulfe when they cry unto him in their calamities, but that he would have them fearch morenarrowly into their courfes, and moreunfainedly prepare themfelvesto feeke and returne untohim ? And ifthey pray unto him , he will inttrut what is to be done. He who will have tìnfull men to joyne inflrueion with correftion, yea and putteth into man fuch regard ofdumbe creatures, that he will not Nike adogge, but he will make him lee,fo well as he can, what it is for whichhe ftrikethhim; lhall not he infirat us, when his hand is now upon us for want of duty to him? But whenwe fee our faults,and fmart for them in fuch fort as we account grievous there is nopowor in us, to Z 2 re- c 339 Efay 44 t í. Lam.3.1s, 23. Mat.io.3o,31 3. Judg.t®.t3, t4iis. bioGt4.s. Math.11,29.
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