Helps ~gainft 1Jejperatio11. fin, and will you juflilie it? Yea confider wluta deal of comfort is in this: For if there were no Hpt of your falvatiOih God would never have made it your Duty to hope, nor forbidden you to de[p:. He cloth not bid the Droi/; nor the damned &peas he doth you : He forbiddcth not them to dejj ·~· as ~e ~oth you; There is caufe for this: a{would have done it, if your condition were as Hopett//~~ theus IS. Dire/1. 2r. §. 32. Direct. 2r. If God f"bidyou to dtfpair, itJCcrtaillly the Devil th.Jt biddeth it. And wiO , k.fz~Jvingly obr)' the Devil? What if tht Devil perfwaded you to it openly with his own mouth? wo~l~ you not know that it is bad which fudr an enemy draweth you to ? Mcthinks this Chould be a very great comfort to you, to think that it is the Devil that pcrfwadeth you to defpair l f'or that proverh that youjhould not dcfpair; and that proveth that your cafe is not defperatc but hopeful. VlreCi. 22• 9· 33· Direct. 22· 1hink., whither it tmdeth : to deJPwi~ U to give up all hopes of your {alvation: and whenyoze bave no bope you rrill ufe no nzeanJ: for to what purpofe (hould a man feek for that which he hath no hopes to lind? And fo when this weight is taken otf, all the wheels lland llill: The meaning of the: Devi~ ha:h two parts, the firtl is,_ Do 1101 bea1·, 1tor rtad, nor pray, .nor_{tek.._ advife, nor tal~ a1ty more abeut zt nmh good people, for there 1-1 no bope. And the next part IS, e1ther ma~e 'aw.:)\ thy frlf, or elie Jilt boldly and ta~e. the pleaf"" of ji11 while tho11 ma.ift.; fnr tl~ere iJ •• bope of a.ty bwer. And doll thou thmk that euher ot thefc " from God? OrtSit forthy good ? what is the meaning of all, but, caft aw•y thy foul? while thou Hop•J!, thou wilt {eelz, and ufe fome means but to call away hope is to call away all. And hall thou fo tar loll f'lflove as to be thy [elf the do;r 0 ( fuch a deed? Dirc:fr. 23· ~·34· DireCt. 23· 1hink wb.lt ar:vro11g thoudJjltotheFathrr, the SauiourandtheSan{/ifier of foHlr to thin~{_ fo poorly and defpairingly of hi! grace, as if it were not able to prev;il ag~injl tfJ,y fin : and to ob{cure thM tbe glory of hii redemption; multo belitve the Devil in bis jlandering, cxtemtating and dijhonourin7. that inGod, rvbicb he will have mojt glorified b;·finmrs? Virrt/. 24- §. 35• Direct.~,._. Betbink.._ thee what one per{o~t tl11.1tt c:JJt{l ,tame i;t all the world, that et.:cr perijhed or wasreje{ied, that was wi/Jing i1t thi1 life to /;e [.lvcd and fimlli.Jicd by Chrift, a;Jd bad rather h.1v2 _Chrift and perfdJ holimfs tb3n tbe trea[ure; or pleafitru of tlu world. Name me any one fuch perCon if thou canfi: bur I am furc thou emit not: And doll thou fear that which never was done ro any one; or think that Chrifi will begin with thee? I!irt/1. 25• §. 0 6. DireCt. >5· Vp mall a•d bedoi,gand rcfolve in defpigiJt of the Dtvil th•ttiJouwiltwait on God in the ufe of mta1u, and c;ft thy {elf o'n Chrijl, and if tbow pcriflJ thou wilt perijh thtre : Do this, and thou Chalt never pcri!h. 1 Thou canft not do wOJ(e th:m Defp..Jir and give up all; nor can!l thou pleafe the Devil more, nor difpleafe God more, nor wrong Chrifl, and the fpirit more. Thou att certain that thou canfi lofe nothing ,by uutling thy foul on Chritl, and hoping in him, and patiently ufing his means; Do but this, a,nd hope(ha\t favc thee, whenSJtan by defpair would damn thee. Direll• 26. 9· 37· Dirc:Cl. 26. Vnderjl:o~ndi1t what time and order it is that tbt Chrtfl givetb his grace a,:d{a 11 ctf1 bii people from their ji1u: that be doth it n.~t al~ at one~ but ty de~reu, and talztt!J all the ~ime of tbii pre– fent life to doit in : As able as your Phyficw_n ts he wtll_ not fim_fh the cure tdl your h~e be finifhcd. The next life is the llate of abfolute perfetnon : Ail thmgs are tmperfed here : Defpatr not t.herefore of all that you have not yet attained : Your fin may be more mortified yet, and your grace yc::t more flrengthencd. If it be done before you come to judgement its well for you :'Do your put in daily diligence: Do you plant and water, and he will give the increafe. Read more of this before, Part 2 , againll Melancholy. CHAP.
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