Bolton - Houston-Packer Collection BX9339.B65 A2 1641

Chap. 3 q. c/4 Difiourfe oftrtte happine. tedus withhis Word, his judgementsand mercies, to the a- fonifhment ofthe whole world. Now let us con(ìder,whe- ther as they havebred admiration in men andAngels;fo they have brought falvation to ourown fouls. Firft, for his Word : For thei fifty yeares, you know he hath fpread out his hands all the day long ; he bath .feat all his fervants,the Preachers ofhis Word, riling up early, and . fending them, fying : Returne now every man from his e- vili wayes,and amend your works. Let us thenexamine our fe1ves'in this point. Hath this gloriousGofaell, which hath folong flhined bright in our eyes, and founded loud in our cares; hath it,T fay, been mighty inoperation uponour foules, in planting in them the power oftrue godline& ? Do we dailygrowmore foundby it in the knowledge of the truth; and feemore particularly into the way and whole courfe of Chrifttanity ? Doth it continually build us up more ítßong ly in Faith,Repentance,and an holy obedience to all his com- mandements ? Why then bleffed is ourcafe : for this power- full experience in ourfouies ofdaily growth in godlineilé by theWord, is a notable marke unto us that we are in theElate ofgrace; and fo all theblefiings in the Bookof God belong untous, and plealures moe then theflares ofthe firmament in number. But ifotherwifc (which is rather tobe feared) if we haveeither beene no hearers,or butnow andthen, as our worldly commodities wouldgive us leave ; or hearers only offormeand fashion, not of zeale, and confcience to profit byit, and yeeld obedsenceunto it ; or onely hearers and no doers, why then we may allureour fives, we areyet short of the Bate ofgrace ; and marke what will be the end both of us and the wholeland : It mull needs be the fame with that of3udaand J erufalein(for they wereas well belovedofGod as ever Englandcan be:) (7oe,faitli God unto Jeremy, roeand tell themen of Iuda and the inhabitants o f Ieruflem : I have -tent you all myfervants theProphets, riling upearely, and fen- din them.; butyou would not incl toyour care, you Wouldnot obeyme therefare thus faith the Lord ofHofts, the God ofIF raell: Behold,I brimupon Iuda,andupon allthe inha!itaints ofi

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