Thankfulnefs requiredin every condition 319 paft about with ,a fhell ? Luther , in the beginningofthe Re- -- formation, met with many Errours; and he comforted himfelfwitl this, When the Corn is grown, the weeds will die alone. Meaning this : Whet) Reformation is come to greater ftrength, Errours would die alone. 'Tis Paid of our Lord and Saviour Chrift, He was numbered amongtranf- greffors : Should not I love Chrift, or own Chria, or be Thankful for Chria ; becaufe he was numbered among tranfgreffors ? The Errours of the time, you fay, are the tranfgreffors of the time : Shall I not love the Truth, and own the Truth, and be thankful for the Truth, becaufe it is numbered among the tranfgreffors, the tranfgreffors of the time ? Eldred is that man that can fee a beauty in Truth, when it hath a fcratch't face. And indeed every Truth hath a beauty;& the Lord hath given youout many Truths in thefe times, that ye were ignorant of before. Beloved ! I do not fay, that ye should be thankful for any Errour : we ought to be grieved for any Errour. But fhall we be fo mindful again it Errour, crying out againft Errour, Errour ; as not to be thankful for any Truth we have ? If the whole world were fpread with Errour ; that one Truth living : jefus aryl died for 'inners there were matter of Praife. The more Errour does prevail, the more mercy it is, that you are kept. And truely, the only way, or a fpecial way to be kept from Errour, is to be thankful for Truth. Asa way to be kept from fin is to be thankful for grace : So a fpecial way to be kept from Er- roar, is tobe thankful for Truth. So then, Notwithaan- ding all this; yet you are to be thankful : Thankful even in this condition, though many Errours yet ye are to be thankful, to be in all things thankful, in every thing thankful. Thankful when ye are ftraitened, as well as when ye are most enlarged. Thankful when ye are Defer- ted, as well as when God ihines upon you. Thankful when ye are MI:lifted, as well as when ye are Delivered. Thankful when ye have no Vittories, as well as when ye have ViEtories. Some, it may be, now will Praife theLord 1 1 2 and 41. Ira' 53. 12.
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