( 957 will delay his coming,he will fall a fmitinghis fellow fervants &mai- clens,and will eat,and drink,andbedrui ken.Therefore this obfcurity doth bring this commoditywith it, to drive away fecurity, and to make themind alwaies vigilant & attentive, for it yeeldeth a certain prefent hope; which will not fifer them to be filthy or vile,but Both fpur them on,togo couragioufly forward,without intermiflìon. Hence it commeth to paffe, that no dangers do terrifie the Saints, but they ger, andgain fingular profit by them,according to the man- ner and greatneffe of every triall , for they are diftinguifhed into a threefold degree , for they are either certain light ones, or more grievous,or very great. Thefiat fort fhall make the Saints pure,and clean, as we do puri- fie things, which havenot gottenmuch filth, either by a fleight wi- ping,or rubbing,or fpungingof them :Or if a garment have drunk in deeper any filth,,or fpot, that it cannot becleanfed without greater - pains, the triall fhall be nothingelfe, but a certain whiting, indeed, ..a more troublefome-and (harp triall, according to the quality of the filth,more deeply foakt in, which yet notwithfkanding , fhall not .exceed the bounds of purifying. Butifit be needful! to breakve%els, which are unclean, and very '-filthy, and to caft them into the fire , they than be caft intothe fur- nace, for noother end, but to be melted,and to be made a frefh,new and holy veffels. Surely, a verygreat comfort to the godly,whether . they be purified, or wiped lightly over, with lighteraffiiétions,or be whited with fome fharper trials, as under the fullers feet, or laff of all,with the greateif they bemelted in the furnace of the hotteff fire. But it muff be obferved,although certain wordsbe here repeated, which were ufed formerly,chap. 11.3'5. yet it will not therefore fol- low , tobe the fame perfecution. Thefe are-common effect s ofeve- ry afflié}ion, there are allo the Paftors, by name, exprefl'ed, but this no leffe concerneth the common people. But the wickedfball do wickedly.] This is theoppafite member of the firf} part as obfcurity (hall drive away fecurity from the good, fo it [hall increafe in the wicked : For when they (hall fee nofeare before their eyes, they will think there is no danger at all : there- fore they will loofe the reines to their buds ,give themfelves toplea- füre,'and take their eafe, after a mocking fafhion,demanding,where is the_promife of his coming? For fince the Fathers fell afleep, all things continue as they were, from the beginning.of the creation, 2 meter 3. 4. But let no man be moved' with their example, feeing the Spirit path foretold the fame fo long before. Iiiiii z The
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