' l "~ CafeJ 6/C'Infcitf!Ge A~O!It sftlitrlfJ' iuall decaycs foulJ: for al the Apofile urged, that the giving heed to mafii tliey fin de in t,heir calling and election fure, 'W1uld be by adding one grace ID theit fowls. another, 1 Pet. I. and .,boHnding in all fYuitfulnef{e ; fo agreat caufe of fpirituall trouble, and fear of being utterly undone, is the·· barrenndfe of Oijr lives ; That we are fo l!nfruitfull, that our duties have no more life and fervency in them : Oh, how often do the godly dcferve th:lt reproofChrifi givcch the Church, Remtmber from whence thou art f.tlltn, and< · ~rengthen the things that are ready to die,R.ev. J· Now t~ea, as in winter there dotb outwardly appear no difference be– tween a dead tree and a liviAg, both are wi~hout fruit and leaves: thus truly, .between a barren and a flothfull Chri– fiian, and another dead in finne, there fcemcth eo be little· outward difference; yea its Gods way to chafiife his peoples flothfulndfe, by abfenting himfelf from t:hem : EleA as the mother fometimes leaveth he.r childe alone,or in the dark, to· make it cry ·more e~amefily after her: Th'us when the Church was Oothfull, and would not. rife to f:et Chritt in,knocking at the door, this made Chrift withdraw himfelf for a while,, , which ftirred up importunate longings after him again~ ... 6. f 6. T~erefore they 11re thm [o/Hcitous a~out then:felvu, l/eca;;fe !'Meafi ~feko the o-~' the #nfimte kz;fiwledge of God and hu allfmng eye, wh1th an mte now- 'J h b h h · d ·¥dge of God knowet more y t em:t en they can,an therefore chcy thus a.s his a\[.fee: think ; If I be fo v4l.e and Joachfome in my own eyes, h(}W i;2.z.ey~~ - much mor~ mufi I be in Gods eye, who knowerh farre more - . corruption by me then I can by my felf? The Apofile argued thus, IfoHr hearts condemn m, God. u grc~tter .then our hearts: andPaul faid, Though I k._now nothingby my[elf, ye,t am I mt· thereby}nftified, for it u Ged that judgeth, I Cor.4-4. This is a r~markable pl,ace, though thou didit know no evil by thy felf, didfi: notdifcov:er that wickednelfe and filthine.lfewhich thou 'dod'f, yet thou couldfi not gather an inherent jufiification. from thy own rigJueoufnelfe.,. becaufe its ,God that judgeth•. And Elipha~ though erring in his application, yet in thege .. r.erall fpake right, that none could be jufi and pure as his Maker, for he chargedeven hi.! Angels Withfolly,Job 4· I 8. 0h, then they think, though this be true and good in my appre· henfion, yet God feeth ~aults when I cannot.
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