ndfe,therefore tlnou wilt perceive all this counfell to beginn out of love to thee, and that forthy erernall good. Irs obfer– vcd -of David, who was toffed up and down in fo many va– rious conditions andfeverallextremities, he nevcr.mifcarricd when he asked counfell ofGod; but when at apy time ht confultcd with his own carnall heart~ he was alwayes cafi U(!· on dangerous rocks. Therefore PflU! went wifely to work, when he did not confult with flelh and blood, Gal. r.. and ex– perience hath fhewed what dangerous counfc!Iors fathers, and mothers,and friends have been when Chrifi hath c1lled us to follow him: Now truly by this it appeareth, how difficult a thi11g, and what a rare jewell this fpirit without guile is: For wbo is there, in any matter to be done, doth fhut out all carnalJ reafonings, doth go up as Abraham to the Mount, and leave his fervanu and Affes belowl his earthly confide– ration~, that fo he may hear what God out of his·word '{v'iH fpeak to him ? . · . 71 8. 3· Another property of an Het~rt \Vithout Guile, u readily to obey Gods commands of'Wkat nature foever, though wholly con• trary to flefh and blood, without any d:fputes,delay,es,or ter– giverfations whatfoevcr: Abrahamhad the honour eo be cal– led the friend of God, b~caufe of thtsready and willing obe– dicnc~. That obedience of his in facrificing his fonne, aggra– vated with fo many cutt in~rconfiderations in Gods comt;nand, rings over the whole world; feli>.· orbu ji tales forent parriReady cbe~ dience. , dd.e,faid an Anci(nt; Though it was his fonne,his ,only fonne~ .his I[attk:_ , and to be offered a burnt facrifice. where nothing was to rema in, and te was todo all dmwith his own band·; yet he gets up betimes in the morni11g ro perform this. com– mand; and do not thou fay, How lhall1 know whether my fpirit be hus without guile,for I hav· n Jfaa{zto offer? Yes, everybeloved fin, every darling co.rrupticn, any inordinate af1 fetlions to fome worldly comfort; this is ·an Ifn.ak._, thou mu£1:. immediately facrifice: fo then as in matters of faith we be.. lievt; quia ip[e'aixit, becaufe he bath faid, non opm eft difqui– Jitione poft Evangelium ; fo in matters of practice we are to obey, quia ip[e voluit, becaufe he willeth. Abrahamfrom the very ~eg~.Qnibg, was ufcd to .fuch a blinde, or rather .feeing · ~ l - . obedience.;
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