Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

S & e T. XII. Of Éi7cclua wiling. l: quake for fear ; its thèScripture truth, not our fcarc-Crow, you do not love to hear this fpokenof ; but Chrift thought it fit to reveal it to the world,that thevery foundations thereof may (hake. Again, What is the reafon fo many are offended at thecondition of godly men ; that the ways of God are fucha (tumblingblock ? They do not rightlyconfider of Godscalling, they look that Chrifts Kingdom fhould be of this world, they expefithe wifdomof the world, thegreatnefs of the world,.the wealth of ,the world; and God bath deter- mined a cleancontraryway. When ¡ohn fent to Chrilt, to knowwhether he wasthe Meiliah or no, he retuinab this Anfwer, The hlinde are made tofee, the lame are healed, the poor receSve the Gofpel, and blefed is he that not offended at me. Prejudices and carnal cavils againtl godlinets , are the deftralion of many thoufands. Now if wewill wifely confider of Gods tailing his people out offin, we (hall attain to theft notable Inf rnnions : , Firft, We finIinever judge Ouc (elves happy by any external greatnefs; and the Soemmum bongo, which humane wiidom pitched upon, will be found fome- times Magnummalum, anhinderance ofthat which is the greateft good indeed: yet when will the world be perfwaded otherwife? How contrary are God; thoughtsto thy thoughts? how oppoliteare thy apprehenfions,to his purpofes He layeth afide the wife things, the great things, the glorious thingsof the world: Ohyou, thathave thefe external advantages, fear they benot tpiritu- aldifadvantages I Little caúfe there is to boa(' of there, if thou knewellall Thefeare the bunches in the Camels back, thefe are the mares to thy feet, the milftones about thy neck : Be then afraid, and think, 111 had been poor,and were affiifted, I had been in a more hopeful condition. Dilciples mut'follow (Thrift, and they can beft follow, who have the leaft burthens s Oh judge no- thing great outwardly, that may make thee little fpiritually ; countthofe things curled, that may hinderthee from being bleffed. Secondly, Give God the gloryofall the grate and fpiricual mercies that he ie. vouchfafeth to thee; For whoart thou, and in what to be accounted of, that art calledby God ? did thygreatnefsprocure it ? thy goodnefs deferve it? doth not God all things, to (top the mooches of men, that there may be no boaft- ing, That none Mouldgluey in hisprefence? Humility and thankfulnefs is belvem- ing a Chrilliancalled, nothing doth fo become him; For what bath he rhat hebath not received ? who bath made him to differ from others, that hap l c had not finned again(' God, fo much as he bath done? And therefore fhould God be exalted, becaufe this is his very end why he layeth afide all humane glory, that he himfelf may be magnified. Thirdly, From hencelearn, never todefpife things, becaufe outwardly weak . a and vile, no reo be too confident, becaufethey are great andpotent; for you fee itsGods way, Tomakethings that are not, to confound things that are ; dead things live, and live things dye ; as God put back many of the Ifraelites, when theywent towar,theywere too many. God inall his mercies, whether ofgrace or civil things, delights to make himfelf onely known, he will not have his glory takenfrom him, and given to another : This gives hope in low things, :.' and fear in lofty things.,

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