The Preface. Is Jell through his difpleafure he fhould bee turned out of all. So is it wi~h all the men on earth>they be all Gods tena.nts, . and thata.t will, no man holdeth any · ~hing by leafe for an , houre,our breath is not our ovvne, but his. It is at his ap- DJn.s- 2J• .pointmcnt what fhall becon·ae ofour foules, and bodies, Vthether they fball be faued,or damned. And hee is fuch a God,whofeanger is an eternall anger, and his wrath an eternall wrath,and his pl~gues euedalling plagues: therfore how carefull and qiligent fhould we be to pleafe him? And then we fhe\vour fdues tobeleeuehis powerand infinitnes, when it is our greateH care to fee ke his fauour. Secondly,this is for the confolation ofGods children. Is V[e :., God the fame for euer, and that in his dealing to his chU- · dren? and bath he heretofore vfed his power for their de– fence? his wifedome for their €lirecHon ? his mercy for their comfort? then he will doe the fame fiill to vs alfo. Therefore when any ofhis children haue been brought int0 great miferie,and that for their finnes, a~ Manajfoh was to that hard cafe for his great vvickednes,yet when he repented and betooke himfelfe to prayer,we.fee(;od heard him, and , holpe him both out ofhis finne and mifery. Did he deale fo with him? then the _queHion is wheth ..r he be Iehouahor . not,whetherthe fame·for euer withqut anychange. If hee be(a~ fure he is)then he muft deliuer vs alfo wh,en •wee call vpon_h1m. But are we fure to bedeliuered out ofthis .trou-o bJe, and tobe fet out ofthis de-bt, or temptation 1fwee call Ynto .God? This we are fure of,that ifwee cry to God, hee will deliuer vs from our fin ne, :.?,nd from the punifhment of it, or ifthe croffe doe hangHill vpon vs, he will fweeten it with fome fpirituall comforr,and flrengthen vs that we iliall bee able to endure it, and fo recompence it with heaucnlie ~race,th:u we fh:tll gaine more in the fpirit, then we loofe in the flefh. But vnldfe that we beleeue that God is lehouah, and immutable, all the hiH:ories ofthe Scr!pture are made vnprofitable vnto vs, then wee haue no vfe, nor comfort of thofe things which we heare 2nd rcade: as ho\ivGod bletfcd :Ahraham, and deliuered lacoh, and did tnany wonderfull H1~ngs for hii people in former time. But ifwee holde B 3 this
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