: Theninth Comm411dlment. - 343 {er of the brethren J Sarhan that old and fubtill ferpent, and · he fhiues to make theaccufe themfelues falfeJy;Oh,faith he, ifyoti had been good indeed, and had borne a true hea.rt to God,hewould ne,uer haue forfaken you thus,and giuen you ouer t,o fi1ch a deadnefie : and then, through weakene{fe, G.ods children are· readic to ioyne with the diuell againtl themfcJuesJ and to thinke; le is tr~ue,fure I was but an hype– crite,and hollow heartep: my former comfons were delu.. lions and prefumptions; if they had b.een true,I lhould not haue.lofl them. But in io iudging,you wrong your felfe.You , ought to remember that tentations be nortru~hs, but ~alfe ·· accufations. And thercforc,ifSathat1 fhiue to accufe, cloyou .. flriue to exct.~fe. And ifhe would call you down,by fo t'luch . the more lift vp your f~lfe by reafons out of,Go(h word, . and by former experience in your felfeJ ana other Chri• flians. Forthat is no good reafon, Becaufe 1'ou ha:ue no fee- .ling,thcrefore you haue no faith :and becaufe youhaue loll the ft·nfc ofyour comfort,therefore it was not .true comfort; ; this is no true conclufion. For onemay lofe his feeling) and , yet retainea Jiuelyand effeCluall faith: Cant.l~I.&c. And · one may haue the tl'Ue comforter in his·fou:le, andyetfor a, time be without fcnfe ofcom(ort'\ As is-·to bee feene inour Sauiour Chrifi,Luk.22.44·Matth.27·46. · Take hcede therefore ofmaking fuch conc~ufions. F{)r a:~ manmaywant the teelingofhis f<iith,and crieand call again .,.. and againe tor it, an·d fcde nothing all this \\lhile; and yet · neuertheldfe haue true and found faich. For,the feeling of; and mourning for, rhe want of faith,, and ·the earneH and . conflant delireof.it,is an infaliible Ggne of faith. For this is· a fure rule,that (o long as one feCJeg himfelfe ficke~ .he is not dead. And the highetHmation ofthe fruites of faith, io_£ned with a vehemen ·ddire th_e~~of, is a fin gular cuidence that - there is a found ai1d Ji.udy roote of fai'th in the heart. Do not . therefore agree with the diuell to perfecute your felf~· : fight c: againH him,and take not his part againfl yeur owne ~oulco . You lhall finde he is flrong e_nough alone, you- had not n.eed :, to ioynewith 1-litn.Jbut rather tee to rd1tl him. Ifone beonce:.: thechitdeof God in truth)he.is fo for c:uer : ifonce in the - , . . fauour · I
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