Downame - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133 .D76 C551 1608 v.1

The anfivere to theformer temptation. §.Sen.2. Temporall hè- nefits no infal- liblefivesof Gods loue. 40: Thatworldlingtdoe in vaineprefumeofOods lone. fore' thOu needeft not to doubt ofthe reft,nor to debarre thy fen' ofthypleafures, fpending thy time in feareandcare, to the end thou maift get the affurance ofthat which thounee.. deft not tocall intoqueflion. And thus doth the diuell fill men with prefumption, and lull themafleepe in carnall fecurity to their litter deftru6tion; and therfore itbehooueth vs to arme our felues againft him, that we be not circumuented.Andto this end let vs confider that Gods loue goeth not alone, neither is it- idle in thofe whom he louethibut as the firf+ linke ofa chaine draweth all theteft ofthe chainewith it,fo the loue ofGod, which is the firft caufe ofour faluation, is accompanied with all the.othet caufes whichare fubordinate thereunto ; for whomGod ueth,themhe ele&eth ; whom heele&eth. thofe in hisgood timehe calleth ; whomhee effeélnallycalleth,themhe iufti- fieth ; and whomhe inflifieth, tildehee fanéti.iieth : ifthere- fore we be not fan&ified, we are not innified ; ifwee arenot iuftified, we are not called; ifwe are not called, we canhauè noaffurance that wee are ele6ted, nor yet ofG ods loue and fauour ; and confequently whofoeuer liue in their blind norance,in their infidelitie,and wallow thernfelues in thehl- thiepuddleoftheir finties,i,vithout any true forrow for thoffe whichare paft,or anygood purpofe ofheart to forfake them in the time to come, they can haue no afrurance of Gods loue,but are rather iuffly to feare left they are in the number ofthofe whom the Lord bath eternally reieaed,ifthey con- tinue in this their tniferable anddefperate efiate. Neither let Satan bewitch them with that vaine opinion ofGods loue towards them,becat& ofthofe generall bene-: fits,which like the raine and Sunne-fhine arebeftowedboth vpon the goodand bad; for what in this refpe6t can they promife more to theinfelues thanEfauand Saul?Were not they createdmen according to Gods own liknes? Were they not preferuedand nourifhedb' God, and that moreliberal- ly thanmanyofGodsowne children ?For Elau had fomuch that heprofeffed to his brother Jacob that bee had enough, andwasattendedvpon by fourehundred men. Andwas not Saulami htieKing,whohadall at command ? Were not all thofe

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