?hat true ChriflianJ ought tobeaffuredofGods loue. 741 thefe in the Church of God and outwardly enioyed the word and Sacraments as, well as any other; and yet God himfelfe faith that hehatedEau,and hadreieáed Saul. And therefore let vsneuer bragge ofour affurance ofGods loue, becaufe of thefe outward and common benefits whichhee indi$ërenly bcfloweth both vpon theele6t and reprobate; but ifwewould beallured indeedofGods loue, let vs looke into our felues,and confider ifhe haue bellowed vpon vs his fpirituall graces, faith,hope, patience, loue ofhim and our brethren,true repentance for our Pinnes, andholineffeoflife: and the refi ; and then by the fruits offan&ification we may be allured that we are fan6tified, and confequently iuflified, called,eleeted,and eternally loued ofGod. And thus dothSatan falfely perfwade thecarnali man that 4.sea. 3. hee is highly in the loue and fauour ofGod : but contrari- uovv satax wifewhenhee affaulteth theweake Chriflian, heechangeth Perftwadetb his copie, andgoeth about to perfwade him that hee is not v2'eakeCbra" (üans that they beloued ofGod,bur fubieó tohis wrath>andheauie difplea- are not beloued lure. And this hee inforceth by two fortsofarguments : the ofGod. one drawne fromhis manifold corrupt'.ons, whereby hee is vnworthieofGods loue ; the other from thofe grieuous of flic`}ions and erodeswhich the Lord in this life inflic`leth on him; both which he thus vrgeth againflhim:Cani`lthou vile wretch cóceiuethe leaf+hope that thouart belouedofGod ? Why,doe but take aviewofthy felfe,and thou íhalt fee that originali corruption hath ouerfpread both thy bodie and foule like a fiithie leprofie; vnto which thou hail added ae 'cu- al tranfgreflions nrore innumber then the haires ofthy lead, or the flarres ofheauen; for daily,nay hourely thouomitted fome dutie which thyGodhath commandedthee,andcom- mittefl fome Pinne whichhee hath forbidden. Can therefore the Lord,who abhorreth ,\'ickedneffe,louc.thcwicked?cant$ thouobtaine his fauour, and. yet dce l nothingbut difplcafe him ?He that louethGodkeepethhis commandements; but. thouby tranfgreffing them all, docfl Phew that thou louet} a` himnot:and will theLord loue themwhohate and rebel' a- gainfl him? Can iuilice it felfe loue wickednes, andperfe& holineffe impure.corruptiori ?No vcrély;'for inhis wordhee . bath.:
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