Themiferable ellateoftbofe who Haue not fo much asa filets ofgodli- nefe. .Epbef.4.14 13'4 O f themeans trherby wemaybeofsredemir ele tion. men ; it caufeth vs to hate as well one finiteas another, and that finnemoil ofall intowhichwe aremofl prone bynature to fall,though itbring neuer fo much pleafure andprofit ; it imbraceth afflioledgodlinefJe when it is attendedwith Joffe, pouertic and fhame, as well as when it is waitedvpon with gaine,pleafiure,and thepraife ofmen ; it is very charitable in cenfuring the faultsof others, but moil feuere and i}ri& in iudging and condemning the firmes which our felues haue committed. And thereforeid our fané}ificatien haue thefe properties,We maymoil certainlybeaffured thereby that we are.ele&3edand(hall be faued ; but if thefe be wanting, it is but acounterfeit holines which affoordeth no filch affurance. Now ifthis be true,w'hat hope can they hauewhohauenot fomuch as a Phewofgodlineffe?how defperate is their flate, who euen inoutward apparancePhew nothingbut wicked- neffe andprophaneneffe? ifthe figge tree which beareth faire greene leaues beaccurfed,what curfes,what mifery andwret- chedneffe are they tobeare and fuffer, who haue notfo much as leaues,that is,anoutwardprofeflion ofgodlii.effe ?IfHerod be a damned wretch inhell, who heard John the Baptif} w'il- lingly,and didmany things according tohis do6lrine,becaufe he nourifhcdone finne in his bofomne;whatfeareful condem- nation are they to expe& }, who contemn andnegleéGods word,not thinking it worth the hearing,and cannot finde in their harts to fubmit themfelues to the obedienceof anypart thereofneither will be brought to forfak e any one fin where- wi th they are delighted,till it leaue them? And yet fuck is the blind ignorance, carnal" fecuritie, andvaineprefumption of fuch men,that they will not flicke to bragge that they arcPure ofGods loue, and that they are elee}ed to faluation, though there be no fhew of reafon whereupon they may probably ground their foolifh perfwafion. But the truth is,that whilefl they continue in this damnable ef}ate,confolation it feire can not giue vnto themany true comfort, for without fanaifica- tion there is no hope ofeleetion or faluation : and feeing the Lord hash eledled vs that we fhonldbe holy,therefore with- out holineffe there is no affurance that weare ele&ed : feeing he hath fworne that all thofe whom he hath redeemed andfa- Afed,out attic hands oftheirfpiritual enemies hell,death and the
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