OfObie iós«41nígtheaffuranceeon,.eletionanfirered. zi t and flraight lea, indanger to runne on the rockes,or to linke in the find's, doth cart out ancor onboth fides,or more care- fullie looke vnto theHerne to keepe it in aneuencourfe : fo we failing in thetempefluous feaofthis miferable world,'are in danger on the one fide to dafh vpon the rockes ofpre- fitmptuous fecuritie, and on the other fide to finke in the landsand to plunge into thegulfe ofdefperation : and there- fore the Lord doth flay vs from both, as it werewith two firong cables ; thefirfl is legall comminutions and flrióó ad- monitions,tokeepe vs from carnali fecuritie and hypocriti- call prefumption; the other is fweerepromifes, wherebyhee keepeth vsfrom falling into doubting and defperation ; nei- ther doth one ofthefe hinder another, butboth thy vs from falling into thefe extremes. So that thefeadmonitions arenot giuen tomake vs doubt- full ep`. ofour election,but partly to take away the prefumption rhetrue ea- and fecuritieofhypocrites and carnal worldlings,and partly fling oftbefe- tobridle and reflraine the flefh fromrunning headlong into :ierallplacer fin,and fromgrowing infolent ouer the fpirit euen inGods obicaed. children,whereby indeed their affuranee offaluation would be abatedandlanguifh. The truth whereofappearcthif we examine the feuerall places. For firíl, whereas-the Apof}le, i .Cor.io. i 2.faith,Let him that thinketh be l andeth,takeheede left hefall;:he doth notmoue thofe that are faithfull,todoubt oftheirperfeuerance, but thofe that want truc faith,not to decciue themfelues with vaine prefumption,and with anopi, nion offaith in Bead of true faith in deede : and there hee faithnot fimply,let him that flandeth, but let himthat thin- kethhe flandeth, that is, he that doth not fland in deedebut inhis owne fond opinion.Neither can-it neceffarilybee pro- ued,that this falling is to be vnderflood offinall falling away fromGod; butrather as the coherence ofthe text flieweth, offalling into thofe finnes which the Ifraelites fell into : and though it were, yet is it but an admonition to take awaycar- nall fecurity,not giuen tomake vsdoubt ofourflanding,but toprcferue vsfrom falling. Secondly,whereas the wife man faith, Pro. 28..r Meld Prou.:&.a,. if theman thatfearethakaiei : beclothnotvnderfland there- by
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