Otie, to againfi theaffuranceofourel aimsanfraered. 265 table is the fayin gofAulrine to thispurpofe.Tria(ingwit)font quafie roboranr confarmant cor meson, vt nulla mepenuria meritorum,Çc. There arc three things (faith hee) which fo firengthen andconfirme myheart, that no merits, no confi- deration ofmine ovine vileneffe, no alit-nation ofthchea- uenly bleffednes, can deiea me from the height oftnyhope : vpon themmy foule is flirely feticd. Wilt thou know what theyare?I confider three thingsvponwhich my hope wholly relieth, towit, the loueofadoption,the truthofthc promife, á°gi ?anual. the abilitie of performance. Let nowmy foolifh cogitati- "P*21' onmurmur as much as it wit faying,but Nwho art thou,or how great is that glorie ; or With what merits doefr thou hope to obtaine it ? And Iwill boldlie anfwere, I know whom I haue belecued, and I am affured, becaufeGod hathadopted Pee ingreat loue, becaufe hee is true in his promife,becaufe bee is powerfull inperformance, for hee may doe what hee will. Thirdlie,theyobiel that our faith is weake and feeble, §.áecá.5. andby reafon thereof thefaithfull (as appearethby continu- weaknesof all experience) are affaulted with doubting, and grieuouflie faith axd cer- íhakenwith Satans temptations, fo as there can bee no filch rain[;emar certaintieoffaith as we fpeake of. Towhich I anfwere, that ft' and co vveakenes offaith is not oppofed as contrarie to certaintie, g but to flrongnes and full perfwafion, and thereforeweaknes and certaintiemay well Rand together. Neither dowe ima- ginefucha certaintie offaithwhich is neuer fhaken with- doubting, nor affaulted with temptations; nay rather wee teach that thofe whomGod indueth with moll faith,hemolt exercifeth in theconflia oftemptations,like awife captaine who fetteth that fouldier which is bell armed and armgeil,. toBeare the brunt in the forefront ofthebattell:& thediuell is moil readie to affault thofe whomoll refill him, and molt violently to lirike where hee feeth the fhield offaith held vp' to defend ;.and therfore our Sauiour hath taught all his faith- ful children to pray.leade vs not into temptation,but deliucr vs from euili, ßùt withall we affirme that though this weake faithbee affaulted with Satans temptations, yet isit neuer ouercome;though itbee oppofed with doubting,yet it neuer falleth
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