Obis e-ìnsagain((theafermce ofossreleEtíonanfvered. 267 our naturali inclination vnto diffidence and incredulitie, the manifold temptations ofSatan,and the burthenofour fnnes lying heauic upon our confciences : which maketh Gods deere children togrone and complaine,yea fomtitne tomur- mur and repine againe Clod himfelfe,as thoughhe v, ere their enemie,becaufe he fuffereth them thus tobe vexed;but dill it rifeth after it hathreceiued afoile,andgatherethnew f}régth againft all newaffaults, vntill in the end it obtaineth full vi- ¿torie, fo as all the faithful!may faywith the Apoftle 2.Cor. 4.8. we areaffc`ledon ewerie ode, yet are ;geeNO i:adiftrrffe ; in Z.Car.g.S.g pouertiebrat not ouercome o fpouertie. 9. We arep.erfcured, but not forfia/Zen, cafdowne, but wee perer not. For though their faith bee weake, and their temptations vehement and vio- lent, yet this brufedrecde is not broken, this iinoking flax is. not quenched; for as the recde in a boyfterous tempe.ít is blowr..e downe euen to the ground, but when the tempel is paft rifeth vp againe to his former ef}ate ; fo thoughthe boyfterous blaftsofSatans temptations beate vs downe euen to the earth, yet by faith wee rife againe when the forme, ism ouerblowne. Secondly, it may bee demaunded how the faith ofGods Sea. . children can be Paid tobe certaine,feeing it is continuallyof Yow aurrith faulted and often foiled withdoubting,which is oppofed to thoughaffaul- the certaintieoffaith.To whichwe mayeafilyanfwere,ifwe tcdwitbdaub- know and remember that euery Chriflian is chided into°tingmaq Ge twoparts,the flefh and the fpirit,vvhichcontinually fight and "rtaane. ftriue the one again! theother ; and as they themfelues are thus oppofed,foare their qualities and fruites,for in the fpirit is faith, loue, hope, zeale, joy in the holie .Ghoft,and fuch o- ther fanelifying graces; in the flefh is doubting,and infideli- tie,hatred ofGod, prefitmption and defperation, coldneffe, dulneffe, yea deadneffe in religion, feare, horror, and fuch like corruptions,foas we mayfaywith y Apofile, leon' that in myfleg4 is, in myvnregenerate part,dwellethnagoodthing, R01111. 18; Rom.7.1 8. Now as there is a continual) warre bet\vicea:e the flefh and theflirt, fo altobetween their qualities and fruits; for faith is continually affaulted with doubting and infideli- tie,loueofGodwith thehatredofGod;hope withprefump-- tion
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=