Rettrons mouingyr to the dsligenthearing of7ods word. 3 2 S thornetoour feete, anda light vnto our paths,hfal.ri9.1o5. Platt19Zo5p wherebywe areguided in the waies of hoIinefl'e and righte- oufneffewhich leade vs to euerlafling happineffe, Which be- ing taken away we !hall walke in darkeneí%, and be cuerie flepreadie tofall into (inne and eternall deflruaion. It is the Eplycfó,t7. fwordofthe fpirit,wherewith wedefend our felues and of- fend our fpiritual enemies,Eph.6.t7;which beingnegle&ed, or notskilfully vfed,we Thal lieopen to al thrufls and blowes, and be eafilyouercome. Ina word,it is profitable for all vies, as being the onely ordinarie meanesordained to conueyvn- tovs all good,and topreferue vs fromall euill; and therefore great folly it is for any man to contemne it, or topreferrebe- fore it vaine pleafures, or trifling commodities, which allo aremomentanie and vncertaine. . Fourthly,the manifoldbenefits whichby the wwordofGod 4.Sea.,. are deriuedvnto vs,may ferue asa firong argument to flirre Thejourtbmp- vsvp to the diligent and carefull hearing thereof; for firfl tiue. thereby wet become truemembers of the Church, out of which there is no faluation,and being ingrafted into the bo- dieofChrifl,aremade partakers ofallhisbenefits. And this appearethEph.4.i 1.z2. where the Apoffle fheweth that the Ephef.4: 1.1á1 endofthe min iflerie is for the gathering together of'thefaints, and jor theedificationofthebodieo;rChrifI. Anotable example whereofwehaueALc.2.41.where,by one fermon three thou-`Aet. 4a. fand fouleswereaddedto the Church. 'Secondly,herebywe areregenerated andbegottenvñto God, and therfore in this refpeit Paulprofeffeth himfelfe,the father ofthe Corinthians 1.Cor.4.15. and without this regeneration andnewbirth, t.Cor.4.t none (hall euer enterinto the kingdome ofGod,as Our Saui- otir (heweth vs,Ioh.3.5.Thirdly,ynleffc the blindeies of our Iohn34. vnderflandings be illuminated,we (hallfall into a laborinth oferrors, and neuer finde the hard -way which leadeth to Godskingdome;butthe wordófGod is that heauenly light, which fhineth untovswhofit indarkeneffe, and in thefbadonr of deathguiding our feete into the*ayofpeace, as it is Luk.i .79. Lut.'! .7e. and in this refpea,Gods Mitìiflers are called the light ofthe Matth. s. :ç. world,lMatth. 5. i4. Aas a . 47., becatife, as' lights, theyAft 1314 ?. guitie.aiiddire&men in the wain 'of faluation, and reueale 3 vino F
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