aa Confortáblepre[eru ttbseragxin[ deîperatron. 467 thercertaine affurance that the contrarie is true ; for he fpea- truth.ta dc- keth onely lies, orifat anie time hee fpeake the truth it is to "jig' thisende that hee may deceiue vs. For example, he telleth the fecure-carnall man that hee is in the flare of grace, and highly in Gods fauour, but vnto the humbled (inner he faith, that he is a reprobate and (hall moa certainely be damned; vnto the worldly fecure man he faith,that God is moil mer- ciful!, then thewhich nothing canbee more true, but doth not fpeake this in his confcience, becaufe bee would haue him to tall thereof, but to lull him afleepe with this fveete fyrenFong tohis eternal! perdition. On the other fide, when hee hath todealewith the brufed heart and contrite fpirit, hee telleth himofnothing but ofGods exa&iuflice, to the end that hee may plunge him into utter. defperation : In a word, whatfoeuer hee fpeaketh in the confcienceofman,itis either falfe in it felfe,or iftrue in theft, yet falfe in hypothefi, if true in the generali, yet falfe in the particular applica- tion. As what can bee more true then that God is iuf+ ? and what more falfe then that hee will exercife his iuffice inpunishing, repentant and humbled tanners ? what can bee more true thenthat God is mot+ merciful!? and what more falle then that hewil thew this-his mercyin fauing thofewho Hue and die in their fins without repentance?and yet it is mot+ vfuall with Satantoaffirme both theone and the other, ly- ing inboth,becaufe hee doth mifapply them. And there- fore feeing Satan doth neuer fpeake the truth, or elfc doth falflyapply it in refpe&ofour eflate,let vs acquaint our felues withhis falfe language;andfo by hearing his lies wee may bec the better affured ofthe truth ; for .example, when hee telleth vs that our finnes are vnpardonable, that it is now too late to turne vnto the Lord, that wee arc reprobates and damned wretches, we knowing that our malicious enemie by his lyes doth continually feeekour deflru6`+ion, are con- trariwife to affure our felues that Godsmercy and Chritles merits farce exceed our finnes,that now is the acceptable time anddayoffaluation, ifwe turne vetoGod,and hea- ringhis voice not harden ourharts,that weare in the flareof faluation, the veffelsof tnercy,andbelóued childrenofGod. ki h aftly.
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