cort¡olationsaga:r,ii hardimb v`he,trt. 195 the word which is (owed in the furrowes of their hearts. In the meane while the Lord may in his heavenly \-\ ifedom feede them for a time with a (paring hand, to the end that h may trtielyhumble them vnder the fight and fenfe oftheir corruptions; and that he mayhereby fo, fharpen thcir appe- tites) that theymay-with more hungering delire, and earnef} indeuour, feede vpon the heaucnly.rnannaofhis word;but as this fhould increafe their diligence, fo it fhould notdecreafe theirhope and comfort, for mof} aífuredly when the Lord bath a whilewhetted their f}omack, and by pulling backe bis hand mooued them more earneí}ly to defire, and more highly to ef}eeme this precious foode oftheir foules, hee will fully fàtiffie their hungring delire, nourifh them in all fpiritu- all graces, and make themwho are but babes, arcing men in Chria. In the meanc time let them not faint, but vvaite vpon the Lord, be f}gong and truf} inhim and he will Purely com- fort their hearts,as the Pfalmif}fpeaketh ;Pfa1,27.16. Secondly, whereas they cotnplainc: that they doe not after the hearingoftheword, perceiue in then-if-duesany increafe ofknowledge, faith, pr any falling grace, they are toknow that howfoeuerno man ought-to ref} conten-ed in this elia.te, but are toia_bòur more andmore, not onely.to haue, but alto todifcernean increafe ofgrace in them, anda progreflê in all vertneánd godlineffe, for otherwife,tho ugh they may be the childré ofGod, who for a time Iiue in fuch a cafe,yet theycan not attaine vnto the aff;ra;ace. thereof; nor ferle the comfort ofit in their own:confelences, neuertheles, there is no reafon why they. fhould def,aire or be vtterly difcouraged; for though they find no fruits oftheir hearing, yet. if in obedi- ence toGods commanclement, they will with care and dili- gencecontinue f}il hearersoftheword,they fhal vndoubted- ly in theend attaine voto their delire, and dilcerne in them - felues a great increafe ofgraceand godiineffe. We.know that the feede lothnot prefentlybring forth., fruit whenì it is call into the ground, but lira it feemeth to rot and perifh, and then it fprouteth vp in a grcene blade, and then it beareth an care. and a great increafe and much fruite ; and fo it fa- rethofterititnes in hearing the word. of God, for at firl it.: e e (,'er.f0a_tions forfilch as bevva'le their - want iffie- 1e g theNils, oftheir hea- ring. N
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