Th,zt he may Inreby vvorke in vs truehu- miiitie. L:ro.;. n:, 634 Comfortsfar thofe;vhofeeandfeele theirimperfétiiora. continue inour pouertie, that fo we may contintïallydepend vpon him : and like a vilepouf soldcrhec lothnotfuddcnly aduance vs to our highefl preferments, for then wee would leauehis feruice and betakevs toour cafe and pleafurc ; but hebcfloweth hisbenefits by little and little, and fo keeping vs fill in expeó}ation ofreceiuingmore, he retaineth vs flail in his feruice, and eucrie day increafing hisbountie,hec put- teth alto intoour mouthes new fongs of thankfgiuing, and giueth vs daylie new occafionofpraifing his magnificence. Secondly; as the Lord hereby aduanceth his owne glorie, fo allo he workethour good, and furthereth our eternal' fal- uation. For firftbyleauinginvs there reliques of finne and manifold imperfeòiions,-hee worketh i<n vs, trte humilitie, whichofall other graces is moll acceptable veto .him, and mortifiethour pride, which ofall othervices is molt odious and abominable in his fight. For whenwee fee our manifold infirmities and corruptions of finne, all caufe ofpride and felfe conceit is taken awu,ay, and we inall humilitie aremoo, ued to confeffe, that it is Gods rnercie .that we are not confu_ med ; ,howmuch more that notwithf}anding zur vileneffe and vnworthinefhe, he hath made vs his fonnesand heires of euerlaflingglorie? And thus, ofthe flefhofthis Viperfinne, doth the Lord makea foueraigne antidoteagainfi the dead- lypoyfon. ofpride. Atidasgood' Chirurgions Idoe not fud- derrly healcvp the wound, but keepe it open till they haue drawne out the core and healed it to thebottome, forother- wife it wouldputrifie and become more dangerous; fo the Lordwill not at once heale the wounds of our, Tonnes, but leaueth them as it were open and vneured ,till ?hee haue drawne out-the core ofpride;_whichbeing left in vs (though we were healedofall our other finnes) would- more indan- ger vs than all the refl. Wherein the Lord confirmeth and furthereth vs in-che way of faluation ; for nothing.more weakneth anddífableth vs than pride, nothingmore ftreng- theneth& vpholdethvs than humility, becaufe the,firength whereby we fland and repell our fpirituall enemies is not our owne abilitie, but the power of Gods might, and the-Lordwithdrawethbis aflifting .hand from theproud to the
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