67 . Ten tations imps /n;v; the certa/'ntieofettr perjeuerance. Chrifiiannian haue attained to fotne affurance,_that he is elerled, called, it.tll,ed, and fan&ifed, yet Satan tnillnot gluehim ouer, but labourcth toperfvadehinz,that notwith- fianding. at this he may finally fal awayandbecome a repro- bate. Let it bee granted (will he fay) that thy Elate now is filch as thou fuppcfefl, yet thou art in no fafetie,neither cana promife vnto thy felfe any affurance ofattaining untoeuer- lall'ing life and happineffe,feciug thofe onelywhichcontinue vnto theendßiallbeJaued : whereas thou haft no affurance of thyperfeuerance; nay contrariwife,thou art in refpeelofthy frailtic and mutabilitie,certaineofnothing more then thine vncertaintic. Call to thy remembrance theexample of thy firfi parents, whowere perfeellie righteous and holy, more accomplifhed in all graces thananyoftheir pofleritie,more firong andable to indure andrefìfl all temptations, as be- ing indurd ith free-will, and thereforeable both to chufe thegood andrefute themill, who notwithflanding all this were ouercome, and ofthe childrenofGodmade the flaues offume and Satan. Did they therefore fall who were per - fealie righteous, and cana thou,who art moll imperfedl, hope to (land ? were not they who were full of all graces able to indure the incounter in the day oftrial!, and canft thouhope tomake refiftancewho art full of finne and cot. ruption ? were they vanquifhed who were firong champi- ons,anddoefi thou,who art weake and feeble,hope for vi- clorie ? were they allured by Satans temptations, to com- mit f ìnne,and fall fromGod,who couldfreely vi=ill the good and nill the euill ; and cana thou hope toperfeuere and continue conftant, wholewill is captiued and ouerruledby thy corruption ? Confider further thy mutabilitie and vn- conflancie,thy exceeding weakneffe and frailtie, thy corrup- tions and itnperfe&ions ; and on the other fide let before thee, the nightie power, the fubtill policie, the vigilant watchfulncffe, and vnwearied diligence, ofthy fpirituall e- netnies who continuallie affault thee`: and then thinke with -thy felfe iftherebe anypoffibilitie, that thyweaknes fhoul'd withf}and their power, thy ignorant frmplicitie their pru- < entwifedome, and thyCareleffe negligence:their careful! diligence. NMI
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