353 / 772
Rettrons
mouing
yr
t
o
the dsligenthearing
of
7
ods
word.
3 2
S
thorneto
our feete, and
a
light
vnto
our paths
,hfal.ri9.1o5.
Plat
t19Zo5p
whereby
we are
guided
in the waies
of
hoIinefl'e
and
righte-
oufneffe
which
leade
vs
to
euerlafling happineffe,
Which
be-
ing
taken away we !hall
w
alke in
darkeneí%, and be cuerie
flep
readie
to
fall
into
(inne
and eternall
deflruaion. It
is
the
Eplycf
ó,t7.
fword
ofthe
fpirit,wherewith
we
defend our
felues
and of-
fend
our fpiritual
enemies,Eph.6.t7;which being
negle&ed,
or
not
skilfully vfed,we
Thal
lie
open
to
al
thrufls and blow
es,
and be
eafily
ouercome.
In
a
word,it
is
profitable for
all
vies,
as
being
the onely ordinarie
meanes
ordained to
conuey
vn-
to
vs all
good,and to
preferue
vs
from
all
euill;
and
therefore
great
folly
it
is
for any
man
to contemne
it,
or
to
preferre
be-
fore
it
vaine pleafures,
or trifling commodities, which
allo
are
momentanie and vncertaine.
.
Fourthly,the manifold
benefits
which
by
the
wwordofGod
4.Sea.,.
are deriued
vnto
vs,may
ferue as
a
firong argument to
flirre
The
jourtb
mp-
vsvp to the
diligent
and carefull
hearing
thereof;
for
firfl
tiue.
thereby wet
become true
members
of
the
Church,
out
of
which there
is
no
faluation,and
being
ingrafted
into
the
bo-
die
ofChrifl,are
made partakers
ofall
his
benefits. And
this
appeareth
Eph.4.i
1.z
2.
where the
Apoffle
fheweth
that
the
Ephef.4:
1.1á1
end
of
the min iflerie
is
for
the
gathering together
of'the
faints,
and
j
or the
edification
of
the
bodie
o;rChrifI.
Anotable example
whereofwe
haue
ALc.2.41.where,by one fermon
three
thou-
`Aet.
4a.
fand foules
were
added
to
the Church.
'Secondly,
hereby
we
are
regenerated and
begotten
vñto
God,
and therfore
in
this
refpeit
Paul
profeffeth
himfelfe,the father
ofthe
Corinthians
1.Cor.4.1
5.
and
without
this regeneration and
new
birth,
t.Cor.4.t
none (hall euer
enter
into the kingdome
ofGod,as
Our
Saui-
otir
(heweth vs,Ioh.3.5.Thirdly,ynleffc
the blind
eies
of
our
Iohn
34.
vnderflandings
be illuminated,we (hall
fall
into
a
laborinth
of
errors,
and
neuer
finde
the hard
-way
which leadeth
to
Gods
kingdome;butthe word
ófGod
is
that
heauenly
light,
which fhineth unto
vs
who
fit
in
darkeneffe,
and
in
the
fbadonr
of
deathguiding
our
feete into
the
*ay
of
peace, 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,
they
Aft
1314
?.
guitie.aiiddire&men
in
the
wain
'of
faluation, and reueale
3
vino
F