434 / 772
Ephcf.4.i
i.ta
406
1!?ottues toperfivade
vs
to
hallos:
our
repentance.
man
would thinke they fhould
rather
haue
Paid,
let
vs (aft
and pray,för
to morrow
we (hall
die;but this
plainly
íheweth
that
we are
neuer
the
neerer
our conuerfion vnto
God,
and
trite
repentance
though
we are
certaine
that
death approch-
eth;
it
is
onelietheworke ofGods
fpirit, which
ordinarily
worketh not by the
meanes
of
frckneffe
or
feare
of
death,but
by the
miniilrie
ofthe
word,which
is
Gods
owne
ordinance,
infl
itoted
of
God
far
the
gsttherrnQ
together
of
the Saints,and
for
the
ed,j cation
of
the
body
of
Chrift.
And therefore whileíl
the
Lord'
calleth
vs in
the preaching
of
the
word,let
vs
hearken
.
veto
his
voice, and turne
vnto
him by vnfained repentance:
for
if
Gods
ovine
ordinance
is
not
effedluall
for
our con
-
uerfion,
affuredlie
there
is
no
hope that
euer
wewill
be con
-
uerted by
ficknes
or any
other
extraordinarie
meanes
what-
focuer.
It
is
an
admirable miracle
wrought by
the infinit
wifdotne and almightie power
of
God,
that
a
poore
(inner
fhould be conuerted
veto
him
by the
preaching
of
the
word,
for hereby
we
who
were
dead
in finne, are raifed
vp
to
new
-
neffe
oflife;we
who
were
borne blind,are
indued with fight;
curheartstnore
hard then the Adamant,
are
made flexible;
and
loft aswaxe to
rcceiue
any
imprefíion,
which the
Lord
will
imprint
in
them, and
wee are
moued to denie
our
felues,,
and to
cafl
away our owne righteoufneffe, and
to
refland re-
lie
vpon Chrifl
Iefus
alone for
our
iuflification
-and
faluati-
on,
which
is
quite contrarie
to
our natural'
difpofition
:but
it
were
a
miracle
ofrniracles,
that
all
thefe
things fhould
be
wrought
in
vs
by
fickncffe,
which the Lord hath
not ordai-
ned for this purpofe,
when
as
the
meanes
appointed by
God
himfelfe
the miniflerie
ofhis word,
which
is
Gods
owne
or-
dinance
could neuer worke them
in
vs.
It
may
bee
indeed
that Dogs
hand
lying
heauy vpon
vs
in
the time
offickneffe;
and
fearing worfe iudgements
in
the
life
to
come,we may
be
moued hereby
to
make
a
goodly fhew,
and
to vow great re-
formation ifwe might
bee reflorcd to our health
:
It
may
be
that with
Tharaah,wee
may
make
a
fained
confef
ion
ofour
fumes, and
promife
to amend,if
this
iudgement
may
bee
re-
maned,
or
that
we may
with
e/Achab
outwardlie
humble
our
felues
before
God,
to
the end we
may cfcape
thofe
fearefull
punifhtnents