557 / 772
Our
t,ant
of
feelixT
argueth
not want
of orth.
5
2
g
againe
in
their
woonted`flrength;
fo
that
this
inference
is
no
leffe
falfe
then
the
other,
there
is
no
fenfible appearance
of
there
fan
&ifying
gifts and graces, and therefore
they
are
quite loll
and perifhed; for the graces themfeluesremaine,
though
for
a
time they
appeare
not
in
their
anions
and fruits.
So in
the
time
of
winter
the
fruitfuil trees are
fo
nipped
with
the
cold frofts, and
fo
weather
-
beaten with
tempeflu
ous
ftormes
that
they
appeare
naked and
bare,not
only
with-
out
fruite
but
alío leaues,
fo
as
if
wee (hall
iudge according
to
fenfe
and
outward
appearance,we fhould
falfely
conclude
that
they
are
dead
;
for
by
experience we
know that
they
hue
and
fucke
nourilhment
out
of
the earth,
euen
when they
are molt
fpoiled
of
their
fumier
beautie
;
and
though they
are
toffed
with the
winds, yet hereby they
are
not hurt, but
rather take
deeper
roote,
and
fo
are
made
capable
of
more
nouriíhment;
and
though they
be nipped
with
cold frofts,
yet
hereby they
are
not
made
barren
nay
rather hereby their
wormes and cankers
are
killed,and they
prepared and made
fit
to bring
forth more fruit
in
the time
of fumier,
when
the
comfortable fpring approcheth, and the fweet
lhowers
and
warme funne beames
fall
and
defcend vpon
them. And
thus it
is
with
the
fpirituall
graces in
the poore Chriftian, in
the
winter
ofañ3i
&ion, they
are nipped
with the
cold frofts
offeare
and
doubting,
and weather-
beaten with
theboifle-
rous blahs ofSatans
tentations,
fo
as
they
feeme
euen
dead
at
the vene
roote,
if
wee Ihall
iudge according
to outward
fenfe
and appearance:but yet
by
experience wee find
that it
is
farre
otherwife, for hereby
they
are
not
ouerturned
though
they
be fhaken,
and
this
fhaking maketh them to take more
deepe
roote
in
godlineffe, and
though
they bee nipped and
pinched
with
feares
and
doubtings,
yet they perish
not,onlie
the
canker
-
worme
of
pride, fond prefumption, and
ielfe
confidence
is
mortified and
killed;
and
they hereby
arc
pre
-
pared
and
fitted
to
bring
forth
more
plentiful) fruits
of
ho-
lineffe and righteoufneffe,
when
the
fpring
of
true com-
fort
commeth, whereiw.the fweete fhowers
of
Gods
holie
fpirit
diftil
vponthem,and thewarme
funfhine
of
Gods loue
and
fauour
againe appearcth
to
them.
Mm
The