68 6 Excufe. Carnafl men excufe them - felvea,and caft the blame up- on God. i Pemen. Wilful! Impenitent" will needed none ; may be thou wilt pray for pofbilities till thou hats them, and give him thankes for poffìbilitier when thou haft them, but thou canft not pray for a dill, for thou thinkeff thou hat it; nor give him thanks for thy will for ¿bat is thine own. So that thou art Devilifbly pr,aud ; never humbled ince thou wert borne. Nay thou art fo proud that all thy Prayers are but mockeries, and thy giving of thankes is a mockery. How c_eoff thou bike that Godfhould convert thee, whoa a, thy proud heart tels Gad be. forehand, thou wauldfl not thanke him if be fbould. Nay fixthly, Thou caffefi all the blame upon God ;for its even juft as if thou lhouldit fay, I cannot helpe it if God be not pleated to in able me, how can I helpe it ? my will is as good as anothers, Inch and fuch are fo forward and fo Heaveuly. God gives them the power ; but my will God knowes is as good as theirs, I would faine doe as well as thebeft,but I cannot; Q if God would finable nee, I would. O beloved, take heed of thefe conceits, for yee calf all the blame upon God ; whereas the blame is in your fclves,yee mould not be inabled. I fay yee call all the blame upon God. Firfl,beeaufe yee ca ff the blame upon nature,its my nature, and I cannot ; I would, but its my nature and I cannot. Thou layeft the blame upon thy Nature, and therefore thou calleft the blame upon God for not helping thee to a better nature; it is God that jailly determines mens natures. Ones nature is more cholerick, anothers more fearefull, anothers more lazy, anothers more lutifull. Doll thou lay the blame upon nature, my nature is more fubje& to choler, and wrath ? Alas, thou layeft blame upon God. For its he that difpofeth of mens natures,and therefore, thou takelt part with thole wretches that faie, why haft then made me that? loom. 9. z O. thou layeft the blame up- on God, I would not doe thus, but onely 'tis my nature, and I cannot helpe it. No. And wilt thou lay the blame upon God? No , no ; this is thy nature and thou art contented with this nature. Second
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