aChrifians Growth. 6 ilfueopen, even as thofe that have ifli es made in their armes or legs, ufe to have a peale, or fome fuch fmafl thing, to lie in the orifice of the iffue to keepe it open and fo doth filch a new truth with fpirituall light difcovered, fill keepe the purging iffue offinne even, and drawes out the filth, and keeps the hurt ; fo fayes Salomon Pro. 6. 21,22, and 24. obferve the coherence there, and it is as ifhe had raid, Keepe this commandfrefh in mind, and it fhall keep thee. Godufeth alfo the examples of others as meanes to provoke a man topurge himfelfe. Example ofthofe that have been 'Profeffors, and fable away ; they provoke a man to fet frefh upon this worke,le[f that the like fins fhould prevaileagain[{ him alfo, and caute him to fall: There- fore the Apofkle, when he heard of Hymenacu and Philetus their fall, 2 Tim.a.aa. Let every one, (ayes he, that calls upon the name of the Lord, make this ufe of it,to departfrom iniquity : And it fol- lowes. Ifyou [purgeyour felves] from theft , yefhall be veld! of honour. it follows upon that occafion. Examples of holymen : To heare very holy men fpeak what viL`ory over lulls may be attained here, doth much provoke ano- ther to purge himfelfe, who elfe would content himfelfe with a leffer degree : So Phi/.3.17. In the laí1 place, there are many inward work ngs upon the heart, whereby Godgoes on í}i11 to purge us. First, by afurther difcovering ofcorruptions unto us ; either a greater filthinefl'e in the evils we law afore, or to fee more of them, and by what one fees to fufped more. God never difco. vers lu[ts to his, but to carry them away ; he gars the humours, to purge them : Thus when David law his finne, he fets anew up. oncleanfing himfelfe in the ig. 2'fal. commingnew from taking a view of his heart, and having fL-en fuck volumes of corruptions, fo many Errattes in all that he did, he cryes out, who canunder- fandhi' errors ? and withal], Oh cleanfe me fromferret flanes. HI° then law ferret evils, and fulpeFted more then as yet he faw ; and this made him cry out, Oh cleanfe me, and fo to ufe all means, and to goe toGod to cleanfe him. So when in the 15. Plat. God let downe a light to let him but fee the corruption of his natureafrefh, that he wa>s borne injinne, and had no truth there, more 7 3. Examples 4.Imva,d (vor- Alms.
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