Ofhumilitie. 93 and that vponman,beinginhis innocencie ; wee mutt thinkethathe hopeth aswell now togettheviEtorie inthis wicked world vponmanTo finfull, who now is as tender and as apt to receiucthe teat 1parke of vainglorie, asthe enemie is both Prong and fubtillto ftrikeiton vs. Yetfurther obferue,thaewhen our Lord Iefus Chrift wasmots full ofOods fpirit,hewas then led to he tempted in the wildernefe; when hewasmot furnifhed,hewas molttried. On likemanner, when wee haue receiued fome great gifts, weemutt looke boththatthe Lord for hispartwill take fosnetriall of them,andthat Sathan altowatching forthe richeft pray,and gapingfor a man when he hopes to haue the belt fpoyle,willfor hispart there, vfe themolt forceand cmming,wherehe findeththe ráreft and molt notable feruants of God: partly becaufebee mot enuieth them, andpartly for that by pride hethinketh too- nefttotnueiglethem. WhereforeifGods children(hall truly examine their owne hearts inthis finne, they (hall haue tome teftimonie and triall in themfelues,whetherthey bee tbankfull for Gods mercies in truthor no, ifhauing receiued much they feare much : and by howmuchthe morethey esrcreafe ingffts,by fomuch they grow the snore iealous over Asgrater in- their thoughts,words and deedes, and fit as it were in the watch-tower of their hearts, creafe,f defird viewing to efpie euen their leafs declïnings. Which thing ifwee coulddoe intruth, wee ineaa may Ihonld notfohaue the gracesofGod and feeling of the fpirit by fits, but both in greater I meafureand longer continuance : the want ofwhich heedetaking to ourfèlues,couftrai- neth theLord topunif[m vs (as Ifayd) with dulnes and deadnesof fpirit, thereby to pre- VVberefore fernevsfrom viler finnes,which otherwifeour pride and fecuritie would carrie vs head- % feelingand long into. Andwere it fo that in reuerence and fearewecouldattendmore on the Lord, ¡reg.. e but wefhould not hanehis good fpiritforare agueft vnto vs,and wefhouldfinde theencreale and returne ofgreater confolations thenwee Issue. Why doe menthen fomuchmarmite at the dulnesof mindeconnning on them after forre rare feelings of the fpirit, and when they haue tal'ted byes glorious and vnfpeakable, and thinkethat nowall the fruitesof Gods grace areas cleangone away in thesn,as ifthey neuerhad tatted ofthepower of re- generation,feeing vnthankfulnes is fò ordinary and vfuall a finne with vs?But admit we have fomegoodwitnefleof conference and our heart tellethvs thatwe hauebeen thank- full,thenmutt wethinkethat the Lord doth trievs,andwillbring vs toacknowledge that the thingwehad,was hisonely gift togiue andtakeawayathis pleafure, and that itcarne notfrom our felues as a thing to commaundat our becke. Howbeitvfually and for the molt part our vnthankfulnes is the caufeof this dulnes. Now, albeit this kind of buffe- Vntbankefut- eingbe grieuousvntovs, yet weemutt not defirevtterly tobe freéd from it, becaufeby it sesantes! our pride iscured. Forifthat chofenveffell and feruantof the LordPaul, foabounding in dulnes' graces ofthe fpirit,fb frequent in fatting, fooften inprayer, watchings and temptations, couldnot prcuailcagainst this finne : fetingby all thefe former wales lice couldnot fub- duethis corruption inthe flefh,we snult not dreame and deludeourfèlues, that weevtng nothing fomany helpesofmortification, fhould vtterly be rid from thefame. When the Lord then fihall exercife vs with thispricke in the flefh, although it is the mefLngerof Satan tobuffet vs : yet weemutt take holdon this toourcomfort,that the Lorddii sfe h andmoderatethit : and though wee be often and long affaultedwith ir,yet (till weemuff strangedoubte miflike it,wemuft till begrieued for it,andpray inChrilt againftit; wemuff tremble and in of bee humbled in our felues, thatwee should Isaac Inchftraunge and doubting thoughts of Gods roifdome$ Gods wifedodme,power,maiefie, and prouidence,&c. and yet in fuchmanner and mea- psuer,tae: lureas knowing it to beGods mercie,that by theft meanes the Lordwould keepevs front morevile and enormous crimes. Further and befides this, the Lordgiuethvs to feefuch mongersof theminde, to forewarnevs and snakevs more afraideof falling intothe out- ward a&ionof finne. Thus wee haueoften temptations ofvnbeleefe,tomake vs to feare Vyhn.et, e the falling from thefaith; we hawpriuiedifcourfes ofpoperie,to thewwhat adangerous Godschildren thing it were to begiuen over vnto poperie ; wee haue often vile thoughts of adulcerie, oreoften euer- murder and theft,todriue vsmore earneftly topraythatwe neuer fall into there finnes in sledwuh eráñ ahition. Andfor thiscaufe they that will not make fome holefome inftru6uionoftheir in- thoughts. ward temptations,nor fufpeéttheir falling into theanion offinne by theaffectionof fin, often
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