9+ The Sermon. me by him,he is theinftrument wherebyGodBoth humble me, I will thereforeloue him. Contrarily,ifwe be oftentouched and amend not,we areindangerofGods wrath.Many indeed are pricked with pooertie,many with ficknes,andCome with other like afftbtions, butfewwith their uins,which is the caufe of theirpoúertie,ficknes, andother a(flibtions. Let vs then learne a willingnes tooffer ourfelues tobe taught and tobepricked for fin, asthefe men were. The wikedallo are pricked fometimes: but it is rather for feare of punifhment,then forconfcience todifpleafeGod,aswere Caineand Judas. Some teenare . stowfoolijl iy pricked,and toput away their forrow, theywill goe lleepe, they willgoe play,they will many 1tla goe fport,theywillget to inertie companie,and paffe away the titne,and fo, asthey ternie puts/ftheir it,theywill purgeanddriue away the rage of melancholia : they neuer goe to anyArea- farmer. cher,toaske oftheLord,oratthe mouth ofhisfpirit :they neuer refpe6 prayer,nerfeeke any comfortin thewordofGod. But to put away furrowon this fort is to call it againe, andto feele it morefrethlyeither in the honreofdeath, or inhell. Contrariwife, dour forrow doth chine vs toprayer, orto the wordof God, it is good. As for thewicked and prophane worldlings,though(astheWifeman faith, Ecclefralt.tr.)he fpend all hisdayes without any euill,yet his darkneswill be greaterthenhis light, his forrow greaterthen his pleafure,his lolle greater thenhis gaine,his troublegreaterthen hisvanitie,in hell.Let vs not then focarnally (hake offthis godlyforrow : forthe wordwill fend vsoften anvn- quiet fpirit,that weemayfeeke to be quietinChrifc. Toexamine ourfelues herein : Haue we beard theword of God ? were we pricked by it then haue weprofited : Hauewenot beenpricked thereby ? then asyetarewenot a làcrifice for theLord. For,as wasPaid be- fore,Chriftcomforted' them that aretroubled,hehelpeth thetathat donbt,he eafeth them whichare indiftreié, hee fetteth their feete inthe way ofpeace and gladnegé,tbathaue longbeen in darknesand forrow. Haue ycnot been forrowfull,and will ye learne a falue for this fore? beforrowfull,that yewerenot forrowfull; be pricked in yourhearts,becaufe ;,atrue exami- youwere not pricked. Hauewe heard the word? lec vs examineourfelues,if our know- caticoefuur ledge be thebetter,if our affetiionsbe the holier. As hauing heard theexpofition of the feints lawofGod,doewe feare God? doeweknowhow to lone God; doewepray toGod; doc we worfhip God inour loules,and inour bodiessnore carefully, andingreater confcience thenwe hauedone heretofore? Areweenotnowas prophane and carelefle 1h11 in giuing the right worfhipto the true God,as beforewe were too fuperftitious,in feruing Angels, Saints,and other faltegods ; neither furrowingfor our idolatrie,nor caringfor truereii- gion? Haue wenot blafphcnted,andprophanedthe nameof God invnreuerent hearing his word,in vnprottable talkingof hisworkes,and abufinghisowne maieftie with (wea- ringand curling asmuchaseuerweedid beforeweheardhis word ? Haue weekept holie the Sabboth ? or haue wenotprophaned it,byopen negletiof theword,by playing,fpor- ting,drinking,and other vanities? Doewee not (till fend forthour feruants todtlpatch ourbutanes onthat day,as ifit werethe market day,when theymay doeInch thingsmolt inour exami. lawfully ? Arenotparents,houfeholders, and gouernours, as Racke in prouokingobe- nationhetea- dience; and children,feruants and lubieéts,as flow in yeelding obedience as euer they ihethvr tojot- were? parents in the maane time, notléeing that children therefore rebell againi them, lore of the corder becaufe they rebell a ain t God ; nor houfeholders perceiue that feruants doe not their thetamma'- Y g > demente, duties tothem,becaufe they doenot theirdude toGod?Are welelfewratlifull,and more mercifull? Are we lel a riotous,andMillie defilers ofourRefh ? and are weemore lober, shalt andholle? Arewelet a giucn tooppref ion,tohard dealing one with another, and more iuft,righteous,andcarefull to mamtaine thegoodcfate of our brethren?Arewe not backbiters, Randerers, or lowers ofdifcord, caufers ofcontentionamongour neigh- bours ? being farreofffrom maintainingloue,vnitie,and the good nameofour brethren? The caufe -why we cannot feefurther into thetathings, is, becaufe we Ratter our likes, and becaufe wecompare ourfelues with ourfelues and with others, but notwiththe rule ofGods word. Letvsthen'carneto acculeour felues,and to judge ourowneconfciences. aCorn;o For ifGod fee vs condemne ourfelues, he will notcondemnevs; ifweaccufe our lelues, . 31. Godwill not fuller Satan to acculevs; ifwe iudge our felues, Godwill acquitsvs from the fcarefulljudgement to come; ifwee bedifpleafedfor our finnes,, Godwill beepleafed with
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