è1Uleditations. 1-61. 1he fecondndteof righteous man is, that hee fillgroWesvp,andmakethlaitygood proceedings ingodlineffe.But here may fame man fay: Ifeele-not this encreafeand going forward : nay Iam fo farre from that,that Iainfometinres driuento commit finne.To this Ianfwere, that filch a ftate is bbothdoubrfull and dangerous : yet ifin a good ennfciento 2pacs if s thoulabour co prouide forthe peaceof thy foule; then trie rhyfelfe and thine owne heart asecodci' by thefe notes. Firft if theconferenceof thyforiner carelefheffe doemake theecareful( : if the remeinbrOnce of thy former fumeschatode thee more'to hare and abhor finne, s more to Ale from it, and the moremanfully to ftriueand fightagainft it; and to befhort, if thoucanft make euery thingthat befalleththee, aft occafiontohelpethee forward:then maieft thouthinke, that euen in there things thou Inakeft fome-good proceedings, for as weknowe that the cloudes can neither leflen the light of the fonne, notice the tousle simile. thereof, becaufeat thelaft they are("tattered by the beate ofthe finne v.'liich finned] out molt comfortably : fowe maybefare that althoughfotnetimes ourrighteoulncsbe cone- red with our infirmities; yet ifwe ouercome them and driue them away, the courfeof ont rightcoufnelfe is notkindred. And againe, as aman isnot lettedby a fall inhis iourney, s;mitr. when be learned] therebyto take better heede, and tohafte faller forward : fo wee by our fallesand infirmitiesarenot flayed, if theymake vs more careful( of our felues,and sasore earneft ingoing forward ; yet mofe we not lay hcre,stis a lightinatter to finne,that there- by theymaybemade morecarefull: for if a manhaue once truly felt the griefeofheart Good co:dioat for finne, ifhe know howbard it is toget viâorie ouerit, ifhee confider how much tieè tofkeepevs bathdifpleafedGod by finne, if lie confider thefearefullpunifhment which hee bath pro= from finne. cured to bin-Self;and if hebe perfwadedthat nonecan ray fie him vpfrom finne but God alone : then bee will bemoft afraid to finne, becaufe heeknowech not whetherGod will rayfehim vpor no, and thereforeif any thinke that it is buta fmall matter to finne, it is certainethat they haue netas yetvnfainedlyrepented, they arenot as yet wafhed from their finites. This firft rule then is good andvery fin to trieour felues, when to our ovine feeling evecan perceiue no encreafeof godlinel a within vs, which dotti canfevs when we fèe it, toefteeme morehighlyof the word; and to make greater accountof it: forif our former negligence, orfane finne through infirmitie,whereuntowehave lhpped,do::nake the word more fauorieand lightfomevetovs,then it is certaine,thatthe Lordof hisgood.: neffe, by this fall bath helped vs forward. Contrariwife, if ourformer carelefneffe doe makevsmore careleffe, if ourflippes or Clonesdo makethe wordvnfauorie or vnfeafona- blevnto vs, we are ina moltfearefull plight, we arein great dangerto fall away:therefore let vs (trineagainftthefe,and let vs labour to vfeeuery thing tohelpe vs forward, let vs la- bourtofindefweetneffinthe word,and thus we (hall hauecomfort, euen in our infirmi- ties ; thenThal ourlight Thinebrighter eueryday,vntil wecome room dying day:now the meanswhich Godhash; appointed topreferue £c in creafethis lightin vs, is his holyword; by whichaswe receiuedour light, fo muff weelabourtohaue itcontinued: thereforeifwe wilnot haueour light quenched, wemuff notdefpife prophecie; ifwe wilhap; into borne cleere,thenwemuff attend vnto hearing,reading,conferring,meditating, and otherex= ercifes of theword, weemuff efchueeuili, and die occafions of euill,then our light (hall flamebut continually. Veda9. Theanyofthe wicked' darknes,theyknownot wherein theyJhallf aiG He former verfe is amplified by the contrarie eftateandconditionof thewicked,their 1 way is asclarknes,becaufetheybedeftituteofthe light ofGods word,& theyknownot wherein they (hail fall: they finand fee it notIthey run vntoherefies andknewitnot; the limo the role- iudgtnents of God-hangouertheirheads,and they efpie it not:thereforewhen they thinke kid vválkcih leaft,they (halbe broughtintogreatefkdangertrouble (hall afailethé like anarmed man, Ilene and and theirforrow (hall comevpon them likeas vpon a woman thattrauelleth with child.In know ìr not. this cafeareall thofe whicharenot inlightenedby theword,this is the flareofallthofe that makenotthe wordtheir lanterne,continually toTrine out beforethem.But the children of God are ina contrariecafe, they art dire£ted by thewordin all their doings, and in the K 3 light
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