-Yo8 e.Vled:tatlons. deft the ioyofGods people,though thou wert in forrow! if thouconldeft glory with Gods inheritance,though thou Cufferedftfomeoutward fhame,if thou thoughtett thy felflrappy inthe felicityofGods chofen,althouglrofallmen thou tnighteftfeememuttmi- ferable; then wouldthy confcienceno doubt fpeake comfortablyveto thee , itwould tell eut aj¡ïilEed, thee thou didtttruelyelteeme of thegloryof God. Now if thou thinkeft that herein too yetgreotly much is required of thee, then lookevntoGods children in former ages , Pau! was fore eomfnrted, afAiéìed, much troubled,andoftenimprifoned ; yetall this didnothinggrieue him fo long neben be as the Golpelhad goodfuccelle,and the Churchesflourifhed. Therefore in hisEpiftleshe beanie the faith often : Iwas comforted when I heardof your faith : I hueif youhand fait,andfuclt Churahaad like fpeeches, whereby hedid euidently declarethat hefought the glory of God, andnot prelperitieof hisowne praife. Danielcontrariwife was ingreat credite, honour, and eftimation,hewas theGoJpell. preferred aboue all the Princesof Perfra,andwas fecond voto the King , buthowdid het efteemeofthis honour? whataccount made hee of his authoritie? Surely verylittle, for whenhe faw that theappointed timeof theendof their captiuitiewas not come, when he faw the worfhipofGoddecayed and wornalmoft cleanout of miede,when he faw the oppreffionof Gods people byy, the wickedheathen, hisheart was beanie,and hisfoule did melt griefs : yea, though hehadBerrie toworshipGod,though heewerefree from all oppreffion, yet did hehumblehis foule with fatting,and was in heauineffe three weekes of dayes,becaufe Gods Churchwas not fartherinlarged, becaufethe temple lay vnbuil- ded, andbecaufe hisbrethren the Iewes hadno oportunitietocleaue vntoGodsworfhip, Thiswas the praátifeofgodly meninauncient times. This altomutt beour praêtife,if our hearts be pure : thusfarre forthe triall ofour heartsbyfeare, ioy,hope, andgriefe, in all thingswhichwetake inhand. Nowfolloweth thefecond part of this tryall, by applying it vinotimes, asvnto pprofperitieandaduerfrtie. Ifwee lookenot warily yuta that time wherein we line, we,tlirouglsthe great corruption ofour heartsmay bedangeroully de- ceiucd. For profperitiewill moue vs toprayfe God, and troublewill makevs tremble at the thinking of him, andnonealmoft is fo defperate and voyd ofall knowledge, which will notdo fo:the wifeof lob will prayfe and bleffeGod , in a boundance andprofperitie; and Ihre nodoubt hathmany companions. Pharaoh will be humbled when thehandeof God is v onhim :Sam!willbegodlywhenGoddotháfti thim:andwillnotmanydo TWOofthe asSaul did? arenot many likevntoPharaoh? Therefore if thou wilthauethy heart pure, beaus a pis7 looke vnto thyprofeffìon inprofperitie, anddiligently trie thine heart when thou art in teritse trouble. For thoumaift feeme to feareGodwhenhishand is vponthee, thou maift feeme to loueGod whenhedoth enrich thee, and yetthoumaift prouean hypocrite at the !alt. Take heed therefore vistothyheart, and trie it thus,when thou aboundeft in allthings, thou loueftGod. This iswell if it be in trueth. Doeft thoualfo feare him? Art thou a- fraid todifpleafehim ? Art thouafraid to finne against him? Doeft thou ofvery confci- ence abftamefromfecret finneagainft him, though nolaw can punifhthee? Arc thou a- fraid to do wrongto anyman, then.whenhecannot reuenge himfelfe vpon thee? This if thou canifdo, thy loueis true,thy profperitie bath notdeceived thee: but ifthy profpe- ritiepuffs theevp,if it breede in thee a carelefneffe of finne,ifby thy might thou wilt op- prefTehim, althoughhe bepoore, andcannot withftand thee; then if thouhadft the lone of menand Angels,it were but hypocrifre,though thou feemedftto benothing butloue, yet thyheart is bewitched, thy profperitiehath drawn thee fromGod, thywealth bath deceiued'thee. Obakeynto¡ob, andconfider his life, and thou lIraItfee, that when hee Ilourifhed likethe greene baytree, yetif hehad finned, hedurit not goout of the doores, andifthemolt contemptibleof hisfamily had ought againfthim,he wouldhauetakenthe reproofe :ifthen thou abftainefrom open finne, and yetmake no confcience of ferret corruption, if thouabltaine from thofethings, for which punilhment is appointed,and yet notfrom thofe, whichindeed aregreater, though bylaw theybe notpunrfhablt, thou doeftnot loueGod, becaufe thou fearetl nottooffendhim, hee will counttheeanhypo- crite, although thou becalled a Chriftiars, Theway to remediethis thy corruption , is co labour inthy trouble, that thouloueGod,andto Itriue in thy profperitie,tlrathou mayft feareGod, and then thy heartfhallbevpright,neither thyprofperitie northineaduerlitie !halt
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