136' e f fiveet comfort which rightly vfed, (hall in fomemeafure fauegard vs from the trouble of an afi&cd mìnde. . The thirdpart Nowlet vs raften fo the thirdpart ofour diuifhon, to thew howGods children being ofthefelt de- fallen into this wound offpirit, may behelped out ofit which (Godwilling) wewillalio uefe?ei. . perforrne,afterwe haueanfwereda neceffarieobiebtion, which (in the formerpart) might feetne to encounteragainft vs. There is no man but willgraunt,thát Dauid,Ieb,and others of the Saints ofGod,had a fight oftheir (inner, a forrow fortheir Chines, and a talleoftihe remiflionof their finnes: howdten commeth it to paffe, that thefemen werefo troubled in miede ? To thisI anlwere, thattheir troublefo befell theist, either forfailing in tou meof the[e former things ; or elfe they were rather afieted forirtallof their faith, than forpu nifhing offhnnerethem. And thereforebe it alwayes prouided, that wethinkenot euery. confliétof confcience, continually and chieflyto be for the purfuing °fourClones : but Sometimes and principally, that it commethforthe ttiall ofourfaith: andyet fecóndari- Thegodlyof= ly, orleffe principally, for the fcourgingoffinne, as we may fee inlob. Whereupon let all iie6te4 men beadmonifhed,when they feegood menthus humbledand throwne downein minds, to lay their bands on theirmouthes from Paying; Surely thefe men are but hypocrites, doubtlefle trefemen be great(inners, theLordhaeh found out their hypocrisie. For good reafon there is, that fuckSilence fhould be vfed : for that theLordmay as well make trial( oftheir faith,as takepunifhment on their Genes. For iffuch alfltftron fhouldalwayes and chiefly be tent for finne, then it Should follow that all othersas they exceeded themin finne,fhouldalto exceede them in the punifhment ofSinn. tataroftbir Butnow comrningtothebluingof this fore, I(hail fee=very ftrange in my cure : and fore. tomuch the more bee wondredat, by howmuch intnanner of proceeding I differ from the moll fort cfmen herein. Iamnot ignorant,that many vifitingafflibled conkiences,cry Howtopro- !till ;t)h comfort them, ohlpeakeioyfullthineisvntothem. Yea,therebe tome and chore eeede ire cox- of , themoliiandwoifuclicafesarefullo?thefeandfachlikefpeeches. Why areyott frtingthea¢ ¡tam. foheauiemy brother ? why areyou focafedownemy rtler?Beofgood'cheere: take itnot fogrieuoufly. Whatis therethatyou (bouldfeare ? God isenercifull,.Chaffis,aSauiour. Theft be fpeeches of loue indeede: but they often doe the poore futtles as much goad herein,. asIf they fhould powre colde water intotheir bofomcs ; when aswithoutfurther feardiingoftheirfores, theymayaswellministerantaladieasamedicine.For asnutritiue andcordial( medicines are notgood for eueryficke perfon,efpeciallywhen the body need- eth rather a throng purgation, thanamatter refloratiue ; and as incarnatiue medicines may for the time allay thepaine of thepatient, but after thegriefe becontmethmore grie- uous : fo the comfortable applying of Gods promifes arenot foprofitable forcurry one that is humbled, efpecially when their9oules are ratherfurther tobe call downe, thanas yet to hcwaiiedvp : to thofefugred confolacionsmayfor awhile ouer-heale theconfcience, and abate fain prefènt griefe ; but foas afterwards the lìnart may be the forer, and the griefe maygrow thegreater : hereof thiseffefi, that comfort feemeth to cure for a while,but forwantofwifedome in theright ditcerningof thetaufe, men utinifter oneme- dicinefor another; and -fo forwant ofskill,thelatter fit grindeth diemforer then thefor- met. Some there be, whowithout all precept and prattile will be theirowne Phifidons: The vaine and thefe,fofoone as.the fit cornmealvpon them,thinke it the beff to chaftifeand to chafe fhftroffine, away theirfurrow, by drinkingattauernes, byminftrelfe ,-inmeriecompanie,bypurging inaüítionr melancholie intakipgPhificke:all which may[éeme to wroteaway the painefora while, ofmmde., but yetafterit biteyl tnoredeepelr,whentheburningfeauerof their fpints flaked] them with a fecond recourfe and for.that beforethey werenot truely fearched, purged, feared andh unced, it cornmeal to page, that the fecondrelapfe is more dangerous then the felt imprefion. To cometo ourpurpofe wemitt know, thatall griefesare either confidedor dillinét; and fume it is that themiede is appalledeither forfoutte caufe knowne o vsascertain ; or for Come thingvnknowne tovs andvncertaine. To them which are troubledwith. fuch blindegriefes, whereof they canfee noreafon, asoften it happeneth to Godschildren in fecretprouidence, who either neuer knewGod, or elfe hadbut agenera l knowledgeof him.
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