138 éflfrveetcomfort about foie efpeciall finnes : foras it is not fufficient for theauoyding of hypocrifie,to fee 'Kot to ryeone finne generally : fo it isnot enoughto efchue the deceiueabienes of theheart,tuer to be f:meeonly,and poring bnfily in oneparticular,and to be forgetfull ofour greatand general! finnes. But toforget the let vs !came by theparticulars to paffe to the generals. When any fuch one fin thenBoth purfirethee,reft not only therein,butfay thus rather to thy felfe ; OhLord,is this one fin fo grieuous? and dothmy God punish this one finnefo forcly? How great then fhould be my puniflunent,ifthoufhouldeft (OLord) fo deale withusefor all my others finnes. Let vs labour tohave a fenfe both ofgenerall andofparticular (limes, leaft in time ourgriefe paffe away without fruite,whileftthat notbeingdifpleafed aswell with one frne, as with another,we either looke too fuperftially to generals, and not toparticulars ; or elfe too friper(ticioutlyobferue particulars,and not thegenerals. Concerning chorefinnes whereuntowe are tempted,as when aman is moued to thinke blafphemoutlyofGod the father,or to doubt whether there be aChriftor no,or to ima- ginegroffely ofthe holieGhoft,or todenie God,ortodoubt oftheTrinitie, orto beemo- ued to murther, adulterie,or fuch like : in which temptations liee feelethGodsfpirit to checkelriinfor them,foasheknowethnotin thiscafewhattodoe : for thaton the one fide he daresnot lifter willinglyto there fearefull and monftrous temptations,;andon theo- ther fide,hee feareth least in time bylong fine, heemight fall into them; or attheleatt for that hefeeth nothowtobedeliuered from them :Ifuppofethefemotions arenotfo much to bedifputed with,as weby them are tobeprouoked tomore inftancand extraordinarie zealeofprayer. - Surely thefeare dangeroustemptations, and thereforeare notto bekeptdole, which ournaturewill earlyinclinevnto: but particularlyare to be confellèdofvs.For thediuell will cornefometime to thee,tokeepethee Rillin ageneral! acknowledging offinne, and vrge thee on this manner: Surelythou mutt needeodoe thisfinne, thou feeR thou canft haue no eafc,vntilltlrouhaft confented,thouart ordained to it : the reafonwhy thou art thus inceffantlytempted,isbecaufe thoudoeftnot thus take thypleafure. Goe to,denye secretmotionsGod, beleeue nothis word : it is but a policie to keepe menin awe ; Religion isno fuch votofinne. matteras mentakeit. Thus forfeareofyeelding on theonehand,and for Maine of dif- clofing thetemptations on theotherhand, manymen hauepined away,and almott haue beenovercome bythem. Ifweefhould difclofe this(faythere men)what would people fay ofvs? They would count vs Atheifts, they would thinke vs the wickedeft men inthe world. WeII,forour inftru&ionandconfolatiots herein, letvs learne that their kindesof temptations, are either correEtions forTome finnespaff, or punifhmentsfor fome time prefent,or forewarnersof fome thine to come. Wee Mall fee many temptedtoadulterie, who(no doubt)cannot be broughtto conímit it;and yet becaufein their youth they haue committed it,and not repentedofit,it comes to themagain. The like may beobferued in theft,ingluttonie,and inother temptations, which arenotfo much fent vntovs,prefently toouercomevs,as to putvs inminde, that fometime heretofore wehailing binouercome with them, fhould nowrepent forthem. Sometimeaman (hall liein foiefinne, whereof when heewill not be admonished, neither bythe publikenor private meanes, then fumo other ltrangetemptation !hall fall vpon him,differing from that wherein bee prefently lieth,to admonifhhimof that other finne. As when aworldling (hallbe tempted to adul- terie,a thingwhich he bath nodefrretodoe ; yet it is to makehim looketo his worldlines, whereofhe bath fo throngandthorougha liking : wherewith if thenhe willnot be awa- ked,hee may fuddenly fall into that to, and fo by the punifhmentofGod, inpunilhing one finne withanother,bothhis finnes(hall beto hisgreat ¡home layd open, and one fin (hall make knownanother. Sometimealto it commeth topaffe,that one (hall be temp- ted with fuch a finne,asneither heretofore,nor prefently.heebathgivenany liking or en- tertainmentveto ; and yet the Lord by it may forewarne him howhee may fallinto it hereafcer,as alfo to thew thathebathhood allhis former life,rather by thegraceofGod, 'Doubts. than bythe ftrength of liefh and blood. Wherefore when thou art moiled to doubt of God, ofChrift, oftheword, or ofiuftificacion, doenot Co much Rand wondring atthefe ftrangetemptations,as thinke with thy felfe that it is the rnercieofGod bythem, to caufe thee i
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=