for anaff dedcon(ience. 139 thee better to difcerne of thofe temptations in others : when thoufhalt haue obferued with feareand tremblinghow theymake their firftentrieinto a mans heart,how theyga- therftrength,how theyagree with ourcorrupt nature,in whatdegrees they cone toforne growth,how the fpiritofGodcloth refill them,whatbe the 'manes beft topreuade againit them.And thus ifthou make thyprofitby them,thou fhalt fowonderfully (earth anddel- crte by feuerall veines, the bodie, age and *height ofthere temptations in others,byan ,.0, firength. holy experience whichGodbath taughtthee in thy Idle, that betides that thou (halt lay forthmens ferret corruptions, as ifthou werft intheirbofomes ; thou (halt bee able alto by the feede offorrowin thy felfe,tobeget anvnfpeakableioy in others, who intime may betempted as thou nowart. Thinke moreouer and befides,thatfilch is theefñcacieofftnne, that they who arenow Not, no papifts,Heretikes,Adulterers,or Theeues,mayfor theirfecurecontemning andfoolifh palling ouerof thefe temptations rent dnto them, fuddenly, fhortly after fall into them; becauf theywouldnot feeketomake forcevieofthem,norconfab before the Lord both their pronenelre and worthineffeto fall into them. But if wee will humble our felues so rich temptations,and learnby themmeekely todifcerne the corruptionsof ourhearts, wefhall not onelyprefentlydeliuerour 'bluesfrom perill, but bee alfo furtherenabled to affift others hereafter,in thelikedanger. But foiewill oppofe againitthefe things which we haue deliuered : Doe youthinks it a remedie to caft downe them that are alreadiehumbled ? This is rather tobee a butcher than a builder ofa mans confcience. Towhom I ant- were, thatI defire preachers tobee builders,and not butchers ; and it is one thing generally toapplie, and another particu- larly to lay the medicine unto the wound.It isgood tobegin with fearchingfirlt,and to purge the fore bythe vineger oftheLaw,and afterto hippie it with theoyle ofthe Gofpel. Bothwhichmutt bee done inwifedome, vfing them to Tome in greater,to force in teller meafure.For ascomebatting nothing but a decayofnature,and nomortali humour,need ratherrefloratiue,than purging medicines: fo forne rather troubled for force Ipirituall wants,than for grofferfinnes,neede not fomuch thefharpethreatnings ofthe Law,as the fweete promiles oftheGofppeil. As the bodie, through forceextraordinarie repletion,ha- sirable. uinggotten fomegreatftirfer, not fomuch to the weakening ofnature, as to the threat- ningof imminentdeath,and therefore required; ratherborneftrongpurgation,than corn- forcable and cordiali medicines : even fo the route brought almolt todeathsdoorewith forneextraordinary finne,israther tobebored and pearced with the denouncing ofGods iudgements,thanotherwife. But becaufewe would dealemore plainly and leiteconfufed- ly,it is good in our acceiretuaffi&ed confciences,to lay theretwogrounds. Firft,wemutt perlwadethe perlonshntnbled,that theirtinsare pardonable,and their forescurable. And rrooground: after,thatthis vifitation is not fo much a figneofGods wrath and anger, asa Pealeof his to be remem- mercie and fauour,in that it is not either blindor barren, but plentiful) in goodeffe&s, bredis the and fruitfhsilin godlyblues. Theformerhowneedfullitis,theexperienceoffomanyal- esteseffutes moft ashauebeen thrownedowne,isafu!$cient witnes:who haue liad thisas a taggetied 4l0e4 to their temptations,that neuerany werefoplaguedas they,noneever had the like temp- tations. The Lordwill Purelymake an end ofthem in Tomeftrange and vnknownetemp- tation. Wherein they are not vnlike vntomen fallen into fome dangerous difeafe,who thinking themfelues tobewithout the fadome ofthe hhifitionsskill, and not tobe within thecompalte of things recouerable,adde a fecondand forer glideunto their former. Whereforeas there menfeeme tobe halfehealed, whenany man ofknowledge canbe brought,whoby experiencehath curedthe likemaladie inlike degreesin others : fo there forrowfull foulesart not a little byhope refrefhed and ftrengthened tolookfor tome cafe, when they fee none other temptationtohaue ouertaken them,then fuch ashaving fallen into the nature ofman,hauefound inercieat diehands of God, that beemightbefeared. This groandworkeframed,it is good(to buildvpand repairethe decayedby ofthe mind) partlyby thelaw,tomakea preparatmefor thereioyes,ifthemindenot trulyhumbled,be not fit tobetruly comforted :and partly bythe Goipell,ifthe confciencekindlythrowne downe,is becomeafit fubie&to appliethe fweete promifesofGod in IefusChrift unto it. N 4 And
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