Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

1¢o eXfieetecomfort And hereagainc toantwere them that denie the law wholy,orat allto be vfed,when wee would breedconifortinone :1 dcmaund whetherifit be neceffarie tomaintaine the righ. teoulnes ofChri kitbenot alto as neceffarie topreferue therighteoufhes of the law ? See- ing the rightcoulnesof the law, ofvs not fulfilled, will draw vs veto the righteoufties of Chrill tovs imputed : & fith the rigliteoufnesofChrift to vs imputed,is neuer throughly and truly elleemed,vntill we fee therighteoufnesof the lawof vs to be vnperformed. A-. gaìne,ifourSauiour Chrilldid forefhew hisDifciples,that thefirft work of theholyGhoft athis comming,fhould be to conuiétthe world of finne,tomake menknow,that without IefusChritt there is nothing but finne,and then,that hc fhould rebukethe worldofrigh- teoufaaes,thattheymight fee howChrift diednot for hisown fins,butfor the finsof others: now tohegin fee notwhy it fhouldnot bevery conuenient,firft to lay open therighte.oufnes ofthe law, with the laayitt thatmenmay fee their finnes ; and then therighteoufnes ofChrift,that men may fee their euees curing Used. fins dilcharged in him. Befides,wherethe Lord faithby hisProphet : At. what timefoeuera flatterdab repent of hisfnnesfrom thebottom ofhit heart,f waiveall hiswicI ednes out gm remembrance :it maywell begathered,that there muffbe firll a found forrowfor finne;and then a true ioy offins pardoned, maymore freelyby vertue of hispromile beboth hoped for,and lookedfor afterward. Moreouer,feeing all thepromifesofGod in the Gofpell are commended vistovs enderthe title and tenourof reftoringfight to theblinde, hearing to the deafe,ftrengthto thelame, healthto the ficke, and life to the dead ; itis manifeft,not onely that there is no difeafeofthefoulewhich driftcannot Neale: but alfo that wemuft firft findour felues blind,deafe,dumbe,lame,fick and dead,beforehe will meddle withvs ; becauftthey that are whole needenot thePhificion,and lice Caine to call finners,notthe righteous to repentance.Now,to doe this in wifedome,by neither preflingthe confcience too feuerely,norreleafing the confciencemore vnaduifedly, it (hall be a fafe way, tovie the well tempered fpeechofthe Appoftleto the forcerer: Repent,tbatifitbepofrible,thyliinne maybeforgittea thee. Wherehe lothnot wholydnfcourage him,becaufe it maybe his fi nne maybe pardoned ; neither yet tooboldly incourage him, inthat without repentance, lice fhetveth it to be altogetherimpoffible to bepardoned. And thatwe benot tooprepofterous inour confolations,let vsbe warned bythe blaf- phemous fpeechof that deteltableArian,who oflate yeeres wasput to death atNorwich.. Arian ese This hellifhheretike,a littlebefore hefhould beexecuted,affoorded.afew whorifh teares, actedatnor- asking whether hemight befaded inChrill or sia; Wlsen one told him,thiatiflie trulyre- wich. petted, hefhouldiúrelynotperifh:hebrakeoutmo ltmonflroullyintothisfpeech:Nay, is your Chrift foea flly to be entreated indeede, as you fay ? then I defie hán,andcare not fee biro.Oh howgood athing had itbin not tohaue caft thisprecious ftoneto thisfwine? Oli bowCafe had it bin tohate dealt morebitterly,and to hauedwelt inure vehemently on theconfcienceof this caitife ? Nowt() attainefomedifcretion incuring this wounded fpirit,weemuff learnewifely to fudge bothoftheperfon affli6ed,andof thenature ofhis afflitlion. Firft,wee maynote Goodeón¡de- whether itbea man or a woman,. becaufewe mayvrge morefearfully the vfeofthe law to rationsin g ma yr a ma s being the tron er veffell. And asSachanknew thewoman:to bemoftCabe and &gatelno to " fame afttiticd, franarable tobe wrought vpon,at hisfirft temptation : fo ishenot ignorant that the is the weaker partieto fullaine any temptationnow. Then let vs con fider,whether they that are thus bumbledhaue knowledge or no? Becaufe, ifthey haue no knowledge, they thinke troubleofmirdetobefoftrangea thing, asneuerany before liad it: if they haueknow- Iedge,the..n,Sathan is =die to accule thanof the finne againft the holy Ghoft,as though curry finne doneagainftknowledge,were a finne of prefumptipn. Further,weeareto en- quire, how flrong arweake they are,that iftheybee forelyltriken, One ceale tohumble them anyfurther: if they benot fiafñcientlywounded,then to touch themwith tomedee- per fenceoffinne. Altowee mutt becircusnfpet,to findeoutwhether by narscethey are fearefulland mclancholike or no : asalto, whetherthey be vfuallfinners, or haue fallen once of infirmitie;that lo ypon theirdifpofitionand inclination,weemay build ourfpee- ches the better. Totheft, is is good toadde the conlideration oftheperfons age, efface and abilitie : as if thepartie be troubled for worldlines,whetlaer he benot agreatboufeholder: if

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=