Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

foranaff idedcon fence. 141. if he com:plaineofvucleannes,whether he benot a yong man and vnrnaried:ifhebe hum= bled wich conetoufnes,whetherlie benot old:becaufechuerscoúntries,callings,ages,cou. ditions and eitates ofmen,haue theirdiners and peculiar (ins,which we mull rightly dif- cerne.t-lowbeit,ofwhat fexfoeuer theyare menor women,ofwhat complexiôfoeuerthey are.of whit knowledge to difcerne fin,ofwhatdegree of committingIn ; ofwhatage,au- thoritie,wealth,eltate,or condition foeuertheyare,itisgood to mark that there bemany, who aremore toubled for the vexation and difquietnesof their mindbeing diftempered, than forthe vilenes and horriblenès of theirfin committed; who arewounded more with the feareof (haine,with:thefeare of being mad, or with the(care of running out of their wits,thenwith the confeience of fin. Which thing ifwe finde in them, it is ourpartto tra- odi with them,that theymakealcflematterof theoutward (game,and more confcience ache inward 'füi.Neithernruft we here forgettomake adiftin&ion between our,fpeeches vfed'to the humbled, inthe very time of their extreme agonie and burning agueof their. troubles,and thofe fpeeches which we vfèto themthe fitbeing paft; becanfè theone&for- mer requireth more confolation and leffe exhortation ;the otherand latterwould haue vs more abundant in adinoniíbing, and more fparingincomforting, when weemaywifely admoi ifh diemtobeware offin,which toprocured their ownwoe.In this breathing time, it is alfo expedient to exhortthem,that for Tomefeafon vntill they (hall finde greaterpo- werofregeneration., they would tye themfeluesto forne holy orders, and godly volves, whereby they mayeither be furthered in mortifying fome fpeciall Gmne; which for that they could findenopower againftit,did molt gneue them,orarengthened inCome fpecial grace,thewant whereofdidalto woundthem. But'beforewe launch deeper into thisfea ofparticular temptations,and begin to found thedangerouspaffages ofnaturali corruption, and originali fi one, the troùblefome froth whereof,dotli ahnoltouerwhehne many poore pilgrims,tt (hall beegoodtogiue this cau- tion,that both in thefe and in theformer troubles,men would be ftill againeadmonifhed, patiently to bearewith a wounded fpirit, albeit it fall out fo, that theybe fomewliatpet- tifh,feeing theholy Ghoft fpeaketho favourablyof them,faying:Áwounded f irit whocán beare.? And furely ourpraébfe inother things; bythe law ofequitie,mayurge this at Our hands.Forifmienby the light of reafon can fee it to bea dutie conuenient,not furioully to control! , but meekly to fùffer, andwifely to put vp the vnaduifed fpeeches ofa mandi- fteïipered in braine,by realon offome burning ague, or fuch like violent and vehement ficknes:wemay ealily gather awn bythe fame rule ofreafon not fo'feuerely to cenftire the impatient fpeediesof huu,whobyreafon offomeparching feverof thefpirit,is difquieted inall partsof hismind,and-hath all theveines of hisheart(as it werein a Ipirituallagonie) vexed.Wherforeboth vnfàuouriefor want ofgodly wifedome,and uncharitable for want ofChriftian loue, are their murmuring obtreftations which fay, what? Is this the godly man ? Isthis he that is fo troubled for his finnes ? Why,feéhowpettifhgee is,nothing can plearehim,nobodiecan fatishehim.Confider,Oman, ifthou canit beare with a frailebo- die,that thou omit MuchMore beare with a frailemind.Confder,Oman,çhat this hispet- tilhnesdoth morewound him to theheart,thanany iniurie thoucould& preflèhimwith. And therforePeeingheafflióteth his ownefoule for it, thouneedeftnot adde any thingto his a(flition,and to exafperatehis grieuous finart.Confider chair is a bleffed thingmet, cifully tobethink vs oftheeltate ofthe needie,and to rub a frefhwound, and to ftraine a bleeding f ore,is nothing elfe,butwith logs friendstobring a new tormêt,where thereis need ofit.As the wifefather Jodi rather pitie thanrebukehis child,whé by reafon of lick- nestheappetite is not eafily pleafed: fo, ifwe purpofetodoe any good with an afibted tninde,wenail notbeauftere inreprehendingeuery ifinnitie,butpitifuli incmrfidering ofthe tender frailtié ofit. Neitherdo-I fpeakrthis to nourifh pettifhnes in any, butwould hauethem to labourforpatience,&tofeeke for peace: whichthough they lindenotatthe firft,yet by praier they tnùftwaite onthe.Lord,and fay:Lord,becaufe there is mercythatthese weißbefearec4 l frill smite vital thee,as the eye ofthefinsantvwaitethvponthe bandofhitwafter. ]mill condemnmyfefe ofolly, andfay, Obmyfaule, why artthoufo beanie?t-149, art thou f cafi powueroithinmeyStill truflit; theLord,for beis thy healthandthyfaluatien. FINIS.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=