a Letter againhardhes ofhart. 2 5 `bruteyour felfethatGod hath pitie onyou,that thevertue ofhis power (hallbe pérfea in yourweakenes. Ifyoubeleeue,accordingtoyourfaithitthallbedonevucoyou. But you will fay,you cannot beleeuethat this vileand crooked hardnes ofyour heart can be reuiit- ted'andrenewed : and cuenthis was the fecondpoyntwhich in the fanner part ofmy let- ter Igaue you to vnderflandwas the caufeofyour exceflinediftrefl'e. I befeech you,and I charge you in the nameof ourLord Iefus Chrtft,that youwill notwillingly lie nor offer iniunetoGods fpirit, nortoyour felfe who bath reamed it. Tell me, what is therea(on why you thinke yob haue no faith ? Verely becaute you haue no feeling, nor any other finites therco;as you think. Well,firftthen agree with me herein (as you aloft,ifyo uwill not difagreewith the truth) that feeling is but an effeçt and fruitoffaith ; and therefore theremay befaithwithout feeltng,aswell as the caufe maybe without the effelh,and the Theremaylie tree withouçany appearance offruir,yeaof ape for.afeafon. And asamanfore woun- ltthtf'tbaut ded and difeafedmayfor a feafonbedepriued almoft dal( dperàtions'oftbe naturali life:ng. to the outward fhew,and tohisowneiudgementand feeling: fo may a fpirituall man bee forewounded by Satan,anddifeafed by theprecut feelingof his finruI1 corruptions, fpe- cially in temptations ; that hemaythinke,yea appearetoothers,that the lifeof the fpirtt is not inhim. ThusPeters faith did not wholyfaile (as youhaue heard) or elfe the prayer Of ourSauiourpreuailednot. Thus whenDauid declared that his heart wasendcane, or his'Pótaa i fpiritcrookedórvnftable,and that hehad loft the ioy ofhis fáluati on,and the fpiritof li- verLr4. bertie oradoption ; yet bee prayed), that Godwouldnot takehis holy fpirit from hiin : Veda 3. therefore hewas not depriued of thefpirit of fmnetification. Here feemeth to be repugnance,but there is not any : bee was deprived indeedefor a time ofthe gracesofthefanetifyingfpirit,but not oftheholyGbóft wherewithhewas fan- $îiScd : which graces,as God reftorcd-vnto him, fo I am perfwaded he willdoevntdyou. Yea, and Idoubt whetheryou are depriued ofthem butonely thatpartlyMelancholie, Sathrinand partly Satanworking therewith, make you doe iniurieto yourfelfe, and to thegraces ofmetaniholie thefpiramyou : which Ibefeechyou totakeheed of... difgaiataffli But thie ineffenger cannotftay,and therefore I cannotwriteis Iwould;eitherofthis,or Bedfoster, ofthe remedie whichyoudhould vie ; which'hereafter I will,as Godfhallenableme : and Ipray you letme vnderfasad (as I requefted in thebeginning) ofyour efface inparticular fomewhatmore,andthat bythis bearer ifyou can,becaufe he is ofyour acquaintance,and will bring it to me faithfully. Onely Iadde nowvoto that I have written ofhardneffe of heart at large, that youmutt diligently obferuethe word Create, which Davidvfeth,de- PLPl.sr. daringthathehadunfee!ingofheart. Tochisioynethatwhich theProphetEfaytpeakethEfayst;rg: in theperfon ofGod :'create the fruit of the lops to bepeace,peace aswell to /Jimthatis fore as to him that is were. Therefore in faith youmay aswell pray, withhopeto obtaine, as slid Daniel: thereforefay withhimoften,and withGods people ;O Lord,thouart ourFa- eher,weindeede areclay,butthou art our maker, and weeare theworkeof thyhands, &c. Knowalfo,God cancaufeWo]ues,Lycns, Leoppards,&c. todwell lovingly with Lambes, Calues,andKids,&c. and thatwhich is vnpof hhle tomen is pof ablewith God, cum to Efay, u.e. taufea cable rope togoe throughaneedles eye; that is, to change the hardheart of the vnbeleeuingcouetouswretchedman,much more yours: yea,know youthat all thingsare pot iibletohimwhich beleeueth. Criethen,Ibeleeme,O Lordhelpemine vnbeleefe,and I dare promife you in the nameof our LordIefusChrift,that you (hall bane yourhearts defirein goodnes. Thusabruptly Imutt end.I commend you toGod and the word of hisgrace, which isable tobuild youvp,andgiue you theright of inheritance among them that are fanótifìed.AndthieveryGod ofpeacefanéìtfe youthroughout,thatyourwhole fpiritand foule and bodie may bee kept blameleffe vntill the comming ofour Lord Iefus Clint. i Faithfullis he which hash calledyou,which will doe it,Anien. I pray you pray for me,and ItruftasIhauc,fo (hall Ipray for you,andmuchsnore. Tours in Chrifl Icfas,to vfe in any neede, RaC$&HIiiiANis
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