Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

andgodlyobfructions. 13 certaine fruit of the fpirit, without any fpeciall fruits ofgrace the other fuperiourand.rivovvórirá more certaine,when the fpuit worketh an infallibiefan&ification : thefirft may totally be °JGod, Jjsrit. darkened and fullyquenched : theotherbathbuta particular eclipfe, and in meafure may be dimmed, as itwas inDársid,Pfalm. p i. but this is not finally quenched. As Godmade man fo that hemight fall; though afterwardshehadmerde vponhim : fohe regenerateth vs fo, that wemay fall, though afterwards hemay rayfe VS Y againe, andwill. And itis fearefullenough, that there maybe fachparticular decayes of grace in vs, asro feele leflè comfort in theword, lefie feare of.finne, leite careof well doing, lefle zealc in praying, lelíe finites in themeanes : fo that all'our aítionsare turned to be bitter, which were f ivee- ter vntovs,then any worldlyincreafe vnto theworldlymanor honey canbe tothem that lone ir. Thefeare euident tokens of the fandifyingfpirit,tolouegood,becaufeitisgoads E;,idrrtrokrnt and to hate finne, becaufeit is finne : themorewee growmen , the more tohunger, the oftruefanalii. more to complaineof ourvnworthineffe : the morebeing humbled in our felues,themore ration ineekely to fudge of others : whenwee are moltquiet with allthings, then tothinke oar z felues leatt quiet, and then molt tofeareourfelues: fotofeelethegracesofGodinvs,as 3 yet our fenfeand feelingof finne is notleffened,and to feare and quakeat tilefirft degrees q and motionsof linnet not leaft theyfully quench, but leaft theycook theheateofdie fpi- e rit iss vs, hiere letvs isot forgetto feare : formf it befo, thatthou being the childe of God, e canft not finally fall,yet how will this grieue thee,if thy finnebreake out to the difl.oncur ofIolouinga redeemer ? or thoughhekeepe thyfinne from flamingout , yet when thou !haltfeele fucha bcnthen in thy (elfe, thatthou tlünkettthe world cannot iudge ofthyde- cayes,yetthou feeleftlef a comfort in theword, leffe feare of finne, Idle care of weldoing, i lelle care of praying; leflefruit in the meanes, foas allthy aötions are turned to be bitter, which fometime weremore fweetto thee, then any worldly increafe could be tothe earth- lyman, or honeytothem that loueit. Fallisaginto fleme. i Fany doubt concerningthisqueftion, (whether the childeof Godmightfall often _intoone andthefame finne) thefe cautions and diftinetions are to be obferued. Firft, whetherthe partiebegenerally called, or fpeciallytouched : if hebe butgenerally called, 0 atianr eon, asall common Chriftians profeffng the Gofpell, it were anBalematter to flippe on that rerninga re- manner. Secondly,if thepartieb'eeffedually called, itistobe inquired, whetherher be1aPfe but ababe inChrift orno, or whether bebe come tokalegoodgrowth inChrift:forthat ifhe bebut a nouice, he may twice fall fo. Thirdlywemutt obferue,ifhe benowgrowne 3 to force goodage in Cbrift, whether thefinnecommitted bea thing kuownevntohimor if heknow itnotto be a finne,he issaydoobtles(hip into it. z When we confider,imowNoah, 3fcfes, and othersfell in their latter dayes,and how themolt excellent men haue fallen, wee inuitearnestly pray , rather that theLord would take vs out òf theworlde;then that ourlife Mould bring anyoffence to the Church, or hander to theGofpell. Feare. _ s DEesser afraidof leaninggoodvndone,lealttheLordfufferyoutofallintothecon- trariedull. z He thoughtwhen he hadno (carenorgriefe,Jie couldnot profit. 3 beware of immoderatefeares, which rather hinderthecertamtieof faith, then beate downe the fecuritieof theflefh, andwhich be thereadieftmeanes to pull Gods wrathvp- onvs,id thattheybethefruites ofvnbeleefe,and as wouldtye the grace ofGod pro- mnadaste nüfed,tocheprefentdangeranddeli veranceoutófthefame.. Themeane and middle path 'flares. is, that weMould feare andforethinke of evilsto Come, not asthinkingthat of neceíftie they muttfall vponvs, asthoughGod-could not or wouldnotdcliuervs from them, but as they, whobeinggamine in thisone, defreto fubinitthemfelues to thehand ofE,od,and acknowledge themleluesheires of Gods latticeor wrath in this or thatéuill : yetfa aswee meete with theLordsmercie,who is both ableand willingroen then molt of all to ant C and

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