Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

318 Ofgodlines. Offu.Flice. neeeffarilymuff his iuftice beknown in punifhing, efpecially thofe, who feeinghis etea- turesmarkethem not; feelinghisgouernanceacknowlledge it noNhauing hisword regard it not,enioyinghis mercies infull meafure,wilfully refift themall. Ifwe fo lievnder Gnne and fancie to our felues the Golpel and promifes, andmercie, weedeceiue our felues,fnr as Fruiretofthe thofe that haue the finites of thefpirite, haue no lawe writtenagainffthem 5 fo they,that jpirit. haue not fuchfruites, ham noGofpell written for them. It is not thevniuft man,thatfhal hue by faith(for he lyethvnder thelaw) but theiuft,Gala.3.Rom.r.t7.Heb. t o.3 8. Might not a man, thinke yon,penáPfaltneofasmany verfes , wherein thefootmight run in this tenour, For hisIts/ iceeedureth firewer, asDauidhad doneof hisMerde,Plahni36.The ,atercieaid Lordwit not part from anydropdinsmercie oci them whichfirfthaue not been fwallowed laThes. vp of hisiudgements,which haue not labouredand been beanieladen, which hauenot been locked vp in hellfor a feafon,and felt for a time thefire thereof in their bones,which hauenot beene baptized with thebaptifine of their owne teams. Hee thatfeeles not theft thingsin force meature here,elfewhere he(hallfeele them. It istheiudgement of Abraham. The diudspolicie inyouth , in health , inprofperitieis toGngvsfungs of God his inercie: butin age, in ficknes, in tribulation,vpon thydeath- bed,hewill makefuck reafonsfor his iuftice,aswe Thal neverbe able to anfwere.Wherefore the Lord bath(tomake it more ter- ribleinour eies)putvpon itthenaine of his molt wrathful( indignation, fierce and heauie difpleafure. It is notforvs, as wedo, toput the remembranceof this farre fromvs!, or to fhifticlightly byturningouer to a Pfahne ofmercy, but to terrificOur ownefouies with ir, and to cart our feluesdowne with thetrembling confidrracionof his iudgments. Of one examplewithouta precept nothing is tobeconcluded, and thereforein great wifdom that men atthe laft gafpe fhouldnot vtterlydefpaire, the Lordhat) left vs butone example of The tholeon exceeding andextraordinary mercieby facing thechafeon the croffe byfaithonely : yet tbecrollo. tine peruerfr.es ofallournaturemay befeenebythis,in that thisoneferuet1,ivstoloofenes of life in hopeof the like,whereas wemight betterreafon,that irisbutone ând thatextra- ordinary,and thatbefides this onethere is notone trine in altheBible;and that forthisone thatfped , athoufand thoufands haveiniffed:and what folly is it toputout felinesin away, where fo many hauemifcarried ?To putour felues in theband of that Phyfition,thathash murthered fo many,goingcleane againft our ownefenlè andrcafon,whereas inother eau-, fes we ahwaies leaveto thatwhich is molt Ordinary, & concludenot thefpring of onefwal- Simile. low. It is as ifa man ihouldfpurhisafiètilhefpeake, becaufeBatumi: affe did oncefpeak: fo groffelybath thediuell bewitched vs. And yet,ifwemark in that examplewhichthedi- uel fooft teinptethvs with,we fhaltee men in chatlittle tonehe liued,fundry goodworks, Notes and asmanyas in thattime and cafe couldbe rcquired:Ilril,prayer:fecondlyconfeffion:third- marks o f faith lyglorifyingofChrill:fourchly,humilitie,rememberme:fiftly,renrouingofhis fehlow:Gxt- in the theele ly,acknowledgingofhis own deferts : feuenthly,pacience.And is tobethought bythefe ontbecruffr, few,that ifhe had liued,hewould not banebeen behind any ofthe Saints. Theroot being holy,the branchesmull needs be like vnto ir. My fentence is,thaeamandyingnow atthe pointofdeath,hauing thefnares ofdeath vpon hiui;inthat fit-eight offeare and painemay haue a forrowfor his lifepaft,butbecaufethe weaknes of fiefh and the bitternsof death dot's molt commonly procure ic,we ought to fùfpeetourfelues ifwe neuer forrow tilthen. And thereforelet vs ftore ourfelues with good things againft themill day come vponvs, Theioyofa forour lifepaft:for asthat man, which in his healthand goodfuccelfehath beendiligentto goodronfcience feareGod,and todogood,feels inhis ficknes anvnfpeakable comfort,which he wouldnot vnderthe macfor al the world,and a mighty boldnescofpeake vntoGod,towards whom heknow- ero e. ethhehath notbeenvnkind,doch notfeareatal:fo thatman,whichwhiles theworld prof- z. or.arz peredwithhim,neuerthoughtofGod,norregardedhisword,northepreachingtliere.- of when thevifitation of our Lord is vpon him , whenGod (hall take his foule from his café is molt miferable,feeling no comfort, nordaring tofpeake to God,whomheath Sorraro. neglebìed. And forrow filch a one neuer fomuch, yethedoubceth,andmuffneeds,doubt, for that he knowech not, whetherhis remorfe beof the loathfomnesof fin,orfor the fcare of deat),andwhether hebe humbled before theLord, or before ficknes. It is goodpolitic to print his iudgements firft inour bowels, and to diet ourfelues more fparinglywith Isis mercies,

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