Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

320 OfClodsgrace,andhispatience: Mould bindevs in loucta embraceoneanother, thatfo wemight beprofitable onetoa. smeller. . 8 TheLordbath fuchrefpea tohisglorie that hewill giuegifts whenhemight iu8ly punifh,thereforeweought notfotouch to reioycein thepoffeflionofearthly bleffrngs:fot theLord giuech many bleflìngs to flop themouthes of vnbeleeuers,,and to call (inners to Rom.a..3. repentance : whichif the); neglea; then affuredlythe Lordswrathwill be more fierce a- gamflthem. Thewickedhaueno caufetoreioyce, inthat theLord finites theinnot,for helets them profper for a while, thattheir condemnation may be more iuft when it cons- Godspad- meth.Triethy(elfethus: ifthouprofiteflbyGodscorre&ion,itisaligneofgrace:again, ewe ifbyhispatiencethoutakeft(asagoodfonnc) occafrontorcpent ,anddoft(Indictocorne outof thy finne,it is likewifea good argument ofGods fauour. 9 God is flowtówrath,yet letvseuer remember thatalbeitlsefufferedMae' long,yet atthe lafthedeftroyed them all, thatnone of the vnbeleeuersentred into thepromifed land. Wherefore wemay not conclude,thátbecaufe theLord punifheth not asyet ,there. forehe will notpunifh at all : but confider thatall fuck asrefpe6t not his mercïe3 in time !hall atthe laftfeele his iuftice. Haawernayto Thething loued is much defiredand fought after, wherebywe maytake a triallof trieour loue r our loue roGod, or ofourloue to theworld. Firftlooke , what we loue iadrede,wefpend reGód,ur much time init;andcanbecontenttoaffoordhoures,dayes,weekes,yeares,yeaandages rather to the too init.Andyetwithallthecontentionswemay,wegetnottoÿworfhipofGod,Desedt world. feuentimesadáy,norhismorning,noonetide,andeueningexercifes,hardlyweafoordthe Lordhis Sabboth.Secondlywebeftow our thoughts and our affe&ionsmuchand liberal- ly on the thingwe loue : the Apoftles were fo troubledwithbread,thatthey could not vn- 3 derftand Chriftfpeakingofthe ltauenofhypocrifre.Thirdlyourloue to athing islhewed, whenweare skilful' and painful] incommending the thing loued, TheSpoufe in the fong ofSalomonwas very perfe6tinletting forth theparts ofher beloued : fheknew the timeof hisgoing, filewas acquaintedwith his attire: thewas rauimedwith hisbeautie: thewas princeto his commingto ber.Men thew forth their loue toearthly risingsin their great skit in buying and felling,Amos.8. in the fignesofheauen andcoloursofthe skieMatch.' 6.in ,t ourftatutsandpenallawes,Micah. 6.butinthelawofGodtheybefcarllywained.Fourth- ly, a man (hall feehis loueby his great zeale, whereby he is caried to bring the thing to that he loueth, asEfay9.7. when the zealeof the Lord is laid to bringourredemption to palle. Cercainly,euery man is eaten vp with one zealeorother. The godlyfeekegaureby honeft means iftheycan,butrather thenthewicked will bofe theirgaine,awaywithho- 5 neftie,áway,fay they, with Chrift,aslades. Fiftly, thegreat reioycingwhichwe haue,be wrayethour loue, asDataid doth,Pfal.4,7. after that hehad thethinghe definedthe coon- tenanceofthe Lord, he faith, hehad moreioyof heart, thentheyof theworldhad, when their wheat andtheir wine did abound.But immortalitie theblelling of the righthande is pf,rpq. leffeefteemedamongvs, then riches, which are the bleffìngsbut on the lefthand, Pro.3. Bleffedin deede are thepeopk, which are in fuch a cafe, but snorebleffedare thepeople, 6 which hauethe Lord for their God.Sixtlywhat wefeare toforgoe,ehat weloue tohaue.Pitat 7 cared notto forgerChrilt, buthe was afraide tolook Cafarsfauour. Laftly we loue that well, which we aregrieuedtopart with, fo didthe youngman inthe gofpe!! if-sewhis loue to riches, wholiaising a difciplefhip, offeredhiinfelfe freely; butwhen he law he(Twill forgoe allhe had,he rather forfookeChrift thenhisriches. Wemufflockewhere welooe. The pureftthing mingled with an impure and bafe thing is mademolt corrupt, asguide mingled with drofié, winemixed with water, what moreprecious thenthe f oule ofinais.. remainingpure ? whatmore bate being corrupted withthe mixture of thevilest things, then it?The worldknoweth no good but riches,which are yet not fopurelygood,for God himfelfcpoileffeth neithergolde nor frluer,andifthey were thingsmeerelygoodrhewould notwant them,becaulehebads allgood,that is,tholt-things,which are alwayes good. Zach.r3.r. It Chrift is not as a Well-locked upordrie.fpringhead, but an open and plentiful' fountaine,from whence "beanies on euery fideto the loweft values, thepieafantnuers of grace. CHAP.

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