342 OfH,ypocri aeandhardnes ofheart. it iswithvs thus,wee arebut hypocrites,and notregenerate. The remedieis, toconfider Godsprouidence, tocommit vengeance tohim, toovercomecall with,goodnefle : and Deems. ; then fhall weedoethings forconfcience fake, and not for feare. Thirdly,thetorments of Leuir.z5. aneuillconfcience,is the punithmentoffinne: thewicked (haltllie,when none purfueth: Prou.2.8. whenfoeuerthen our conference doch trouble v's, let vs know that our frnnesare invs, Teleaemen. whereofWe are notpurged. Wheneve feare rnen,it is eitherforthe want of the affurance ofGods mercifull prourdence, or forgiuenesof our finites, or forthat weehavedone the like toothers : as Caine thought euery onewould flay him,becaufe he flewhis brother. If wee bane notdone them harme, andyet feare as Abraham didAbimelech, then itisthe want of Gods prouidence,which rifethofthe wantof the forgiuenes of ourGnnes :tor if Feare,aedthe wefeare the creature, its becaule wee are nor reconciledto ehe Creator. Theremedieof remedieef it. this feareofmen,is to learne faith inChrift, for the free forgiuenes of our finites and the affuranceofhis providence : then fhall wefay,wefeare not whatman candoe agairltvs: yea,then (hail wee deale vprightly with others, fo that if then othersdealeeuilly withvs, andwe paythem thethingswhich weneuer tooke,we hauethecomfort ofourconscience, andareblelfed becaufe we fuffer forwell-doing. t 5 In nranners,menwilllirft liften towicked counfel,then take pleafure in their com- panie,till at laitthey communicatewith them in their euils : and astheygrow in liking of thofe euill counfèllers,fo doe theyLoathe tholethat giuegood counfell and defpife them: yea, when the Minifter fpeaketh priuilie to them by admonition, or openly out of the word ; they thinke hefpeaketlrof purpofedmalice and hatred againft them: and fo Phut theircares and harden their hearts whenany thing is fpokenfor their amendement : but ifaword be fpoken whichconcerneth another, or elfe may theriflr them in their finites, thatdoe theygreedily fnatch and lay holdof. All whichfheweth that men are thecaufe of their owne hardnes :for when the Lordcannot preuaileby hisword,thenleaueth he men votothemfelues,which flaynot till- they come tolfardnes. Thismuff teachvs with feare toexamine our hearts,to prone whatloue ofthe truthrernaineth invs,and what likingwo haueoflyes,what heartswee beare to thofewhichgiuevs holfefome counfell toreclaim vs from finite, or whether wee rather incline to thofe that feede our cares with lush wordes, as may ferne to noufell vs in our frnnes, becaufe the childe ofGod may come to this thorough often infirmitie : but when beefeeth it, it is time to beltirre felfe, and to feare lealt thofefearefull beginnings doebring Min attise lull,vtterly to fall away. i 6 Thelrft meanestokeeppevs from hardnes ofheart, is tofeare it long before : for ifwe once be Callen into this, thenarewee paff allfènfeand feeling, and cannot perceive it,andtherefore Our cafe is morefearefull and daungerous, as chofe are which fail into fome great difealeof the bodieand knowitrot. Againe,ifwe be not ofheardnedharts, then theword mayworke with vs, and all other afffi&ions may Issue their effeft, and is haue agood end,but ifour hearts beoncehardened, thenallother plagues arevnfruitfull vnto vs: yea they are nothing elfe, but even a tafleof hell,and of thofe punifhments which are,and abide for euer. So hadPharaohmany and great plagues, yet becaufehis heart was hardened, he profitednot, but ranneon forward till he was vtterly deftroyed. Butlob,whomthe Lordhad not yetforlaken, profited by all hismiferies, and had a good Ahardened and ioyfull ifi'ue,and c(capedfrom them. Therefore thechildren ofGod doefeare inhere fbeart,ágrea than allother psuniíhmcnts,and had rather beplagued with all themifericsofjoh,and the terpiaguethan.botches ofÆgypt,thanwith anheart that is hardened. It goeth notwell with vs then, any efthe when weefeare worldly and bodily punifhments,more thanwedoe hardnesof heart,and ptagneref¢- other fpirituall unifbments for mien here isa difference betweene the wicked and the YYpt` childrenof God : forthe wicked are euergreatlytoubled forfeare of outwardafliaions, but thefpirituall punifhments ofthe fouledoe neuer awhitaffeétthem. Contrariwilè,the children ofGoddo above al things dread fpirituall punifhments,as for outward troubles, they arecontent tobearethem,& are grieved no otherwife forth,then asthey are fignes ofGodsdifpleafure, this is a good note to trie our lilies by. The fecond is a truedefine " and loue tohaue a melting heart, to be often touched with theword, andwithDasidt0 buitre
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