OfCÇodrpromifef. 319 made notlightaccount of this promife. To let Duidrn our caiè, and a1in the Lords, Dasids cafewasfar better then ours. Forby reafonof hisviétories hehad deferred well of Simile. thecountrie, and therefore worthieto beconfidered of Saul againe, though be fhould hauehadMichal to he was not forthis tobeheyre achecrovwne, andyethefaithfee. meth it tovas afmallthing?Then I fay, ifwecould:come to makethe.coinparifon l erweene Sauland God,who is theSaidofSarsles,andprince ofPrinces,in wholerefpeet all thePrin- cesofche.worldare but waffa-pots,and Cyrus isnothingtohün, hevotowhom the Angels arefubie&s andfèruants, and towhom hcauenand earth ftoopedowne, wharanalogie would there be bètwixt him, andSaul? On the otherfide, that we may (land in fleed of Data, iftheSpirit of Godwouldahewvs 6.4. vnworthineffe ina thing farabouc thepro- mireofDauidwe wouldfay,.orwefhould fay, whatare we? what is ourfathers houle? thattheLord fhould haue rcfpe&tovs ? were not our fathers Amorites, drowned infu- perltitiousidolatrie,carried away with the loue ofthe world,folde vetofinne,and men full: of ignorance?what was inour fathers hqufe?for our fèlueswhat are we? haue:drenot been deriders of the word ofGod, or hearersofthe Lord fpeake tovs, with farlefléreuercnce thenwehhere "a mortaliman? whatis there in vs? I thinkenot acheworft,,bnt lie that can btllexpreiie hismind andmeaning, cannotexprellç ourvnworthinelie. Myfiánsmering fpeech cannot vtterit,we muffconceiuemore ofic,and knowthat there is nothing in vs or inour fathershoufe,tliat theLord fhouldvouchlafevs fish inercy.It mug notfeeme little, thatwe have theword,& are compafredabout withfo many promifes, we mullrcadethem withhumilitic,and then no doubt wefhal readediem with thankfulnes.The Apofflefaith, Whenthe Angels lookeat ÿmyfterie ofour redemption,theyare wonderfullyaiionifhed, they canneuerlooke enoughto tee- vnfpeakeable highnesoftheLord,and the great gulfe ofour vnworthines;tobehold.. odsbetweenehis greatnes and our vilenes.It needeth their conceauing,wliich ifwe couldalto do,itwouldavail=vs vptolfee Si Lordbellowhis pro- -miles on fahvnworthywretches.When the Lord'fhal not onlymake promu es ingeneral, but inparticular.notonly reall but perfonal,notonlyconditional,butfree,notonly.tëpo- ral,but eternal,who cango through themal?Butfelting aldethere great promifes and be- neficesof hisword,ofhisSpirit, liebathpromifedÿevenour very correó;ions *(hall dovs * aleedis the good.Setting thereapart with al ÿcare of hisAngels,andminiflery ofal creatures,he faith, mattrohom he will tonarrowlyTooke to vs,andrakechargeofvs thathe willooketo the hairesofour God dia/ìenetb' head na Leuicia6.hewilllooketoourkneadin trou hes andwhichmoreis al. r.he andkali,lh yr knea i g g r Pf4 him in ßìr law, willturneourbeds,couches,intheti mofficknell e. Aflrangething,thattheLordfhould Pfa1.94.1z. thus do withvs.In theheathen hiftorieswereade ,thatbecaufeacertaineCaptain came to wafhhis fouldiers:wóunds,theycould notpraife him enough.ThenifGod theCaptainof simile. his wholeChurch,the God ofglorie, Thal fo narrowlylooke to vs,asto number oor haires, totakecare forourkneading tronghes,to turne ourbeds to (waddle our wounds,thefe are ableto amazevs,and to let vs ina wonderful)taking to lee lbgreat kindnefle. S Godwill bewith vs wherefoeuer wedwell : hewill goewith vs wherefoeuer we goe. Hedothnot rule vs, asPharaoh did theIfraelites, to fetvs tomake bricke, and to fetch the ftraw ourfelues : but looke what liebidder') vs todoe,he giuech vsftrength and,fubflance todoe.And forthis worke when webaue doneit,whichis very homely,this wifedomepaf- fethour conceitiing. Beholdwhat promuewassuade ofhalfe a kingdomefor fovile a fer- nice ofHerod : fofor abroken feriaehemakes vs a promifeofheauenand earth, not as theybenow (which if it werefo, it were toogood for the beft)-no, he will breake vp chefe frames, not to dettroyall, but torenew all for the comforts ofmen. Sogreat is hismercy, that asa Father faith, that Godhis childrenhauingrafted ofthis in the life to come, do as it weremonrne, andaregrieved with themfelues, that their repentancewas no greater, and theirthankfulnes nomore,whiles they wereonearth,andhe that hatlr donebeft,as Abra- bam,Dauid,or Pasl,they repentthey haue done nomore good. : 6 ThepranifesofGodarefreeintheinfelues, inrefpe&ofthepartgoingbefore,Firft, Godspromifes there is nothing at allin vs to moue the Lord to protnrfeany good to vs. Thatwe may free. looke on thatlirft and great promife made to Adami when the Lord after hisfall had charged himwithhisfrnne,he doth notconfellehisfin,which the vileftmalefaétours often Kk 4 doe,
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