OfRepentance. 445 ourfelues,tlwLord will fhcw hismercic vponvs : forifheJbewedvs hismerciewhenwé were koteagood not grieued, bowmuch morewhenwe vnfainedly lament. Ifhebathwaited uponvs, to dovsgood tegnn. before werepented, howmuch more'hallhisgoodies appeare towardsvs vnfainedly repenting. 6 What is thecaufethatmen can be to wel content tolie in their finneswithoutrepen- mhe tetké tance,and thinkeall is well, if they can for a whileforbeare and abftaine from them? This i no doubt is thecaufe, becaufethey fee not themfeluesbefore thejudgement feare of God, a andof Chrdt,and therein feare tó confider how grieuous a thing fin is inthe fight ofGod: 5 how greatly itdifpleafethhim,and whatfeareful condemnation abided) them,that fecure- a lyandcarelellycontinueintheirfinnes. For ifmencould confider this,that their finspro- uokethe wrathof theLordagainft them,and do procureeuerlafting condemnation to be ppowredout vpon them, theywould nodoubtfeele finne molt grieuousunto them, yea, a t,urthenthatpreffetb theredowne to hell, then would their fpirits be vexed within then, and their heartesbroiled with thedue confederationof their finnes :yet all this would not bring themout of their fins. For the.lawcondemnetbandworkethwrath, and the iodgemenssof theLorddo calldowne,woundandkillthat fowemightbefit to receiuethe Lord fefas,whocameto rayfe vp, to healeand gate life toFisch as are fallenficke, anddead. And f}ill is her prelim to helpe thofewhich are so likemanner diltreÌfed:fortill fuck timehee will not worke vpon them, tocure anddefiner themfrom their fins:he wasPent onely tothe ficke,&c.and thole nodoubt hewill Neale. Hereofit commeth to paffe that many do continue intheir finnes , and arenot define. Note red from thepower of them : becaufethey are not wounded with a feare of Godsiudge- ment,and fodriuen to feeke theirhelpe in Chrif},but in their owne power:forthinking fin to bebut afmall matter,theygo aboutto fupprefiè it by their owneftrength, and bytheir ownepower tofubdue andoutcome it.- Wherefore theLorde, thatheesnay let them fee, that without thehelpeofChrrft, theirftrength is nothing and their labour (pentin vaine: BothPuffer them agame,and againeto be buffeted withtheir fins: yea and iftheywill not thenAie outof themfeluesvetoChrift,theyThal receiue the foyleand beouercome there- with:to the end theymight bebrought and framed at thelength(ifthey belong vnto God) tobefit matter for theLord toworkevpon. And thennodoubt,ifwe can come thus hum- bled inour feluesunder the mighty handof God; andby vnfained prayer, craueforgiue- nelle at the Lords hands,for IelusChrifts fake, anddefirecontinually the aftilfanceof his holy fpirit,tve (hall encreafe in faith,and frisk ;he cleareforgiuenes ofourfins, and inhim Repentance af- we(hall find ftrengthagainft fin,and (hailfeelehispower working inour weakencs,foras ter forgiantet. forrow mutt go before, to repentancemull come faft after forgiueneff. 7 Souse when theyhaue finned reason thus, theLord loth notpuuifh mefor my fins, thereforehe path forgiuen them ; but this kind ofreafoning is fallèand dangerous,becaufé itabufeth the great mercieof God to hardneffeof heart : and that theLordesoil punish, thoughheforbeare for a time it isplaine,Exod.34.7. Which ifweewould confider, then would the goodnesand long fufferingof theLord leadvs to repentance, Rom.a. 5.4 8 TheLord will(pare his iudgements in them,inwhomhefetch atrue loueof truene- ligion:for theythat loue Religion will defire toheare,and hearingthe word, theywill not fallto any Gnne,orif theyfall into finnes,they willnot lie in them long. When our fin hats leffe liking invs, there is hopethat it will decay in vs:efpecially if we forrowfor it, when wecannottullyforfakeit, andlabourto forfake it becaufeit is fin. to Tho(e thingsneuer hurtvs whichgrieuevs: but thofe thingshurt vs whichgrime vs not. A fureexperiment it is,whether that finne wherewithwe are tempted oftentimes,HO*, tokloto (halgetthe dominion ouervs or not? If the oftner it tempteth vs, thesnore we are grieued ahrtberode atit, and themore ground weget tothe contrary vertue, it (hall not ssigne. But itthe firl} IpeciaUfm;:e commingof finwrought agriefein vs, andby theafter ando£tnercomming ourgriefebeñu vlltfmomi. lelfqand lelfe,it is muchtobefeared,that in time it will preuaile,and vtterly ouercomevs. t. r Vnleffeour fins bepalpable,andplainly laid before our eyes:it is hard tobringvs toany shameand furrow for them. arisiledgesof tx Weought togrowin repentance, as Godgroweelt in punifhinestes: Godschildren theEloti. haue thispriusledge: Firft,they fhall becalledby sheword. Secondly,if that witnot ferue, z they
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