Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

26 graueCounJelr Pitie. Hey arenot tobepitied intheirgriefe, whichforrow notwithTomegriefe fortheir finncs. Pouertie. Caufeofour- t oftenwantouewardthings,becauíeweeffeemenomoreof inwardgraces. vvsdwauts. z lt isthe politic ofSatan, to lay before vs the great benefites which we .%¡armoring. want,to caufevs tomurmurfor them,and to ditgracethe preterit benefits whichwe haue, . leaff we fhould be thankfull. Wemuft not defire tocomeout ofthe fire of afflietion,vntill the Lord thereby hauepurifiedvsasfinegolde for his owne vfe : but Rill thinke thatthe continuing of thecrofle,is thecontinuingoffcouring away tomecorruption. 3 The Lord oftentimesgiuethhischildren no other riches, but his promife madevnto contestation. them, which theymutt wholy depend upon, vntill the Lord teeingthem readiefor the thing in the teffamentbequeathed vnto them,fhallin wifdomegiue themtheir legacies. 4 The Lordwill haue vs tobeginwith good things,though our beginningsbe final!: thediuell contrarie. Ineuillthings Godwould haue vsfearethe very grit beginnings : the diuell contrarie. Preaching. t TT is tobe feared, that byreafon ofour long peaceand rare, mens teaching will be- come glaffre,bright and brittle:for that preaching is alreadiegrown to coldeand fo Yhefimple humanc,that thefrmplepreachingofChriftdoth greatly decay:&thatthegreat peaceand preachingof quietnes which men haue in thentfelues,thalldeftroy thepower ofgodlines our. ofthan. Chalk z If we preach things whereofwe arenot fully perfwaded,or ifwe be perfwaded of a.Co4440g them, yet if they are not found according to truth, they will trouble our confciences afterwards. g Heobferuedtbatmanywould receiuethe wordofGodpublikely preached with re- nerence,and beingprivatlie fpoken,they.made no fuçhaccountof is : wherein men fla- wed themfelues not to refpe t the preacher ofGodand hisword, but Come ocherthing. And that fotnemen (whichwasa foule finne, andwordiie publikereprehenfion) would hearea manwillinglie in theCliurch,and gainefayhisdoétrint at home. Wherein theybe- wrayed, rather that theyheardforfolemnttie ofplace,more thenfor any devotion. 4 Indenouncing the iudgementsofGod,eitherprivadieto one,or publikely to more, the Miniftersof Chrdt (till ought eainefflie and inwardly tobe mooed to pray, that that Preachers euill which the Lord forefhewedthem bythe wordtofallonfuehf ners,mightbeturned muttbe fore away: fo farcemutttheybe from (peakingin wrath. fromeerath. 5 SomePreachers doemuch inueighagain (t thebodie,cryingout thatitis the enemie r.Tim.z.zz. ofthefoule: when notwithffanding we arerathertonóurifhthe bodieas thefriend of the 7be corrupt foule,for the exercifeofrepentance,and mortifitation,and fanétification: and on thecoo- body trariethefouleistheenenietothebodieinvflo it to for that there isneueran proceed > > a y from doecor- corrupt aflioninthebodie,but thereisatisbeen firft a corrupt motionand frnfullaffebfion rupe aJfetitom in the Coale. ofthefoule. 6 He was alwaiesdefirous to bein the place of ppublike reading, praying and prea- ching,euen of confciencetoGods ordinance, were tise Preachers newer fomeane. For if he fpakeofiudgement,he either increafed (as hefayd) or confirmed hisknowledge. Ifthe fpeakerhad greatwants,euen thefe wants didhumble him, and made him tomeditate in- wardly ofthat truth,wiereofthePreacberfailed i infonmch that ffmntimes hearing the wants,and thenmeditating ofthetruth, hecould as well beena'btedtopreach againe of thattext,asiflse hadread tome Comnentarie. t Yip(7Ecannot bedrieinthegraces of ,folongaswereforetoChriltbyferuent V prayer. t If

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