3z ggre ue Counfels &rifüsour rewardedof Gòdas righteous through him. Itmay be God hat!' enlightened thee with righteoujnes. heauenlyvnderftanding, bebath hitherto flrengthened thydefireingiuingthee towalke v rightly; butnowthouartafraidthoufhalcnotperfeuer ,becaufeofthycorruptions: thou trembleft to rememberhow many excelling thee in giftsand graceshaue fallena-. way, and that all is but hypocrifie, thineowne heartthou thinkefl will oneday beguile ehreßie asr thee : now call to minde that Chrtft is made vnto theeholines,not as a newMofes to fol- hotyniffe. low,butasaMefliiastobeleeuein,astheauthorandfinifherofthyholines;fothattopre -. feutre feemeth impoflible to thee, yetwith hiinit is pofible: yea and moreealktocou- tinue thee in bolinesbeing begun,then toconuertZacheus, Matthew, andMaryMagda - len, or to reconciletheLambeand the Lyon, and otherswhich he !lath Mrely done. There isone thingyet troublesthee ; thou hatt many things promifedthee, and thou thinkefl they are not performed ; thoulookeft for peaceofthe minde, andbehold a wound ofthe rpm ; thouart the liéire ofthe wholeearth,and yetpinchedwith pouertie ; thou art Lord thrift isoierre- of libertie, and yet heftin prifon : it is fo, and yetin allthis fee Chria is thy redemption, demption. not fuffermgtheetobeouercome with any ofthefe in thislife,and freeing thee wholly from them in the life tocome. Admitthou werft cruellyperfecuted,cannot hethat made the fire not toborne at all the three children in thefurnace, make the fire foeafily confume thee, as thou (halecomfortablie beare it? Will nothe that made the Lyons beinghungrie, not once to open their mooches on Daniel, crufh thee fogreedily that thou Malt willinglyfu- cepes. ftaineit? Now the meanesare the word, prayer, and Sacraments: theword crucifieth themnew in thy heart; prayer giueththeeafeelingofthy-faith ; the Sacraments confirme both thy faithand feeling. Spiritual( to We mutt not be proud in our gifts, for God bath in iudgement giuen iudgeinene pride. tomanyfnnpleonesto! pievsout.IfweconfeffetoGod ,wemuttfranklyandfreelybring our feluesinto theprefence ofGod, and layout hearts naked andbare beforehim: we mutt not asharlots wipeour mouthes and fay we haueoffended, and yetfall into finnea- ggaine:butwichremorte of confcience acknowledge them, and with feareand reuerence leauethem. t r Manythinke ittobe caller to confclfe their finnes to God, then to acknowledge Eovrbard it them vntomen: but it feemeth to be contrary: for he thatrefitfeth to confeffe his finne is toconjega before man, in whom isbut a drop ofindignation againil finne, which isfearcfull in the ourfrancs Lord,will not willingly open them and ttrip them nakedbefcrethemaieftieofGod. And Gad. hethat can frankly ltand as a penitent before Godand hisAngels, he will notfricke to confeffe his finne before the faceof men. Behold our father Adam whílel1c therewas no man to feare him, the Lord coimnethat the firfttol,iinby pricke ofconfcience, hehideth himfelfe with figtree leaves: tothis pricke ofconfciencethe Lord fendeth avoyce ora noyfethat is heard:Now not contentwith a few leaues,he goeth intothe thicket ofwood : atthe lengththe Lord to drawhim out ofhishypocrifie,bnngeth him intothe plaine,and vrgethMin .withfubttantiall queltions: henot abletohide himfelfe any longer,hideth his frnne,and ihtfteth it offto Ena.Whydoth the holyGhott thusorderly and particularly let downe this matter, butto thew that thoughwe haue aprideoffinne by nature inpart to confeflè fumes, yetnakedly to vncafe thylinnes before God, is a hard thingto fleii and blood, thediuell lying by prompting vs, that infodoing we Mall bringour feluesto dif- payre,wefhali Milneoutofour wits, we Mall kill our felues,andneuerliuemerrie daya- game? In thatnotablePfaline ofinitruétioni3z.we are taught, thatthen thereinhopeour frnnes are forgiuen, whenGod empting our heartsof allguile, we can be contentfreely togiueGod theglorie,and to flumecur feluesbefore men.We feewhen hisgreat átlliai- Sundryeuajr on couldnot bringhim to confeffehis finne, yet.no comfort cameto him, vntill byGods onsafjinners. ggrace begreívtothis iflue, that he reckoned vp the whole catalogof hisgreat finites: fo arda thing it is to code&our finnesbefore God.Itis ourgreat corruption, being adrno- niffiedorchargedoffrnne, we either denieit to bea finne, or wedente our felues tohaue 3 finned inthat frnne,orwequarrell and wrangleabout the nature offinne,orelfewe coun- tenanceourfettlesbyScriptures, as theFarnuhiffs doe court ninny iniquities, by making plaine places allegories ; or ifweconfeffe, it is in greathypocrifie; orifwe confeffein fome erueth,
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