Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

¢8t Ofgodsfeare. deny acquainted with them, but inmill things there is no queftion or inquire tobee made, as- being a thing comminginto the eyes, cares and hearts of all men enough, and as wee fee by dailie experience too much. Now if wewill goe from Mofestime; to Da- niels time, wee fhall fee bee makes the likequelfion, Pfalme 15. r. Lordwhofha/1 dwell in thy tabernacle,&c. asone that faw a great want of mendefiring that way, but come to the contrarie,'and Pfalme t4. bee fheweth that all are gone out of the way, all are corrupt; there needesnoqueftion to bee made of fuck. Goe yet furtherto thedayes of Efay,andwe feehis title to imnpewith both the fonner,asEfayp 3 . who barbheleeuedoarre- port, asthough they:could hardly be found that would credithis words, but corn in the very f rft chapterhe wasnot affraidefmplieand without inquirietofay, that all were fo full of linne,thatthere was noplacevoide of wicked men from top tothe toe. If we come toChrilthis time, he faith in hisdayes, who is a trueand faithfullfaruant, who is a trultie feruant, who whenhis Lord commeth he Mall findefaithful) ? but ofthe ambitious Phan- fees we know therewas great ffore.lfwe chroniclefromMofes toDáuids time,fromDatid toEfaiestime,fromEfay to Chrilt histime, and from Chrilt to the end of the world, we fhaff findeit a matter ofcontrooerfie tohauemen fearingGod; but of theother fortit is a thingwithoutall manner of controuerfie. Andhere wemuff not thinke, thatit might be, many fearedGod, but theyknew notmens hearts: forGod himfelfe, thefearcher of the heart,acknowledgeth thefame thatthey doe,as Efayfaith, 59.4.NomancalkthforJuflice, nomancontendethfor trueth. 16.and whenhe fawthere tivas noman,he wondred that none Wehuene fhould offerhimfelfe: neither is this exec&of euillnoted onely in the perfons, but euen time to doe the times are full ofeuill. Genef.6.6.It is raid thethoughtsof menshearts wereeuill con- soad' tinually, or euery daye : Micah faith, they fpent thewhole night in cull!, and fo goeth further: tothat Mofes battinglet downeallthe day, and Micah all thenight , we may fay all time is fluffed with emll; ifwe haueany timefor good it is in purport., not in prabtife, it is io the time to come,not in timeprefent: in regarde whereofthe Prophetfaith, the Mlle fowlesandbirds oftheayre, the Storke, thedoue and others keepe their time, but wene- uer can findeour timetodoe well in. Beyond all this,asall perfons and times, fo ail places are tainted withthis.euill: Heauen it Idle bath not been voide of wickedneffè; forcum from thence fell thewicked Angels: Paradife wasnotexempted; the Temple was not free from notable hypocrifie; the numberexceeded cuen in the actions themlclues:wherefore pallidcried' out at the viewe offuchapdcke, Lord,whoBoth vnderflandtheerrors ofthis life? Our dayes maybe ntunbred;as we feePfalm.9o. but ourMines are without number, and therefore are compared to the land oftheSea. Then we fee in regardof the perfon, time, places,andaelions,few doegood, and therefore fuck is the complaint and queftionof the menof God in rltisbehalfe. The fruit which weare to reape bythis, is tiros moth: that ifwe fee occafionof offence, and matter ofgriefe be offered vs, wefee no morethen Mofes faw long agoe, thenDatid Efayand Chrilt himfelfe faw in their timesbeforevs,in comparifon whereofwemay make ouraduantage, that feeing the time ofMofes wasa timeof afiétion, andthe dayes we hue inarethedayes ofpeace, it is leffe maruell to feeeuill in thedayes of peace thenin the timeof trouble:and therefore Luther vpon this quetion, who fcares?Pfahn.90. maketh this anfwere, noluaubeforeafliCìion: (hewingthat afHiétion fhould fpeciailie leaders to feare,and-being on ceáffc&edwith feare, we fhould eitherfay, Lord what (hen Idoe ? Or with Da,idfay,whatfhall'repayvat, theLord? Seeing the Lord is faine tocoutplaine ofthe final! numberof rush asfeare him,we muff take orderto mitigate thiscomplaint, that it fall not moreiultly vpon vs. In the rimeof Mopsat thekaft there was Eofua andCaleb;in Chrifts timeSimeon andAnna: At the leaft we insult looketiserebeone trueworlbtpper, as inElias time, and lo doingweflailsnake the queftion vaine, and fùrely if wedeliire tobe lùch, fewwill put vs by our delire: foras. ourlinnes be well called an hereditarieficknefle, which if it werenot fo, we would pur- chafethem fait enough : fo that knowledge and feare of God not being hereditarie , are notwithftandmg cheapenedof fewmen. Rawwefhauld Great caufethereisthen whywefhoul dfeare,itisanaeteof the euerlalíngParliamene, feare :andwhy that

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