e Vla ier Cjreenhams Readings ofCliëiffit is fan Rifled tovs,fo that it snaked, vs dye ro finne, and that finne is loathfbme to vs; then is it a token ofGods fauour. Fosafflsficsss are common to all, Eccleí:Q.but wh'e weprofit by them,then arethey good tovs. For ifgoad thing des became hurtful!, if they be notfanEtnfed: muchmore /ha ?I aJliIIions, if theybenotfanflìfied in the athofChrrfl,co snake vs examine our wayes,and feeour finnes,and to drove vsto Chrdt. But thewicked are ei- ther worfe,er no better. Thenwe uudtprofit by them,or elfe weemakea way for a greater punsihment. Verf68.7hou art goadand gracious: teachme thyflatuter. TIE dcßrethto be taught by God, drat whetherbee were inprcfperitie ortrouble, bee fjmight hue well; becaule profperitie Wouldmake lam forgetfull,and affhétionwould ouerwhel:ue him, if God did not teach him. This muffteach vs, that inwhat hate fòciser we bc,we delire to be taught ofGod,otherwi{ewe shall faile. After he had (hewed that he keepeth Gods coinmandcments, flee craueth for grace,where flee pleader, not his merit. Though he kept the word,yet heprayeth that betray 1tí11 be taught,becaufe the knew not all,and became he was readie to erre both in pradtife and iudgetiienr. And this must teach vs not only todelire to be taught when theerre,but auen when wedoe well. Hoeprayeth cfpecially for the teaching ofthe spirit. Verf.69. The proudhaueimagineda lieagainft me : but l refill beepe theprecepts withmy irhale heart. HE fheweth another caufe why lice would be taught,and that is,hee bath ro fight with the World. Andwee haue the famecaufes, as our corruption, and the world. The world louts, none but herovine. And if wee wore as zealous asothers hauebeen,, wee Mould beas fire troubled. Forthey are enuious, and if wee shouldfight with themwith their owneweapons, weewere too weake,and thereforewee liaue ncedeto be helped of Cod. Proude.Faith humbleth,and infidelitie maketh proud.Faith humbleth,becaufe it letteth vs Gores; and tlse soo ifhtaents thereof, and that weehaue nodealing with God but in the mediation ofC'tirilt ; and that wee can doeno good, nor auoide ruin, but by grace: but when then know not this, then they think, muchof thetnldues, and therefore are proude.Therforesii ignorantmen, allheretikei,andtvorldlmgsare.protid. Theythat are humbledunder Godshands,are humble to men :but they-that defpife-God, doealto perfecute Isis lèruants. By proude, he here meaneth them that had goodgifts : to teachvs, that though wee:be perfecuted of diem that arein high places, yet this is themanner ofGods people. Thefe first mockedhim,part.7. then theydid biasiniurie, part.8..and-here theydeuile futtle de- uifes againfthim : and this is the continuall prat-tireofthe wicked,This is agreat tempta- tion,to faa faire facevpon an euill caufe, and to defacea good caufe ;, as is noted by the Hebrue word. Thiswas great grace that lie couldwithstand it. The way is toapproue our lelnes and ourcaulk to God : for ifwedepend vpon men, then (hall we be amazed. This maketh that true,which is Ecclef.8. that it happeneth to the good as though theywere euill,aud contra. This is the praetifèoftheFamilie of lone,tu raifevp euillreports againft the caufe of true religion,and again!} the perfons,and theypreuaile much. This isthe pray ¿fife of urnat these daies,to deface the perlons by calling diemPuritans,and the caufe, that it will ouerthroev states. Withmy: heart. The word mast hauethe wholeheart,andnot a part : orelfe we (hall not outftand this temptation. He meantthat lie did throughly meditate ; not that lice did no- thing elle, For wantof this, wefeethat many beingwell coloured with die word,yet doe fhrinkewhen euill reports arise. Verf.7o.
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