on the 119.TfaIme.. tueryeeld to that,which our judgements dofubfcribe to : and that not onely forfeareofpunifir- inent,butbec ode-Withthe Lord there is mercie: and when weearé eonninced ofaüyoneGame, lairs fo labour to amend that, as we allo looke to the whole courfe ofour life, toamend euer is amiflè therein. Vetfe 77. Let thy tender merciescome Onto me, t/,t ¡m ¡me f,rthyLoo is "delight. IN thathe doubleth this requefl in twoverfes,he flreweth that he had no light feelingof finite, but therebyhe was asa dead man , becaufc he fete notthe life ofGod in him. This mull wee marke thatohenwearebroughttofolowefl ate, that all comfort fcemethtobe part , yet lays remember thatGods childrenhauebeenc fo; and therefore let vsdouble our prayers, knowing that with theLord ismetcie, with himis life indeath, andhelpe in :thegreater} extremitic. This if we candoe, thenfhallwebearmedagainfl thegreater} temptationthatSatan'hath;andthatis t, this,to perfwade vs thatourcafe isfuch,as neuerany of Gods childrenwere in ; our temptations fuch,asnomar had ; our Ens li,ch,asnone have committed: with which ifhe canpreuaile,rherr cloth he makevs par} hopeof recouerie, thenBoth he make vspall vfng any meanes to be reco- vered : for when wee are perfwaded that the difeafeis incurable, then wee leave all meanes that mir.hr }wipevs. Marke thetendet conferences of Gods children. Ìf this man ofGod, whichhadbeeneno common (inner, Was fohi for f roe, that his moyffure was turned into drought, Pfal.;c. beforesee could bebrought toconfeffe his (inne ; it Fri} fheweth,howgreatly forrowini we thould be : and aggaine,thegreat hypocrihe that isinour hearts, whereby thediuell worketh invs, to thinkethat our fumesarebut (mall, and therefore ., be carelcflcof them, that at the lar} hemay make them fo great , as that wee (hallthinkerhey be not able tobe forgiven. This is his pradlife andhis purpofe, therefore let vs take heede of it. That Imay line: He did cate anddrinke, and hehad the vfe ofhis fenfes, yetthis hecounted no life, becauie he feltnot hin;fçlfc reconciled toGod ; butwas in for ow andheauineffe : yet he was skilfullin nutfeke, wsich might haueput forrowaway : he hadaifofriendes,andnianyva- liant men, in whole company he might hauedelighted; yet in all therehe tooke no pleature,but 141 this was inhis mind, how he might be reconciled toGod. What fhelwe fay then °fthen); which, fo that they may ltaue thefeoutward things,they neuercare for Gods faueurt ofif theybe in trouble, they onely lecheroput awaytheir troublebycom è their heart to be reconciled to:God? Bathchele are faeaef'eounthe nifcbf ion of tisis man : and let vsknow, that thoughwe hadKingdomes at our pleafure, thoughwet hadat couimandement allpleafure and paf}ime ; yet ifwee were not reconciled toGod, and if they were notfané}iñ- ed toys inChrill,they wouldnothing auaile vs, and the ende ofthenr would be but henna nefié, Then letvs not flatter our felues,foi the life of fn is the deathof the foule, and withoutCh: i1} ,, there is no life : but if throughChriff fìc be reconciledto God, then canno m iferie makevs mi- » ferable : and though we want all outward things,yet we haueall toGod through Chri ft. :a For thy Law is "delight : He felt not this prefently, butbe meant, thatwhenGod fhould tel}ore him to life,that hemight not deceivehatnfelfe, bee thouId feele Gods mercie inhis word: fothat without Gods mercie in his word, he felt nocomfort. Many willconfefie them to be toi- ferable, if theyhauenot Gods mercie;but few willwith Davidacknowledge that wirhatit mer- -eie in the word they are miferable. Theword is the meanes tobringvs toGods mercie, there- fore by the word wemuff eíleemeGods mercies. Let vsexamine, if thereading, hearing,and meditatingof Godswordbe as Coceen untovs, irontvery life : or w.hctlrer xehaue fpcciall feelingofGodsfauour in his word; fo that the fee- lungofGods goodrtel[c Autheven makevs with thisManof God to delight luit. The great delight in Godswordouerfhadoweth all worldly pleafures,andwillmake men vfe them, as though theyvied themnot : bur if wecannot come to thisdelight, thtn is it no maruel, if that we put cur whale pleafiue in thereoutwardthings. The way to coneto this delight, isto keepea continual) wane againf our affedtions ; for if wepleafe our fclues in them, then(hall not the word be pleafant; yet fora time it may,till thole ,. affe&ions be conrroilcd,but hen they will abhorre it : yet if wee cantame ouraffcdtion s of an- ,, goylull,&c.then (ball wee fide fwéetne ffe inthe word when wecome to it. Z z ? VerC7s 57
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