Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

andgodlyobferuation.r.. pompeous ceremonies in the worfhip ofGod. Againe, a man carefull and right in the fhb- fianceoffaluation, fortheremnants ofcorruptions anddefefbs ofgood, not beingable to difcerne betweene ellentiall and accidentall,bbetweene theprincipalland rnferiourpoints, which make or dcftroya Church,that is ;whichcannot fudge how thefubftantiall ground workes remayning, there is a Church, though therebe otherwifeforce accidenralltlsing9 wanting. Ifanyman not fo much intending this mansgood, as to feede his owne ambiti= on,pride,ftomacke or vaine glorie, Ezell carrie fucha one to furls faperftitions or fchifines, Sohá¡mer: he by hismill heart intending tohinder thetrueth, and to deftroy the templeofGod, chef ` Lord (half deftroy him, andhe Mall eithergrow prophane or worldly, or he /hall becut off bydeath, or beare Tome other tokenof Godswrath. Andbecaufe ofa fingularitieof fpirit, filchmen with an euill confcience difturbe the Church, theymaygrowfrom error Ssipd ritie of to herefies, from precifeneffetoprophaneneffe, fromftrícktnestomadnes, not beingcon- Jßant. tent to be corrupted,but feekingto corrupt.Howbeit,the man ofinfirmitìesand for want ofiudgement going inan highpath, (hallin the end inherit goodthings andbeiaued,but as by fire. The truefaroeyandexamination ofour f lues. 71-lenwe examine ourfelues, weare to fit in judgement ouerour (clues, andto v keepea folemne court in our owneconfciences, to furuey one maners : our wits,our fences, our members,and to fee howwehaue vied them : butyetlead we fhould be too fauourable to ourfelues,eitherin notefpying outour finnes, or in notcondemning ourfins,ftilweremember toretake thelawour iudge,but Chrift theanfwererofthe iudge. Themotionsofthefflirit ofGodinvs. a T is a good thingto makemuch ofa tenderconfcience, and tonourifh themotions IofGodsfpirit, and notto offer any violenceto that fpirit ofgrace, whichrebuketh finneinvs : for hethat bathonce erackthis credit, willhappily care for nothing : file that bathonce brufed hervirginitie, will by all likelihoods proue an oldharlot. It isdaunge- rous to burie the checkes ofour onfciescc,to fight agasnft Gods fpirit, or to !Mother the Checks ofcog= lightofgrace invs : for fo wemay grow to fuck a fottifhnes in finne, thatnoadmonition fcience. can forewarnevs, nospunilhment can afray Vs: thefinalleft meanswill prouokevs to finne, the greateft meanes cannot reuokevs from finne. For fuffering our felues tobe hardened by degrees, the fpirit is ,fo quickely quenched, the confciencefo tender is fo foone brufed, that it is nomarueile though wevfefogreat precifeneife and wearineife info tender amatter,by fufpebtingthe retireofold finnes,and byforelteingthe affàultsofnew finnes. Euill f inits. a E obferued the difference of fuperftuion and true religion in manythings, and 11.namely, how the (hell while(} he was made knowne to men onelybyhomes, by clawes, or byan hollowvoyce, waswonderfully feared : but nowbeing reuealed to bea SatbanJared more fecretaduerfarie, a fpirituall tempter, a prture ouerthrower ofthe:Mule, noman al- ro múch and moltregards him : and therefore as Tomehaue feared him too fuperftitioufly1 fo now it is nowin the come to a more dangerousextremitie, that he is not :feared atall : andwhich ismore, we light too little, cannot truely beleeue thegratious helpeofGods holyAngels,butfeeke afterSatansprac- tifes.He marked,thatgood menand learned,didmuchomit thisin their prayers,ehat God would fendhis Angels to them todeliver them fromeuillfpirits. Temptations. Veryman is that indeede that he is in temptation, z The faithfullfhallnot be tempted aboue theirftrength, but withthe in- creafeof temptation the Lordwill increafe our faith : or with thedecreafeof ourfaith he willdecreafeour temptation. E 3 Gods

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