Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

en the IT9. Pfame. 534 ther for good, and !offer our fillies to be exhorted to perfeueronce,to be wltc.ted.for one duties,and to be admonifhed ofour infirmities,-and let vs be grieued that wee bauemade fo litdeexchange of our talents,to bring fo fmaifen Createto the Lord. TheIrrendteaoc is prayer : brcfore be 1d fo often,port.3.1. reachrae,OLord.,the f thtfatutes may o,(re. andport.9.x. Teachme good iudgemenr and Cer rledge. Where home- time hedefired, 0) have his judgement inlightencd, and fon:ctimcs his afi;ó?tons cleered. Wcll,was he one that waswirer than Gad and Nathan, and yet had thisafleblton toglow in the knowledge ofwired onie,and (hall not he alfhamed;if we pray not? Hefelt this joy and delight ofthe word by incalore in him,he felt fo;netimcs a cleat:c heart,Ibmctimes anhardbeart,fò,neii esvnfpeakeablejoyofininde, fometimcexceedingdulnescfmind,,, fometiue hoe ieemed ;ohaue enjoyed the comforts of Angels, fometimesno comfort at,, all. So let vs thinke our felues to be asbetweene light and darknes,cloudes and hrightnes, fomctimes hailing patience, and fòmetimes murmuring, fometimepurpofog todogood, foinermefaiutiog,in bringingthem to paffe. Concerning thank(g,iumg,which wasanother ofhisexercifes ,itisfitid,port._1.4Seues timer'adad doeI frail thee,becaufe ofthyriohteous icadgements.Where hcc filmed), that bee v red thiskinde of worfhip often ; whieb thingwith vs is forre contrarie, becaufe we pray " '"1(... more than weegiste rhankes. The reafonis, weeare gioen ingreater neafurctofeele our wanes, whichprouoketh vsto prayer, than to fee Gods benefits receiued, which might mouevs tothanktgiuirg. The next ineanes, by order the fourth, whichthe man ofGod v fed, is here byname fet t4.a,ied downemeditation. Bat Comewill fay ; Howconmethittopaffe, thatamongIo manyand` e'` fundriemeanessto mention is made of hearing and reading'the word of God? Weean- The rr9.Pfat. fwere,thàt this is PIaline of experieuce,andnot of knowledge. And her that feekcth for t, n1fteeof knowledgehere will want methode : but wee null trauaile with the Prophet to finde else "Poiaste. - truth fo applied to our hearts, as wee may thew aswell our infirmities, as our excellent graces. Aga ine,becaule hearing is the fenceof dilèipline, and many will attend on rea- dingand hearing, which will not lichons time to conferee, to pray, toglue thanks,to ditate,or vow their obedienceto the. Lon; ,he comprehendeth the one in fetting down the vfeofthe mher. For if in our readingand hearing for wantoftiled itationwedo hoepro- at ere rrci;d fit,we areas coloured in the Sunne: whereforewee mu;t nonilh,aodbeadmonifhes; buüiugacrd we mull pray,and prouoke topray ; we muff meditate will-often thinke of thofe things, emgare , shay on tiofe things,whehwe hueheard or read, tollatation: Indeedeknowledge, reading, and hearing are ftvecte euen to a natural! man : but to conferre,tobeadmoniihed,to pray, tó glue rhankes, be things hard and difficult. Itmay bethat fome can pray to feruethetimes,becaufeofthe law which conflraiueth them : but how many fba11 the finde that doth itprivately,in truth,and voluntarily ? Seine tendeand they reft ha the general! rules, not makingany vfe of it to themfclues, and fo learnethat which is anothers mans, not appropriating it to themfelues for want of meditation. Whereof it commetti tc, paffe, that wee leemany make a learned fermen ingeneral! pre- cepts, whowhen they cone to particulars,to comforttholewhich lie ficke, or to ralle vp thetn that arc tempted;for want of praasle in thenyfelues can fay nothing. TheveryHea- thencould grant, and you know who Ipakeit, that amans life wasa cogitation of death. c1,ri, ?ime But becaufe wecan meditate of death,becaafe ive ioyne withit the hopeof immortahtie, I pfeistt,c mr fay,that a Chriltian mails life maywell be laid to b a meditation of thelate of God, and drta!inn of tl,e how lie fhall Rand before Gods lodgementlèate. Which meditation in this man ofGod i.,:vo/God, fhewetb,that corn froit2 the heart heloneth the lawofGod. Ifwe examine our felnes,we &C. fhail finde our tongues to cleaueto our teeth, and tothe roofs dour 112o1.1thes : whereby we fee,that tae cannot lay thiswiththeProphet, that from theabundance of theheart our mouth fpeaketh. For wee hede by prablire, that weheare,reade,and fingfo coldly,as wee thew,thae our affeelions are almofl dead within vs. There followeth its the end of the verfe continualy. Weknowby proofe of daylie expe- rience,that whatfoener we lone, ofthat we contiuuailic think. And in that this qualitie or eircumftance is ioyned with medicationwe are taught,thatthoughwe limit rend e, heate, A a a 3 couferre,

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