Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

andgodlyv feeruatsons- And asI wouldnot you fhould difpute with yourtemptation, fo Iwould not you fliould defpife it,and makeno accountof it :for in both are extremities. Ifyoutake it toomuch toheart,ormarueile howyou fhould ouercomefuck a temptation; it will make you dull or defperate. Ifyouaccount ofit too little,and marueilehow filchthings fhould come in- toyour head,which wasnot wont tobefo,it will make you notto ftriue,and you (hall be (wallowed vp before you beaware. If you accountof it too fearefully, Sultan will op- preffe youbefore youbegin to fight. Ifyou account of ittoo lightly,the diuell needes not towretile withyou,you will ouercomeyour felfe : therefore feare inrefpe&ofyour felfe, fightboldly inChrift,tremble atyour owne corruptions,but reftand trultin Chrift your b faluation. If ttill youare tempted and no bodie by you '' Write yourtemptation,and-offer To sitettié it toGod by prayer, andpromifé to him that youwill aske counfell athis word, at the temyraríoa mouth ofhis minifter,when he !hall giúe youcult occafion. If allthis helpenot, comfort ánd ¡ isoffer your felfe withthis pledge ofEletiion,that youare toyedwhen you felfe your beleefe,aod p;aero bad rn you aregrieued'leaftyou di pleafeGodby yourvnbeleefe: andknow,that as there is avi- ciflitudeofehe meanesof faluation, which you mutt`vfe; fo there is allo a viciflitudeof Remedie. temptations,whereof thisis one,agáinit which youmutt ftriue. I a Vnto onethat was temptedwith worldly flhame,and thought thediltemperature ro betempted of his inindeproceeded thereof,hefaid on this fort : Firft know,thacSaban halt no abfo: zzirhzs ortdty lucepower,buta powerbypermitliouto trievs:againf whichweemult arme our fettles eeedee, rbe by faith, which will atfure's, that either die Lord will inittigate our' temptation; ifour s power and patience bee notgreat : or elfe, if bee inlarge the triall,hee will iucreafeour strength according to the proportion of our temptation. Wee muff alfo pray, that the z Lord gluenot out that ineafureof leaue to the diuell,whicb wegiue out to finnc,toss orke rebellion in vs againit his maìeftie: but that het would rather make Sachan aChirurgion tochew vs our finnes,than a Sergeant toconfound vsfor them. Ir is thepolitic ofthe ad- uerfarie,to perfwademany that the weakrìesof their bodie, and freblenes of their braise When and proceedethof their temptations ;when indeedeitcommethoftheirrmffatedmmdet , mandrino boortewptaa too mach after themotions ofthedittell, in that theynot refiing on the were1, nor dependin òn tuns breeder Cbrif,norcontenting themfelnesto be tried, norcomfortingthemfeltser bymeditation, attend too mtech,and confertoooften with the diatels illufansaoed temptations,andfo theycomplainofthe ef- fetys,andnot ofthenaafisofthetemptations,6eingmoregrimedfortheirprefent fteerings,tbatt fartheirfesnesreg. The rooceofthis worldly shame, is pride,and haughtines otminde, which is a prune euill,and hardlywill be beaten into the head ofthem that are infested with it. But furé it is that we would neuer be fogrieued for the lofleofa thing,ifwee did not too much defire it, and too immoderatlyvfeit ,whileltwe had it,Ioh.iz.4z. Which finneof haughtines,the Lordfeeing in hischildren,that theyaremore humbled with the Joffeofworldlycredit,than with the fence of their fhnnes,andloffe ofhis glorie ; Iiee ftri. keth themwith the want of that thing which is molt precious vntothem,becaufe they made no confcience of that honour which is moltprecious vaco him. Wherefore this is the be;tremedie,rather to begrieued that we ferlenot our finnes tobee pardoned with God,than thatweare knownetobe finnersamongft men:and that we bereadie to fhame our felues, that God mayhave the glorie, acknowledging fhame and confufion, and the wholepitof hellish temptations tobedue vntovs ; and glorie,praité and compafsion, to be the Lords only.For this is a fpeciall worke of thechildeof God, by temptations rightly humbled,when heis cradle to (hautehimfelfe for his finne,toglorifie God in hismercie. 13 Vntoone thatthoughthimfelfe tohaue finned againftthe holWGhoft,he fayd:Sa- thans temptations fellow our affe&ions: for ifwelightlyaccount offinne, he bleeres our lto satbant eyes 1hll withGods mercies. If we begin tomakea confcienceoffinne,he loadeth vs with.Ellaatorr>af, the iudgementsof God, beingas readie now toaggrauate this finne, more than it is in feótion, itfelfe,as before hewould extenuate it tomakeit fremelefle than itwas. Howbeit (laidhe to the manthus afflicted) I will fayvntoyouasSomme/ fayd to the people,afterthey had one fearingbe confelfed themfelues to haue finned againft God with a great finne : True it is, fayd Sá- hadfinneda- rtmel,(not flatteringthem intheir iniquities) ye haue finned greatly: notwithltanding,if halt theboly ye will feare theLord and feruehim,and heart his voyce,andnot difobeythe wordofthe f E Lord,

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