Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

+o Çr4ue Connfels Lord,ye !hall follow the Lordyour God : but if ye will not obey thevoyce of the Lord, butdtfobey the Lords mouth,then (hall thehand of the Lordbe vponyou, i. Sain. a 2.14. So Iwill not leilboyour finne,but Ilay you haue finned a great finite before the Lord, in that you made a inocke of the word which you knew : yet if you turne to the Lord in feare and feruehim,yonr finne is remiflible,howfoeuer Sathan chargeth yotirconlcience, inthat you hauedone euill againf} yourowne knowledge,and in that you are afraid leaf} that finne be in you, and would reioyce inGod ifit were not in you: ifyoupurpofe to leave your formerfinnes,and in truth to turne vntothe Lord, I dare affure you,that as yet you are free from that finne. Li. When a maide wasfo fore troubled,that two or threeheld her in her ft : hce char- Torefft temp- ged herin the naine ofthe Lord Ielos Chrif}, that when the agonie came,fhe Ihoald not tatian. willingly yeeld to it, but in the Lord refill ir..For both experienceteachethothat the ouer much fearing of temptationbefore it cuumtetit, and little purpofe to refit} itwhen it commeth,mightily incourageth Sathan : andan the holteGhof} biddeth vs to refill the diuell,and hewill flee from vs ; to draw=ereto God, and bee will draw necre tovs. And themaide wasneuer after affhb}ed. TLankeficing. ®F all facrifices, mot}acceptable is that of thankfgiuing:and therefore,in many words the SaintsofGodhaue vowed,and corred intobands with the Lord topay this oblation,both topreuent thevntowardnes of nature, which is 10 vnwilling tothis; as alto to faame tbemfelues more ifhappely they grow hereinnegligent:in which repetition oftheirvowes and promifes(which argued, thegreat defire oftheirhearts: for Tooke what one delighteth in,he often fpeaketh of it,andin manywords)they declare,thae asearnin things agreeable to nature, wee will helpe our delight by oftenfpeakingand repeating ofthein: fomuch morethis helpe is requifite in things abone nature, and among all the parts ofgodlineswhicfi are aboue nature, and ehieflyinthankfgiuing, which is mothcon- trarie tonature : for we will pray often for a thing,bnrhardlygiuecbankes once. And yet experience proueth in ciuill things,dtat ofallarguments toperhvade onetogivevs agift, none is more eloquent or forctble,than to promiseour tellies to be thankfull andmindful! for that we (hall meciste. z It is our comtnoncorruption, that the immoderate griefeofeuds prefent, flealeth fromvs all theremembranceof farmer benefits, and all thankfulnesfor them. Note. vnbeleefe. E gane this a duce to one, that when heefelt miftruft ofGods promifes, bee fhould fet before himthe examples ofGods mercies done toothers,that wee :Again, pre- L, lj,; ÿ' lmaybethemorealluredto'obtaínefaith :andwhenhebegantopretùme,hee frampoion and (hould let before him the examples ofGods iudgements,thathee might pray deJptire. for humilitie. z HePaid to a godly Chriflian,much inueighingagainflher vnbeleefe ; I doenot now fufpeé}your ellate,when you kettle to me rather tohaue faith, thanwhet, you fcemeto Faithandfee- yourfelfe tohave it. For faith being the giftof God, is then moltobtained and increafed ling. ofGod, whenyou thirftingafter.the inmate of prefent feeling, thinke the fnaliefl mea- foreobtained to beno faith : and therefore be yet humbled under the mightie and merci- full handofGod for it.Ratlter I fufpeayouwhen you fayyou haue falth,becaufethen you can leffefeare and fufpell your fi lfe,and by that nteancs he open to vnbeleefe againc.And fnrelyexperience proueth,that thenwee thew wehave beleefe,wlsen weentourne forour vnbeleefe,and then our faithmay beheath, whenwee thinke it tobe maul. Betdes,herein Thegraroth of you are to comfort your lelfe with hope of increafe of faith: becaufe faith groweth by faithby tee s thrfe two meanes,either by Tome great feelings, by theword and the fpirit,and humble meaner. a thankfgiuing ioyned thereunto or elfe by humbling our klues before the tnercie feateof Godfor want ofour faith. Vegodliner.

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