164 Moller greenhorns Readings forgiuing the finnes of the repentant, and giving his grace to them which cram it. Hoveeve be Nowthere aretwo things efpecially which hindervs from this prafhlc. Fira, the rub- keptfmmhaty tiltieofSathan,thus reafoningin vs.; I would gladly vow, but when I hauevowed fucha vows. ood thin Iamfurtherfrom performing myvow thaneuer I was before. We anfwere that thisindeed is fo,and commethasa iudg ment of God for vowing fo high a thing vn- aduifedly and raflrly,witha ferret preftuningofour felues,andnot ofGod,with want ofa prayer tothe Lord forgrace toperforino the fame, as the Prophet did. For fo Moue as the Prophet had vowedthus to theLord,hee immediatly makethhis prayer,feruently asking ofthe Lord,that as lice had giuen his heart wholeveto him, fohee would confirme this grace of hisSpirit inhim. Now, luring the Lord hath alfb promifedto cleanfc our hearts, andthat lefus Chrift is our wifedomeand fancbification,and weare becomethe children ofthehigheft,our meaning is not,thatthe full performance hereof fhould be fought for in our (clues, but in Chrift. 2 The fecond thingwherebywee are hindred, is that wherewith SathanBothbuffet vs : onof whenwe hauemade fame breachof ourcouenant made to the Lord,faying: Thou haft not O6ieLli Ob;eth. keptthy promife,thou haft broken thy bond,thou haft violated thy couenant, and to doe this once Is asgood as twentie: this will be a lufficient evidence againft thee, why doeft thou thereforecontinue,and ftriueftany further in vaine ? We feehow thispreuaileth of- tentimes,becaufe there is no greater fnne, than thefiune of them, whofonretimes haue beene religious,and by this peaEtife of thedivcd, for louse particularoffènce,baue beene Anfinere. perfwaded that they haue made an veter breachof their conenant. Weeanfwere forthis, that feeingthat Chrift did not onely dye for our Cranes before Baptifine, but alto for our Nateroe11. finnes after Baptifine, anddid notonely fàtisfie for our finnescommitted before our cal- ling,butfor thofèalfo which weecommit after our calling, though through infirmitieand frailtie wehaue fallen, and yet not lying downeinprefumption and mahee,but there is a reuerent feareand trembling inour harts,that our corruptions rebelled againft the Lord, theparticular couenant being broken cannot take away the gencrall, and cannot beex- cluded,butmull he included in the fame. When thenwe liaisemade a breach of humane obliuion,and not of obltinate malicioufnes,this is as well forgiven in thegeneral!, as o- Simile. ther finnes. Wemay fee this inpolitike matters betweenea good Lord and his feruant, (for Iprefuppofe amercifull, acurteous Lord)the Lordwill not be difpieafedfor fayling in fòmeparticularperformanceof LomeparticularCovenant, fo her findetlthitn readie to yeeld honour and obedienceto the generalI couenants which are brtweetie them: even fo the Lord,whofe loue exceedeth the loueofa father,Plal. l03 .an dofa motber,Elay.49. towards his,will(pare vs fora particular breach,fo it benot a general contempt,and done ofwilfull malice.If then in inch a cafewe will humble our felues with f otrow,ywedifplea- fedour God,&delire the Lordnot to take vengeancefor any finall breach,becaufe there was no finali intent tofall from the Lord, wee fhall Mrely finde mercie and pardon at his hand. This is a do&rinevery requifit, becaufe it is the policie of Sathan to perfwadea ".YVerenue oar man,t hathalingbroken one couenant,he bads broken all. The remedie then is,that we coursentfe oft know our finnes tobe pardoned,and that we renue our couenant,which wee doe fo oft as as me rime ro we cometo the Sacrament. Let vstcarne therefore tomakeall our othes with the Lord in $besatrament greatreuerence,as did Nehemiah chap.5. who canted theoth to bee minifired in the pre- fence of thePrieft ;thenmull wevfeprayer,and allmeanes, wherebyweemay continue in the Paine : laftly,ifwe flip or fade in fome particular, we maft not bedifcouraged or faint. The catite then whymendoe not titis,iseither becaufe they doe not take it inhand inre- uerence,ortaking it inhand doe not purpofe to keepeit,or keepingit, dofall by defpaire for Tomeparticulardefea. Thus wefee how the ratan of God iheweth his carneflnes andhisaffelíon to the law of God, teaching vs, why many doe not fo loue the word, as to make it a lanterne to their feete,either becaufe theyhaue notfuels vehement affe&ion, or elfe they benot fo perma- nent: and therefore weeare to pray both againft our coldnes to the law, and our moon.. Rancie. It might feeme grange to fome,thathe Mould fweare tokeepeGods iudgements : but W6
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