594 e514a.ffer greenhorns Readings Thenifwebenot wtarie in ourcalling, and could come to fay with this manOf God, andwith theApoftle Paul, that we are not confcious in our [clues, yet we muff further proceede and fay,that we arenot hereby iuilified; becaufe the largenesado lawcannot beconcluded in thenarrow compafl'e ofourbrame, we mull pray for theinereafe bothof ourknowledge and faith. Accordingtothy mercie. He faith not giue iudgement, betaufeI haue done well, but dealewith thyferuantaçcording to thy mercie.Hedothnot meant hereas the Papills, heaflu- rethhimfeffeof nothingof defert,butthoughheflowed mercie vetoothers,yet withGod hefuethfor merde, and nor for merite. Ifthen he had fayled in nothing, hewould not hauepleaded fo formercie,as Paulreafoneth in thefourth tothe Romanes,verfe.q.Tohim thatworketh,thewagesisnot countedby fauour,dut bydebt. And herewe fee that hedot' not glorie,that hisexecuting ofiudgement and iuftiée was his ownework; but acknowled- gcth it tobe the giftof God,and bringing nothingofhisowne,he cranes'pardon. Itis an hardmatter, when wehaue thus done, not tohaue ourpatiencebroken, and todoe the thingswhich wehaue done before. For,for this caulè, in that the wicked loadedhimwith fuch euils,and they oppreffed,and leithemfelues both.againft hiscaufe,and hisperfon,and his corruptionwas grear,he prayethfor perfeuerance. And teachme shyffatutes. i.Ifchou wiltchew this fauourvpon thy feruant,foit is;ifnot, 'in the meane time, Lord teachme thetrue vnderftanding of thy word. We craue often Gods mercie'and helpe,but wethinkenot,that this mercieof all othervtrerl the greateft,as the Prophetfaith, Idelire thy fauou ; but thisis my greatcft delire, euento be inftrueted furtherin thyword.Let vs then looke on thisman,who beingin trouble,defireth nothing more then theword,and wifheth not tomuch the cafeof the&fh, ashedefired tobedeli- nerd' from vnbelcefe. We mutt thereforealoneall pray for this. As in the greatestharueft we lofe none occafron, but if we want oportunitie we craue it by prayer, and Urine the moreby labour to recompence the loll; oftimepaffed;then in ourfpirituall hanteft, which fo farce pallet' the other,as the foulé thebodie, howmuch needehaue weto fee, whether wehaue this carkingcareto pretermitnoneoecafionof Godsword, and to recompence thatatone time, which welofe atanother. And though he faith,Dealewith thyferuant, he Bothnothere boaft of hisferuice,but pleaded) for mettle. If a noble man Ihould take vs as vagabonds and rogues, or Mould rpfcue vs out of priton, when wehad any,fuite, we would crane mercie and fauour,d sd notfpeake of ourferuice, betels noprefumption: fo likewifè,we being takenas 'tray lheepe,and refcuedfrom thepritonofhell, ifwecry,Lord deal,. with tin[truantaccording- tothymerrsis, wedoethew noprefumption, but pleade for merde andiay,feting thouhail vouchfafed Lord to take me tothy feruice, confider with what enemies I have been opprelfed,though I amnot in all thingsa skilful' feruant, yeti am faithful' to theein affeétion;Lordthereforehelpe me. ThePapifts thenare deftituteof Gods Spirit, they feenot this metaphor, that it is of lath feruants, who when they haue done all things theycan,yet thinke themfelues vnprofitable feruants.Hismeaningthen is: O Lord defend mefrommineenemies, for my caufe is in thy fernier. Vert. r as. I am thyTeraina : grauntme therefore onderfiaading, that I may knowe thy te- ffimoniu. V ]E feethe Prophet of God neuercalleth into quefion he promifes of God,al- though they were long futpended, but rather his ownet incredulitie andvnbe- leeft,becaufeheeither did riotlo executeOffice and iudgement,as heought o hauedone; or elkbeleeuednot throughly the couenantsof God, 'and thereforedelireth either to be taught inthe(lattices ofthe Lord,or further tobeleeue his cournants. Therearc then twothings,aboutthewhich heefpeciallie laboureth, andwhich are our moltungular comfort in the dayoftrial') The firthwas the wirneffeofhisowneconfcience toapprouehis obedience to God:the lecond,faith inGods cone nant,which alluredhimof the forgiuenelfeof hisfinnes, and that the Lord in Chrtlt would accept hisvnperfeao- bedience. Heprayer'.: as wellfor the inereafeand continuanceof thisfaith andobedience, AS Merita timile.
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