602, MaJerCreenhamr cReadings prayeth for graces.Aswe fee thefetfe fame argumcnt,fowe feeanew reafon. 77í telfime, ,siet (faithhe)are wonderful(, i. Thy lawe bath in it Inchmyfteries, as naturali men cannot reach them,and thereforeloueI thy law.Asifhe Mould banelaid ; Lord,whatis the caufe, that mendoefo bafely efteeme of thegrcatnesof thy couenants, why doe men fo little re- garde it?becaufe they neuer tailed the excellencieof it,theyneuer felt the wonderful) and powerfullmaieftie thereof.Why doeI lay them vp as myfoule?becaufeinmy foule I haue felt by thy word fuchwifedome,aseyehath not leene,eare bath not heard, not. reafon able tocommie: Andwhy I prayyou, inour times doe fo few,conceiue, orconceiuing, doe keepe and fo efteemeof theword of God? becaufe thewifemen of the world thinke it a ,r thingveryeale, and they can conceiue it when they lift, and the more common fort of people make no moreaccount of it, then to give it the hearing, andthat with their natu- ral! wit,andreafon onely. Somemen maythinke Ifpeake much againftmens wits, but allmen may fee, that that isamyfterie which canned be concerned byreafon, and that i it be a thingivhich by wit and reafon may beconceived andattained,that it is no myfterie. I This is the reafon why comming to theword,weinuft haueneweyes tofee fpiritually, newBares todifcerne,new hearts to conceiue. Verle i 3 ó. The entrance into thy word, fbewsth light , and giueth vnderffanding to the Pimple. - .. Depth ofmy- His isno painted vvifedome, yet the limpliciti d the vvord is of more glorie and finte soplum- . j pompe,then allthe wifdomeof theworld befides Wherefore Paul,EppheL3.prayed sec ofvvords. that the Ephefiansmight accordingto the riches of Gods glorie,. rcceiue lhrength by his fpirit inthe innerman , to comprehend thebreadth and height and length anddepth of this. Our Sauieur Chrift (peaking toPeter ofthis myfterieatteyned to byfaith,faith, Flehb andbloodbaoh,mt resicaledeh;;onto thee, huttheSpirit. And inMatch.r3.za where our Sa- Moor Chrift fpakeits Parables, he fayd, ßecaufe rt it giuen toyou to know theferrets ofthe king-dome ofHeauenfburto -them it is--noegigot. Many mayhauetheword of Godltrike theireaves theymay haue anhumane conceiuingofit, but fewhaue the right and 1piritu- all vnderftandingof it. When we coined= in feare aced tremblingtoheare the word, asknowingthat of our felues we canneuer vnderltand theword,butn.uft ciaueof God byprayer,tobe giuen vs byhis holy Spirit, who as he vvas theauthor ingiuing it, fohers alto the sassier of concei- tiing ie,vve are lurevve lhall vnderftand:.There isanhearing ofthe letter, and anhearing ofthe Spirit..Why then hauevve folittle iudgement and tolde afFetlionsinbearing and reading,butbecaufe vve l:eareand readefö malapercfy, and arenotdroughty and truelqq- perfvvaded ofthemaitlhie thereof ? TheLord is delightedvvith thefoule that ishumbled, and rehsfcth thepurpofeof tite proud. Forvvhat is the caufèthat fomany runne intohe- refieibutbecaufe they areproude inchedovvneconceits?On thecontrarre,if vve hadthis humbledwinde, vvefhould notbe fofenfelefle in conceiuing, not toToone carted avvay vviththefloods and tempelts ofcorrupt do&Tint.' In that hefaith, Myfoule dochkeepe them; Isis meaning is, that therefore he laide vp the precepts of God in his heart, that he might haue them in a readinelfe vvhen he fhould pra&ife them,as he faithportion 2.3.¡hunebidthy'promife inmyheart,that 1 might notAgue againftthee. Heart featof TheConic is the Mateof afFeetions,forhe faith,that hehad the flatutesof the Lord inhis, dìninitie, tiffeatons.Thefiate of diuinitie the heart,Miereforethe Scripcdres vie fo oftento fay, the heart ofman is corrnpt,the Lord feattheth thehcart,the foolifh manhach Midin hisheart. For chough the Philofophsrs(aid, that the mind, was the liare ofknowledge ,.yet they couldneuer fee, that theheart is the feateof Chriftianreligion. Which ifis were inour ntinde,wèfhould furely beputtvp with it,as we are with knowledge.- Here is then a mall VialIelect. ofour hearts. I feemany labourafterknowledge, but few afteraffe&icns. This in tempta- tienwill not helpe,vncilf both knowledge and affetlionsbe on our fides to refill, fóthat which
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