634 e761aMer greenhorns 744dinga ,. Thevvord of God ',tried friend in trembler. Simile. to AMMs children, faying, HelpeLord ( Pfal, t 2.4. ) for thereisnot a odlyman left &e. and by andbyhe addeth verfe 6. Thewords of the Lord =parewords, as the Ater tried in afur- naceof earth,finedfawn fold. If wefhould imaginethepureft fluer, that isoften tried,and fer- ueth in the court for Princes,euen fo puremuff we beleeue thé wordof God tobe,whichnot fe- uen timesalone, but feuentietimes feuen times hath been triedin theEre of aduerfitie,and hill bath remained moll pure, and neuer could any corruption be found in it. Weehauefeene good men as it wereconfounded,andyet comforted, andbeing tried arefound to be pure. The meaningof themanof God in that place is, trie theword, as you doetrie thepu- reft mettais, with perfecution,with torment, withcontempt, or howfoeuer, Itell youthe word is true,and this is mine only comfort, OLord,that though thewicked rage,thypro- made for everis vnchangeable. Premed true. What could deceiueit ? could the Serpent.inParadife ? No. What could wafh itaway ? could allthe flood in the deluge? No. What could confume it? could all thefiriefurnace ofGomorrah,ofEgypt and of Babylon ? No. Lookefromthe &h father ofall Adamunto this day,and howmany feruants the Lord bath triedand found pure; fò many examples webaueof thepurenes of theword. This thenwee feeisa wordpure by proofe.We elteemegreatly of armour ofproofe,which neither the fpearecould pearee,nor the (hot of gunne batter,nordart in anybattailecould bruife : ob how baththeworden- countred with Sathan,and with all his adherents? Howmany darts ofthe worldlingshath itfuflained, and neuer yeelded ? but as a fword of proofe'hathnot onely ftriken offthe headsofSathan, andof all heretìes and (chifrnes, butalfo bathmightilyprcuailedagainft 'powers and authorities,and principalities in heauenly things. When we bane an appro..' ued medicine, weethinke if a thingof great price,beingfuch a one as neuer failed ; but wherefoeuer it was laid it wrought the fate : fo, here is a tried medicine for the foule, which neuer diddeceiue any that vfed it aright.This is a moltrare medicineandCovetable Calve. Forneuer forewas fogreat inmans foule, neuermaladie fogrieuous,neuer corrup- tionof frnne fo farre gone,neuerwas thereany wound of confcience fodefperate, which eitherthis didnotcure being vfed, ormight haue'Cured if it hadbeen vfed. Titis bath beén tried,and is approued byall the fick foulesthat euer were,fince thebe- ginning of the worldto this day, whereof force were deliuered from many foresoftheir confcience,andmany even relatedfrom the depthof theirforowes.We count hima tried friendand approued,which in no troubles that euerdidbefall vs fhrunkefrom vs,andfai- ledvs,but hoodvs in all Readpollìble : but whom,'Ipray you, bath the Lordéuer decei- ued,thatputtheir truthinhint ? or inwhomLath the word of theLord ruerfailed? which will flick withvs totireend,which will lauevs from alleuils,accompany vsin all dangers, recouer vs inall infinnities,pitieand relieurvs inall eniferies,which willfaue vs fromhell, and will fpeake forvsbefore the Iudge,and pleadeour caufe,and euenwhileft life lafteth, 'will hill hand vs inftead. Wherefore feeingthe word of odhathmitfuchexcellencie, that it taketh vpall the delights of Gods children,andthriontempt c t thereoftakethvpall the forrowesof theSaints ofGod ; feeingfor beingeaten vp with the zealeof Gods word, whatfoeuer wee lofein theoutward man, wegaine&are recompenced for it in the inward man; contrarie to the eating zeale in allother things whatfoeuer, teeing the neerer wee come to Godin his word,and the further wego from our felues,tlroughwe were throwne to theground,wefhouldbe reedified ; feeing,if wee were triedin thefitrnace,wee fhould finde fuch ari happie exchange, that as the goldwee fhould lofeno weight, but become more pure;feeingit onely tenuetlr vsin trouble,andwe cannotmore difcredit the wordof God,than eitherto fuffer ittobecontemned, or not fufficiently efteemed, as becommeth athingof fuchperfeótion,glorie,eternitie,and exalt righteoulnes ; feeingit is fuchan ar- mour ofproofe,fotried a medicine,fo approued afriend:let vs crauc ofGod thathewould open our eyes,and cleereour vnderftanding, that wee louingitfor thefe caufes,mayzea- lonfly belet on fire,and truly begrieuedto feeit contemned. Thuswe fee how exact, how pure, how comfortable,hots eyerlahiugthe word is. 7hj righteenfnes (faith the Prophet) isan exerlaflingrighteosefnes,Pfalar.thou hah,O Lord,fee downea perfitrighteoufnes,wltich bath beene,rs, and (hall beforeuer,one,ardmoltcon- fiant,
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