on the 119. Pfalmé. 16 ç Thus wefee it was not hisdeferts,but Gods louingkindnes,whereofhe fpeaketh:which ifwe wouldoften meditate of,in fetinghow fearfully we aremade, howgracioully weare prcfcrucd,how mercifullywearc redeemed,from howmany funks wearedeliuered,what fearefull iudgements wehaueefcapcd,wce fhouldprouoke our Celticsthcmore to the loue of God and hisword. Again,in that he faith,quicken me,we fee heacknowledgeth no other life,butthat which is from the word, andthat we hueby faith : and therefore heteachethvs, that wee fhould crane our life both temporall and fpirituall of God. And ifwithout thewordwee arenot able tohue in the bodily life,much lelfewithout it are weable to hue the fpirituall hfc. Whereashe repcateth thisrequeft three times in this one portion,wee may know,that Tufaer: he felt great dulneffe and deadneffe in himfelfe, which often creepeth teen on the deareft Saintsof God : but fò as they ftruggle againft itftill,andreferre themfelues toGods mer- cie,whereinconfifteth our lifeboth fpiritualland corporall. Verf. t 6o. Thebeginning ofthy word is truth, andall the iudfemtnt: ofthy righteottfneo adroit foreuer. AS ifhe fhould fay : I beleeuethat thatthouwilt thus quicken men,becaufe the very beginning of thyword is moft Tuft and true, and when thou diddeft firftenter into couenantwith me,I did find that thou diddeft not decciueme,nor beguile me ; and when by thy fpiritthou madelt me belceuc thy couenant,thou meanetttruch,and I knowthat as thoudiddeft promife,thou wiltperforme: for thou art no moreliberal! inpromifing,than faithfull and iuft in performing,and thy iudgementwill be asrighteous, as thypromife is true ; wherefore as foone as thou fpeakeft, trueth proceedeth from thee : fo I know that thou wilt defend and preferue me, that thy iudgement may thine as righteous in thee. Elàyss.s. And as this was particular tohim : fo is it generall to all. For where theLord doth inmer- tie pronife,there in righteoufnesheewill performe : and where the Lord in wrathdoch threaten,there in iudgementhewill righteoufly execute.For wherehepromifeth,he (hew- eth himfelfetrue ;andwhen heperformeth,beexecutech righteoufnes: and whenthe Lord threatneth,he manifefteth himfelfe tobe iuff; andwhen lie executech,he proueth himfelf tobe righteous. Sothe fpeech ofthe manofGodcontaiaetls thus much : Though allmen be]yars,I know thou, OLord,art true; thou doeR romifethat thouwilt watchonce thy children,and that no temptation (hall ouercome them ; I know thispromife is true,and therefore as thou diddeft promife in truthin the beginning,fo wiltthou performe in righ- teoufnes in theending. Forboth in beginningand inending,thou arealike and true.How iniuriousthen arewe to the Lord,who will doubtofGods promifes, that inprofpericie he will revue our bearts,andput intovs a good fpirit s Andwhy doewee doubt of his proui- dencein aduerfitie,feeing hispromife bath euer bis iffue in truth and veritie ? and feting the Lordwill not leauevs,vntill eueryword that hee bath fpokencome to paffe : for hea- ven and earth (hall pafhe,but not one word of hismouth (hall faile. Andas the confide- rationhereof doth comfort vs in hispromifes,fo alfo muff it humble vs in his threatnings. Seeing then lice bath pronounced, and giuen out his fentence,that no vnrighteous per- fons, nor fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wantons, nor buggerers, nor thecues,nor couetous,nordrunkards,nor raylers,nor extortioners,fhall inherit then his kingdome : as this is truth,fo is (hall furely come to paffe inhis righteous iudgement. So thatthey that haue donethrfe things,without fpeciall grace and fingular repentance,(hall furely bedamned. For astrue asthe word ofGod is, forighteous arehis judgements. He is true of his Mouth,whenthe wordpallid] from him ; heis lintin his workcs, when lie is righteous inperforming. Thus we fee thatto be roundlygrounded in faith, weemuft couplewith the promifes of God his performance, withhis threatningshis executions. Thus alto mull wee fighta- gainft vnbeleefe : fo that ifwe will not dilcredit the Lord ofvntruth,wemuff waite forthe accompiifhmentof his truth.Whether then concerninghismercie,his prom»febe ofnew- nesof life,offorgiuencs of finnes,of hisprouidence,or oflifecuerlalüng : we muffftrenthg- en
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