8o `Ihefrift Sermon. duetimeofhelping is in the dayofwant, and who refufeth togive tononebut to fuck as . inthe pride of theirhearts refufe to doe fo muchas topray vnto him ? On thecontrary part, whenthe Lord (hall fee vs goodand faithful' feruants, inreturning the gaine and aduantage ofall his giftsvntohiin elfe, and that weare content withhis honour, that we arehisRewards ; when the fenfeof our owne miferie hatli taughtvs to(hew mercie vnto others, and the confcienceofour owne vnworthineshath emptiedvs of allopinion of our felues, and bath driuenvs in ourbeggerlikeneceflrtiesto craue foreuerylittle fupplie of wants at.the throne of mercie ; then is God mot}neere at hand to put vs incredit with his graces, then arewesnot} prepared to minifterto thewants ofothers, and then are we fittobe filledwith thehid treafuresof theLord for ourcomfort. And hereupon itcons- 'Prideroan meth topatir, thatmany hauinghad alarge meafureof Godsgraces, through pride haue andconfumes fuffered them to rot and confume away. Hereofitcommeth, thatmany hauelaboured manod g ofGod muchipokenabundantly, and trauailed in great eloquence,and yethaue neithergained isvs. glorieto God ,noraffoordedfruiteto the hearers.Hereuponit is that fome that haue been asfullasthe veflellthat bath no vent, hauebecome asbarren asthe Sint-ftone is ofwater, becaufethey haue fought glorie but not by .humilitie ; they haue (banned deftruétior., but not left theirpride. Contrariwife,we(hallobferue howmany fpeakingin the tiingle- nes oftheir heart and humilitieof theirfpirit, hauewonne many foulesto the rich ialarg- ingofGods honour and kingdome. Many vfingfewwords, with a picifuliand fellow fee.. lingaffekh ion,haue comfortedafi&edconfciences, inttru&ed ignorant foules, throwne downeproud fpirits,confoundedhautie heares,andprofitedabundantlythem with whom they were todeale. Many beinglowly in their owne eyes, hauenot foninth gloried in, nor teemed glorie for theirgreat gifts Which God bath bellowed vpon'them, as they were comfortedin their owneconfciences, with a rich teftiinonie ofthefaneti£ying fpirt, who wrouglitin themfame carefullvige ofthe giftsreceiued, to his gloriethat gauethem. The Lordrefufeththe feruice ofwicked men, hewill not vfe a proudfpirit inhis worke: and therefore ifwe(hall feethat God Bothnot blelfeour labours, let vsfufpe& ourfelues to liein fain finne, let vs feareour owne hearts that they bee not humbled before the Lord. And here it is good that we Mould be forewarned what lowlinell'eitistheLordre- quireth of vs, leafl we deceiue our owne foules in a falfe and phantafticall humilicie. :Aphantafücal Wherefore as all men will grant humilicieto be voideof murmuringand grudging: fo bumititie. weal&tne, that çhac isnota mmdc rightly humbledvnder thehandofGod, whichisftill perplexed and affrighted with immoderate feare of the daungerof Tome euill tocome. Foras the condemne that hellifh fecuritie which is voide of all feare.', fo we millike that abie&minde which is oppreiledwith toomuch feare, hill breathingout offuels trembling impátienrie. vóyces:Ohwhat fhall becomeofme. ! lainafraide chatfomeeuill willbefallme, Ifhall neuerbeabletobeareit,Ihadratherdyethenfedeit.Whenwe thusdifirufting tileLord, begin toteach himwhat he !hall glue to vs, orwhat he(hall take fróm vs, weare in thehie way to meete with the euill we feared, and nothing inthe worldwill lóóner bring the dangervponvs. We therefore commend andafñrme that to be truehumifitie, which as it repined) notgrudgingly againfi the Lord, Co it Ihrinketh not to diffruft fully before the Lord: but ason the one fide we are readie to be thankefull, ifit be thegoodwill of the Lord to deliuer vs ; fo on the other fidewe are willing to lay our head to the blocke, andoffer our bodie toche ftril:er, ifthe Lord in wifedome ¡hallmake triallof vs. This will teach vs to poffeffe our foules in meekenelle and patience; this willltrenggthenvs to fayboldly, Lordif thou fend this deliuerance, thy name bepraifed ; ifthou 'halt fur- ther'triemeLord; thyholy will be blefled; Lord here Iam ,Iparenieeif thou wilt, trie sisee ifthonpleafeft. Thishutnilitie was in Abraham, Ifaaç, Mofes,Darrid,Daniel,Azariah,Sidrach,Abednege, andothersof theSaints and feruants ofGod. Abraham whenhe was moll readie tooffer Genza. vp lotionne,euesthen the Lordgaue himhisfanne againe. Das-idwhen he wasprepared z.Sun.if' to furrender both lifeand lining to tieLord, obtained both life and kingdomefor longer time. Acwhat tuneEzekiah had refigned himfelfeto dye at thewill oftheLord, the Lord gamhimhis. health againe, and made him as itwerea leafe of hislife forfifteene.yeeres to
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