Ofhumilitie. 8 t to come. And ford), there is ho readier wayto obtaine life, then to offer our fettlesvnto nova, death: nobetter meane toauoideficknes, pouertie, reproch, or banifhment,then tohaue the mil', or to teefreedif it ourwits wholy refigned to Godswill, aswilling to bearethe crolfe as to be freed fromit. come. Forasthe morewe (trineagain!'the will of God, the leffe wepreuaile : fo the fooner we yeelde, we !hall the fooner be deliuered. And yet Imeane not that yeeldingwhich the Lord by his threatnings or iudgements, asby ftrong hand gettethof vs, whichis no vo- luntariefubmilfon, but a violent fubieftion, and conftrainethvs rather then allured' vs toobey thewill ofthe Lord: butI'mane thatwilling humblingof our feines before the faceofGod, ,which commeth from an hart bleeding at the confcienceofhis ownsvis- worthineffe, and brufedwith thefenfeofthe Lords vndefernedgoodnelfe: and that more kindly, then ifit were dreamedwith all the iudgements of the wicked, andwere brayed and broken with allthe plaguesofhell. Theother extremitiewhichagreed) not with true humilitie, is blockifh fencelefnetfe, .4 stoicdi andthatdeadand diuellifh apoplexie of theminde, which runneth without all foref'ght, sismoeffe. asneither caring forgood nor bad, fweetenorfowre , heaurn nor hell. They that labour cf this difeafe, thinke it an highpoint ofhainilitie to fay, Iam at a point, letGoddo what hewit, I carenot, if lie taut ine,fo it is, if Ibedamned, what reinedie?letmen injure Inc as theywil,comewhat come wil,l páflé not. And theft kind ofmen as part alfeeling, &now more brutifhand blockifhthen anybrutebeaft,in their life neither tremble atGods iudg- ments, nor reioycein hispromifes; indeath they fearenot hell , they delvenotheauen, theyarenotgrieved if they bedamned, they arenot comforted toheare they ¡hall be fa- ued,they confeffenottheir finnes, they profetfenot their faith,they thewnot theirhope, dicagaier they fine like ftockes., and dielikeblockes. And yetthe ignorant people 'villain coin- death,irisan mend fuch fearefull deaths,laying, he departedas meekely as a lambe, beewent awayasa millfigse. bird ina(hell,when theymight aswell fay, (butfor theirfeatherbed and theirpillow) bee dyed likeabean, andperilhed like an oxem a ditch. But to come tothe vfe and fruit whichwe maygather out of this do&tine. Firlt let vs confider, that if we be come tohaue fucha brawned and thicke skinneouerour confcien- ces, asneither by publikepreachingnorprivatereading,as neither by. theLaw nor by the ahean dddd Gofpell, asneitherwiththreatnings norpromifes, as neither bypraying nor meditating, m rate. wee can lindeneither matter of comfort, nor humbling; wee are fo farre from humilitie, f thatweareas men rather dead then humbled, and our cafe ismoftfearefull. For inthis Stoicaltapathie and want of feeling,wefarenothing; fearing nothing, weeare Bale to bedeceived ; beingeafe tobedeemed, we may Toonebe hardened , and fo by fecuritie being deprivedof all heedfulnes, we are!rated of the tempter ere we canbe aware. It remaineth tofpeake fomewhat of thefeobferuations, whichmay fitlybe drawne out of thegenerall fpeeches of theholy Ghoft,eithertoour comfortor humbling. Let thisbe our first leffon then, not toogreedily todelire profperitie, nor being in tome goodcafeey- Not toogreedi- ther of bodyor minde,to betooquietincur (clues, asreftingfecurely in the good thing ly to deft e poffeffed : but rather let vslearne in molt cafe,towatchmoft ouer our owne hearts,in the prderttie. greatelt teltimonie of Godsgrace and fauour towardsvs, to bee molt humbled in our fettles, to bemoftjealousandfi fpiciousouer ourfelues,leaftour hearts being by tomepri- suepride Bohlen away, weegiue notGodthat glory which is due veto him, whiteltvn- thankefulnefre breedeth fecuritie,fecuritie bringeth prime pride,and prime pride prepa- red) vs for deftru&ion. True it is, that profperitie in it lelte is thegood gift of God,and ProJjierïtie.. neuer hurtethbut when our owne fine in immoderate defiring it, or our corruption in vainglorioullypoffe lftngit, doeabufe it to ourhurt, and fo turne it to our panne: And furely betides that,in long profperitiewecontra&andgathermuchdrolfeof fecuritie,we Mallfind that the long wantof aduerftie,rneeting with fecuritie,will flattervsand blind- foldvs with a perfwafionof impunitie, and fo infatuatevs, thatweeshall thinke how that becanfewe base longeleaped,we!hail neuerbe punithed.. Butteeing welearne to judge nootherwife of fnne,but by the punifhment of sit, =mutt marke thisttraine, that God doth nomoreppuniiis prefently every linne, thenheecloth reward prefently euery good deed : andby howmuch hislong tisfferingftriueth themorewithvs, and his merciesari - eth
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