.Lxn.X. SA M s oN Conceived. A moll need; As at the firll,becaufe eve had moll re•fon robe dqceled, forrhar her finne haddrawneman into the tranfg_reffion, therefore the Cordll!l of GoJ moll refpeClerh her; The feed oftbe JPOm-rn Jb&il l1reak the Serpultl lmul. As a Phyfician firllitcls the !lateof thedifeafc with his fymptomes, and then prcfcribes ; fodoth the Ancrell ofGod, firll tell thew& of AlJnoah bercomplaint, then her remedy; Thou art b4rren: All our Aflhchons arc more •:oted oftha~ God 1vhich fends thcm,than ofthe Pancnt that fl•flers them: how can 1t be but lene poffible to indure any thing that he kno•.snot,than that he inflifrc11! it not?Hcfairh to one, Thou >rt ficke;to another,thattart poo«;toa ~lurd,thou arc defamed; Thou art opprclfed, to another: That All-fccingeyc takes notice from heaven ofevery mans condition, no lelfe than if he thouId lend an Angel! to tell us he knew it; His B knowledge compared 1vith his mercy, is the jull comfort of all our futfcrings. 0 God,•vc are many times miferable,and fecle it not;Thou know 1\ even thofc for rows w~h we might have;Thouknowellwhatthou hall done: doe what rhou wil;. Tho• art6.rren. Not that the Angel! would upbraid the poorc woman with her afllifrion; butthc:refore he names her paine,that the mention of her curemight be fo muchmote welcome; Comfort !hall comcunftafonably to thatheart,wluch is notapprchenfive of hisown.e farrow:. VJe mull firll: know our evils, ere we can quirrhcm. It is the jull method ofevery true Angel! of God, firll: to let us fee that whereofeitherwe doe,or thould complainc,and then to apply comforts: Like as a good Pbyfician hrll puls downc rhe body, and then taifes u: With cordials. If we cannotabiJc ro hearcofour fowlts, we arc not capable ofamendment. C Ifthe Angcll had firll fa id, Thou Jl:alt conceit;e, and not premifed,Thou art barren; I doubt whether the badcOtteeived faith in her foule,ofthar infant which her body thoul,i conceive; Now, his knowledge of her prefent cflate, makes way for the affurance ofrhe future.Thus ever it plclfes our good God,to leave a pawne ofhis fidelity with us; that we thouldnot dillruil him in 1~hat hewill doe, when.we finde him faith full in thatwhich we fee dene. It i•,good rrafon, that he which gives the f<;>ane to the barrenmother, thould difpofe of hirn,and die~ him both in the wombe firfl, :lJldafter i11 theworld. The mother mull firll be aNa.arite, that her fon m~rbc fo. Whiles the was barren, fhe might drinkewbatfhc would :but now, d~t fhc !hall conceivcarSamfon,,ber choice mull be limited; There is an holy aullerity that ever followes the fpeciall calling D of God: Thewo<ldliog may takt his full fcope, and deny his backe and belly nothing; but be th:tt both once conceivedthat blelfed burtbcn, whereof Sam(on was a type,mullbe llriCl: and fevere to himfelfe; neither his tongue, nor his pal!At, nor his hand, may runne ryot: Thofe pleafures which fcemed not unfeemcly for the multitude, arc nowdebarred him- We borrow more names of our Saviour than one; As we are Cbrillians, fo we are Nazaritcs; .The confecrationofour God is upon our bcads,and thorefore our very haire thouldbe holy. Our appetite mull be curbed,our pallions moderated,and fo cllranged from theworld,tbat in the lolfe o f Parents,or children, narure may not makeus forget grace. What doth the loofenclfe ot vainc men perfwade tl1em that God is not curious, when they fee him thus precifcly ordering the very diet of his N azarites ? Nature pleads for liberty;RciiE gion for rcllraint:not that there is more uncleannelfc in the grape,than in thc!founrauJe; but thar wine find• more uncleannelfe in us, than water; and that the high feed is not fo 6r for devotion,as abllinence.Who fees not a ceremony in this commaJJd ?which yet carries with it this fubllance ofeverlalling ufe, that God and the bellywill not admit ofone fervant ; that quaffing and cramming is not the way to heaven: A drunken Nazarite is a monfleramongmen. We have now more fcope than the anci~ut : not drinking of wine, but drunkennclfc withwine is forbidden to the Evangclicall Nazaritc; ~Vine, wherein is excelfe. Oh that ever Chriftians fbould quench the Spirir ofGod, witha Iiquour of Gods ownc making! that they thould fufter their hearts ro be drowned wirh wine, and ll10uld fo live, as if the ptafrice ofthe Gofpelwerequire conrrary to the rule ofthe Law. Nnnn T~
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