The Vignitae oftbe Scripture. 89 mired a greater blefsingthen the dutyof praier ; the Lordtakes it as an honour vntohi:n, to haue this tile,}obecalled the bearerofprayers '; yet the negle&of ,Pfal 6.ç.x. Gods word, the making noaccount ofthenieanen tobringvsto theknowledge ofit , turnes alla mans prayer into frnne,noppeth vp theeareh ofthe Lord veto all hisfuites,doth (as it were)b*Fvp the gate of heauenagainfl him,that though his requeft be never foearneft*et it is vnpofsible forhim to haueentrance. God will heare no prayerthat proceeds fromhim whichdoth noteflecme ehe know. ledge and voderftanaing ofhis word; a fearefull iudgement. The other place is,Oyoufooles bow longwillyou leuefoolifhnes,andthefomlesbate knowledge?and again,Toubaue ntyeounfed,6 wouldnoneofmyaduice: marke nowwhatfolloweth,! Wil a f laughat their defiruilion,& etocke.Vehentheir feare commethk.I beseech you in the feare ofGod letvs confider it. The Lord k Chap. T.22,. isoften reported of tovs in theScriptures bythe nameofa merciful God;a God aç that punilheth not willisgly;nGod that delightethnot inelse deathofhim that ditch ; what a grieuous finne then mutt that needesbee,whichturneth that fo fweete and graciousnature of God into that extremity, that bee should menre- ioyceat men$ delkru& ion, and takepleafure in there torment ?Andyet this rec- koning the word of God asaflrangething,brings forth this ftrangeeffe&, and makes that God whodelighteth inmercy,to pleafehimfelfe in thefierce execu- tionofhis vengeance. Thus then we end this poynr. Ifyou askewhatiudgement is due tothisof- fence ofnot regarding the great thingsofGods Law: I anlwer,in generall,it let. tech vpon thevery floodgate ofGodswrath, asappeareth by the exampleof the Iewes; Lin particnlar,ir makes alrour praiers odious, and the torment ofour foules,a matter ofreioycing and pleaCure to the Lord. It is truely laidofourSa. uiour, To whom Gad giuetb much, ofhint he requiretbmuch'. The libertieofhis I Luk.ta. 48; word is the greaten biefsing,and therefore the contempt thereof mullneedes bring vponvs thegreatelvengeance. Come we now tothe nearpoint, to fee whether this fault thus described,and thus deferuing tobe punillred benot our fault alfo,thatfo wee may bydegrees make away tothatwhich is theefe anddriftof this whole Scripture. And fireheere,to theend that it may appeare,that this isour fanit,to negle& Gods word,wemuck neceffarily enquire,whether the Lord bath notaffoorded vs thefame blefsing, I mean the libertyofhisword. It is a thing that cannotbe denyed, that the kindneffeofGod in this behalfetowards vs is nowhitinleriour to that which in former timeshe firewed toche Iewes; I doe thinke that noman can nameany one particular, tending tothe difcouery and making manifeft of the Law of God, which is not granted to vs in asgreat a meafnre as ifwas to them. Nay, lookeby how much the mininery ofthe Gospel exceedeth themi- ninery ofthe Láw,by fo much is themercy ofGod greater $'ntovs, then veto them ; because it isfree for vstobehold thefubnanceof that, whereof they law but the fbadowesonely. So that the Lordmayeuery way,and in euery refpe&, fay to vs asrruely, as euer he mightfay tothem, I harmwritten teyouehegreat things ofmy Law. It is manifeft then Ithinke toeuery one that vnderflandeth a- ny thing, that weare nothing inferiourto the Iewes in refpe&oftheblefsing, I doubt not but it (hall allo appeare, that wedo fullymatch them;nay, Ibeleeue, go farre beyond them in the contempt . Andto the endI may makegood that which Ilay,let me (hew it in particulars howthewordofGod,the holy willof God reuealed in the Scripture, is ameereftrangervntovs;a thing that isfarro from beingCo well knowne, and fo familiar entons asit ought tobe;and leethat which I fay becredited, only Co farre as your owneconfciences (hall find it tobe true. The word ofGod is aorange thingtoour iudgements, a firange thing to our thoughts, fhrange to our affe&ions, nrangetoour tonguesand fpeeches, ftrange toour courfes, and to ourordinaryconuerfation. Ifthisbee true , how shall
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