6o6 The /pirituall Mans mike.. why is thisprecept, and to what purpofc will the Doóìrine be which you thence toile&? I anfwere, It was a truefayingofthe womanof Tckoah vntokingDauid, fet on by the fubtiltyof loab , to treat for .4bfolon, God (faith he) dotb appoint a q zSz, r4. x4. meaner 4. I apply it thus : God will not, fuch is the ffableneffe ofIns counfell, thevnchángeablenclfe ofhiselecaion, the vnrepentingneffe of his conferring fauinggrace, he will not (I fay) fuffer this heauenty flee to got out, but hee bath fandtifieda =armsto this end , hebath laid downe a count for theef_ felling ofhis purpofe: for , as determining tofane, he ordained a meanes of faluation , the deathofhis dearelSonne, as purpofing totranflatehis choler. into the 'late ofgrace, he dcuifed an Inflrument, the preaching of the Word, fo refoluing the perpetuall refidence of his Spirit, he hath deuifed a wayto ac- complifh thefame ; one fpeciall branch of thismeanes, is the continuaitpeef lingoffuchquickning exhortations as this. Dena qui fear It is rightly Paid of Aa/fen, if it be aduifedly vnderflood ; Godwill imploy etflee te,non roan in the fauing ofhimfelle yet not as an infirument working of erowne na. ¡tranSie :rpm tiue flrength,but as one enabled by him,to dothat which is his IN ill.Hereupon se a man isfaidto labor niabis erne faluariont, yetfo,as both the roil/ andthedeed rPhit.z,3 in him isGods worke C. ¡t AUm. a..vane 4. It isremarkcable that is laid toftheTome.ofgod, They are carried fly the Spi- ,a tit; They. worke , but it is as theyare wrought byGods Spirit. And thoCe omeceee,. 4llth,gs, uhichS. Paulfail her did, it was tcholly byacertaine reactEns- uPhil.4.ig. bler,ccriff /efue °. Well then, this is Gods courte, toemploy his for theirowne good : nowif the qurflion behow he brings them to this; it is byfuch urgings as this, which when theyare vied, it pleafethhim to makeeffe&uall : by mycare, not to quench the Spirir,he inme preferueshisSpiritand thiscare he begins in meby workingvpon my foule,by thischarge. Thus it is plain,that these is aneceffa- ry vfc offuch precepts, inas much as theybee the meanes for the bringingof nhofegood thingsto paffe in thofethat areGods, whichto themand conter. ning themhe intends. They prone no power in man, as mansnaturally, either tokeepe in theSpirit,or toput it ont. Caluiro faith well : The Preacherprepetbit, but God merkethit,andbut by this meanes he will not worke it. Andfor the fuller opening ofthispoint, IaIde this , that albeit thebeing ofGods . Spiritin thole which haue recciued itcannot bequite abolifhed,yet it is poffible that it may through thenegiclt ofobedience to this holycharge, be broughtto Incha low ebbe, that a man himfelfe (hallflrongly beperfwa- ded that it is vttedy gone inrelpell that now he lettesno lifenor comfort of i. t,uo quickening,novigour, nothingbuta fad kindofdulnefle, in that mea- fure that he (hall feeme to himfelfe to be ina far worfe cafe then tuer he was before heknewwhat Religion meant, and tobe cuen tobegin all againe, asif he had neuertailed of any graceofGod, neuer felt any euidente ofhis Spirit. This wasDauidscafe, and tothis wofull palle he hadbrought himfelfe, by his offence, chatas a man vttcrly deprivedof all grace, he cried outto God, To aPfel. ft.ra. create inhima clean heart, meleemowAright fjirit withinhim x; rowan heveter ly flript of all hisowne conceiuing. And indeed to bee brought to this, and tobe thus robbed of all fee- ling of the comfortable fruition of Gods Spirit, is acondition fo difmall, fo perplexed, and fuchas will toff a mart fo much forrow , fo many fighes, fo much rentingof theheart, before hee can get outofit, that it were better to eyeones felfe toany manner ofcare and painesbeforehand for prevention," then euer tofall into it. A man that bath been grieuoufly fecke inbody,
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