Truths Turchafe. . tame it painfully, yet it w ill littleauaile, ifit doe [trait tonne from him, ifit bee as (bone forgotten, as gotten, ifit be not entertained, and fetled, that fo it may drool!flentieufly'in the heart. 3 Co13,i1i a- The vfehereof in a word is this,toquicken & flir vsvp to bewareofcommon V./i. cull, which is, to leave the Word there,where we heardit,and feldomeor neuer to call our felues to an account, how and in what meafure we have profited,how our iudgements hauebeene fetled, our affeftions reformed, our confciencescom- forted, by that whichwe haue heard. Learne a fìmilitude fromBuying. Aman who bath been at the marker, or at the Merchants (hop, and hath there laid out hismoney, when hee returneth home, heewill beginne to call himfclke to an account,to fee what hebath laidout,where the things are,which he path bought, and whetherhe bath not loftany thing thereof: and ifhe haue he will remene a- gaineto theplace where he bought it, totry ifhe left it notthere,andin the way heewill enquire ofevery one beemeeteth, if they hauenot found fuchor fuch a thing,and will neuerbe fatisfied vntill hee hauefound the fame. It Ibould be fo, with vs,in this cafe. When weecome fromGods houle, whither we went to buy the Troth, after our returne, weefhould finde a time tokeepe (as it were) an au- dite with our felues,to feewhat we have gained by that dayes hearing,anctMould endeuour to try outfelues frompoint to point e Ifwe finde Come things forgot- ten,retorne weemull againe to theminifteryoftheWord, to fee ilkmay pleate God, that the fame things may beeagaine deliiered, and enquireofourfriends and familiars which werethere, whether they can helpe vs in recounting chore things, which through infirmityhaue efcapedvs. Thusknowledge wouldgrow vp, religion would thrice amongftvs,and wee Ihouldabound in fpirituall ruder- ítanding, and fo both tholewhich teach vs fhonldbee encouraged, and wee our felues Ihould exceedingly be comforted. One fpeciallrealon which may moose vs to thiscare offtoringvp knowledge in religion, is thepolssibiliry of a famine oftheword of Godamongft vs. Wetrade b, that when therewas a famine ap- bGen;4te proachingin Egypt,l%pb aduifed Pharaoh to make prouifion before hand in the farmplentiful yeeres,and today vp corne againftthetime ofpenury. Thiswas goodpolicie in humane reifon. It dial be noIdle good policie in religion, now in there times, in which the word of God is plentiful,and we haueit common a. dough vs, to trcafure vp knowledge againft thedayesof want, we basing giuen theLord fo great twine totake away his Word from vs,and toglue it to a nation that flail bring forthbetter fruits then wee haue done. Sothat indeed (confide- ring ourintolerablecontempt of Gods Truth, and our generall loathing this heaueniy Manna) it is rather to bewondred,that the Lordhath hitherto forbore vs, then to beprefumed, that we fhall f ill fcapeaway vnpunìfhed. Ibefeech you therefore,let vsnowplay the good husbands,and befiirre vs, andcues engroffe as muchknowledge in religion as is pofsible, that Co if euer Inch a heavy time ihouldcome, (as Lord, if it bethy will,euer keepeit from vs) weemay be able fpeakea word in feafon to our owne foules,and to be a comfort altoand an in- flrufdionunto others : leftthenmanyofvs,which nowwill (Came flop outofour doorestoheare, fhall bee glad to runfromNorth toEaft, but fhall not finde ir. This maybe,and I hope will bea motiue tovs, to buy the Truth,whileft the mar- ket lofted:, and to lay it vp in ftore againft the times ofwofull necefsity. Thus (as I coal I) I haue endeuoured to dilcouer vetoyou, the whole myftery of this bargaineofTruth, fo forte forth as itconcerneth our care, in labouringto bee givunded in the knowledgeofreligion. Now before I doe difmiffe this point, itmightnot beamiffe (perhaps) to Cay fomething,totholewhich arethe Lords Gfficers,(as it were) in thefellingofhis Truthveto thepeople, I measethe Miniftersof the Gofpell.. For lure, by Tuft proportion, every oneofthere circumílances feemethto ',Teadutie vponthem. Firftofall,ifthe peoplemuli haueadelire toget knowledge,it is meet that they E 4 fhould
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