Perkins - BX9315 P465 1597

treuvaea cef fcteifeet, 131 afîli&ions,that the fulfotnneflè andrancicnefl'e oftheir' corruptionmay beede- layed,and that theymayhaue in them fomerelifh acceptable vntoGods` And toconclude, for the auoyding ofali rhefc temptations , vfe this fweete prayer followingwhich that godly SaintMafter Bradford made. OhLordGod and deereFather,what (hall I faythat fide all thingsto bee (in maner)withme as in thewicked?Blind is mymind,crooked is my will, & perucrfe concupifcence is in ine,asa fpring offtinckingpuddle.O howfaint is faith inme ? how little is my lone to theeor thy people ? how great is "my felfe lone?howhard ismyheart ?byreafon whereof! am mooued to doubt ofthy goodneffe towards Ine,whether thou art mymerciful father, and whetherI be thy childorno indeed worthilymight I doubt,ifthat the hauingofthefe were thecaufe,and not the fruite rather ofthychildren. Thecute why thou art my father,is thy merciful' goodnes ,grace&truthin Chrift Iefus, which cannot but remaine for euer.In refpeet wherofthou haft borneme thisgood will tobring me intothy Church by baptifine, & to accept me into thenumber ofthychil- dren,thar I mightbeholy,faithfull,obedient and innocent & to callme dicers times by the nunifteryofchyword into thykingdom: betides the innumerable otherbeneficesalwayes hithertopowred vponme. All which thou haft done of this thy goodwill which thou of thine owne merde bard+ to mee in Chriltbefore the world wasmade.The which thing as thou requireft firaight- lie that I fhouldbeleeue without doubting,fo wou ldeft thou thatI in all my needes fhould come vnto thee as to a father, and make my monewithout mifiruftofbeingheard in thygood time, as molt ¡hall make tomy comfort. Loe therfore to thee deere rattled"come through thy tonne our Lord, our Me- diator, andAduocate Iefus Chrifi, whofitteth on thy right hand making in- terceflìon forme; I pray theeofthygreat goodnes and mercyin Chrift tobee mercifull to me a frmer, that I may indeed feele thyTweet mercy as thy child: thetime (Oh dearefather)I appoint not, but I praythee that I maywithhope (till expect and looke for thy helpe. I hope that as for a little while thou haft left mee, fo thou wilt come and viete nice, and that inthygreat mer- cie, whereoflhauegreat need, byreafon ofmygreat miferie. Thou art wont for alittlefeafon in thine anger , to hide thy face from them whotne thou lo- ueft :butfurely(ORedeemer)ineternall mercies thou wilt fhew thy compaf- fions. For when thou leaueft vs,O Lord,thoudoeftnot leauevsverie long,nei- ther doeft thou leaue vs toour lofle, but to our lucre and advantage : euenthat thy holy fpirit with bigger portionof thy powerand vertue may lighten and cheerevs : that thewant offeelingofour forrowemay be recompencedplen- tifullywith the liuelie fent ofhauing thee to our eternal' ioy: and therfore thou fweareft that in thine cuerlafting mercie thou wilt haue compaflion on vs. Of which thing to the end wemight bee molt allured , thine oath is tobe marked, for thoufayei : as I haue fworne, that I will neuer bring any more the waters to drowne theworlde :fo haue I fworne that I will neuer more bee angrie with thee , nor reprooue thee . The mountaines (hall remooue, Ii 4 and vi

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