Perkins - BX9315 P465 1597

4 Deetasdtta lingagaine into thehands ofhìsKceper. This isit,that Paule complaineth of whenhe faith, i Idelight in the lawofGed,concerningtheinner mvn;bst Ifee4, nether law in mymembers,rebellingagainft the law ofmymind,and leadingme ilom,y:s a yptiue to the lawof(n,xiwh:ch is in mymembers.° rvret: hedman that I am,who 23'24' foaldcliuerrr2eframthis body} ofdeath? The fecondmaner ofGods forfakinghisEle&r is whenhe hideshis gracesfor a timernot by taking themquite away, but by couering them and by remoo- Wing allfenfe &feelingofthem. Andin this cafe they are like the trees in the . winter fèalòn,thatarebeatenwith wind andweather,bearingneitherleafe nor fruit,but look as though they wererotten and dead, becaufe the fap doeth not fpreadit felf,but lies hid in theroor.Dauid oft was in this cafe,asnamelywhen he faith,kWil the Lordabfenthim[elfforesser?Andwillhefhew no morefatter? is hismercy cleanegoneforeuer?dothhispromifé f fileforeuermore ? IlathGod t f` kcPfa'77'73 forgotten to bemerciful?HathheAtli Tap his tendermercies indifÿleafore?Selah g This comes topaffe,becaufe theLordeverieoften in and by one contrarie Ganaa des worksanother. Clayand fpittle tempered togither in reafon should put out a opera funt manseies: but Chriflvfed it asameans to giue fightto theblinde. Water in medüs reafon fhouldput out fire:but Eliaswhen he would fhew that Iehoua was the contraris' trúe God,poures water onhis facrifice,and fils a trench therewith to make the Sacrificeburn.Thelike appearethin the workofgrace to faluation.Aman that hathlined in fecuritie,by Gods goodnesbath his eiesopened to fee hisfinnes & hisheart touched tofeelethehuge and loathfonie burden ofthem, & therefore tobevvayle his wretched efiate,with bitternes ofheart.Hereuponhe prefentlie thinksthat Godwil makehim afirebrand ofhel : whereas indeede theLord is now abouttoworke,and frameinhis heart fan&ifi cation &found repentance neuer to berep&ed of. The man which hath hadfoal good períwafionofGods fauor inChrifl,cornesafterwandvponmany occafionstobetroubled and to be ouerwhelmedwithdi(lrutifulnes aridgrienous doubtings ofhis faluation, foas he iudgeth himfelfetohaue beenbut anhypocrite informer times, and for the time prefent a caflaway. Butindeed heerby the Lord exercifeth,fafhioneth, & increafethhis weak faith,h oneword,marke thispoint,That thegracesofGod peculiarto theeleEt,are begaa,increafd&mademQafefinorbytheir cötrAries. Aman in thisdefertioncan difcern nodifference betweenhimfelf& a catl.. away : and the rather ifvvith thisdefertionbe ioyned afeeling ofGods anger: forthen arifeth thebittereft temptation that euer befell the poore foule ofa Chriflianman, and that is a wrafllingand flrugling in fpirit and confcience, not with themotions ofarebelling flefh,nor the accufationsofthe diuel,which are oftentimes very irkfome and terrible, but againfl the wrath ofa reuen- gingGod. This hidden and fpirituall temptation more tormenteth the fpirit of man,thanallthe rackes or gibbetes in the world can doe. And it bathhis fittes after themanerofanague,in whicheuenGods own feruintsouercarriedWith forrowmayblafphemeGod,and cryout that theyaredamned. Iobwas in this I t )b.2.2!3. enate: as hetellifieth ,1 Oh th.et aygriefewere wayed (faith he) &mymiferies 4 werelledwether ittheballance¡foritwoaldbe b w/crthan thefendeofthe Asmommilimmen fea:

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