Perkins - BX9315 P465 1597

bottomeofthe heart,becaufe he did create me Lordoverit, and myneighbor, yeamine enemiesas myfelfeinwardlyfrotn the groundof my heart becaufe Godbath made them after the likeneffe ofhis owne image , atad theyarc his fonnes as well asI, and Chrifl bathbought them withhis blood , and made them heires ofeuerlafling life as well asI : andhow I oughttodoe whatfoeuer Godbiddeth,and to abflaine from whatfoeuerGod forbiddeth , with all loue andmeekneffe, witha fervent and burning Iufl from the centerof the heart. Thenbegan my confcienceto rage againfl the Law andagain(+God. No fea,: be it neuer fo greata tempefl was fo vnquiet for it wasnot poflible for meea naturali man toconfent to the Law thatit fhould begood,or that God fhould berighteous which madethe law : in as much as it was contrarie vnto myna- ture,anddamnedme and all that I could doe, and neuer (hewedme whereto fetchhelp,norpreached anymercie : abutonely let me at variance with God, aRom,4 & prouoked& flirted me torayle onGod,ànd tobiafphemehim asa cruel ty- rant. Andindeedit wasnot po bletodootherwife ,to:thinkethatGodmade me offo poyfoned a nature,andgaue me an impoffible law toperforme :.I be-. ing notborne againe by the fpirit, and my wit , reafon , andwill being fo.faft glewed,yea nayled and chayned vnto the will oftheDiuell. This was the cap- tiuitie and bondagewhence Chrifl deliueredme, redeemed and loofed mee. His blood,his death,his patience in fufferingrebukes and wronges and the full wrath ofGod,his prayersand fa flings,his ineeknes andfulfilling the vetermoft pointes of the:Law,appeafed the wrath ofGod,brought the favourofGod to the againe, obtained thatGod fhould loue me firfl; andbe my father, and that a mercifullfather, that would confider my infirmitie andweakneflè, &would glue me hisfpirit againe, which he hadtaken away in Adam,to rule, gouerne and flrengthenmee, and tobreake the"ibandes of Saban,wherein I was fo flreightbound. WhenChri(I was on this wife preached, and the promifes rehearfed which arecontained in the booke ofGod, (which preachingis cal- led theGolpell or glad tydings,) and I had deeplie conlidered the fame : then my heartbegantowaxe loftand melt at thebounteous mercyofGòd,&kind- net e (hewed ofChri(l. For when the Gofpell was preached,the fpirit of God (me thought) entred intomyheart,and openedmy inward eies, and wrought a liuelie faith in me , and mademy wofull confciencefeele &talkhow fweet a thing the bitter deathof hrifl is,and howmerciful & louing God is through Chrifles purchafing and merites, and mademe to begin to loue againe , and to content to the lawofGodhow that it is good and ought foto bee,and that God is-righteous that made it :lafllie, it wroughtinmea delire to bee whole,, andtohunger and thir(I aftermore righteoufneffe and more flrength to ful- ' fillthe Lawe moreperfe&lie: and in all that I doe or leaue vndone to fèeke Gods honour andhis will with rneekneffe,euermotecondemning the imper. feóneffe oftny deedsby the law. Now then this goodworkeofGod tomy faluation flandeth in twopoints, theworkiiìgofthe law,& the workingofthe Gofpelkthepreachingof thelaw. was

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