'tarot4 C ljta4% 77 and the of%ranee ofmy faluation,and inprayer I haue had thole groneswhich fortheir greatnefiecannot beexpreffed.Now from whencecommeth allthis? From the Diuell ? No. In there aeiions I hauefounde him my enemie,and a continuall hindererofthem. For hebyhis craft when I hauebeene heauieand weake,hath affayled to provoke me to force finneswhereunto my turfed na. ture was moll_giuen,andI hauing yeeldedtohim , hauebeenefo hardened andblindedby thole finnes, that tor a time I haue made light account of the word ofGod and prayer, Well then, peraduenturethis came from mineowne fàlfe ? Noneither.l his curled nature ofminehashBeene more pleafedandde- lighted with finne, and with thepleafures oftheworld , than with fuch exer cifes,fromwhichitdraweth mee and preffeth mee dovvne as lead. Icannot thinke that fuch a poyfoningCockatrice can lay filch good egs, orthat wilde crabbe trees (fuch as all men are in Adam) can bring foorth fweet fruitesac- cording to the will ofGod , except Godplucke them foorth ofAdam, and plant them in thegarden ofhis mercie, and flock them, and graft the fpirit of Chrifi in them.Wherfore theseare the workes ofGods fpirit, &my confcience is therebycertifiedthat God hathgiuen roe the fpirit ofadoption,and therfore that his fauor & mercie fhal continue towards mefor euer.For thegifts ofGod are without repentance,and whomGod once loueth, him bee lotteth for euer. Thirdly,there becertaine fruits ofGods children which I find inmee,by which I am confirmed inGods fauor. Saint Iohn in hisfirfi"Epifile faith,that heerby. weeknow that wee are tranflated from death to life becaufe we loue the bre- thren: Truly Ifeele i n my hearta burning loue towards theM whicharegood Chrif}ians, though I neuerknew themnorfaw them-, and I am venie defirons todoe any goodfor them : and ifdrops ofmy heart blood would doe them 'good they fhouldhauethem. Moreouer,I hate all finneand wickednes with a bitter hatred,and I longto fee the commingofmy Sauior.Chrifl to iudgmenr; Iamgrieued and difquieted becanfe I cannot fulfil thelawofGod as I ought, all which I haue learnedfoorth ofGodsword to be tokensofGods children. And thus youfee what evidence I haueto flew that I am a true member of theChurch militant,and in the favour ofGod. ?imoth. Haue you a fiedfaff faith inChrifi,(asthere argumentes feeme to prooue)without all wauering,doubting.anddifirufiingofGods mercie? &feb. No,no. Thismy faith which I haue inChrifi is evenfought aga.iztfi with doubting,andeuer aflayledwith defperation,not when l finneonly,but alto intentations ofaduerfity,intowhichGodbringethme to nurture meand to !Lew me mine owne heart,the hypocrifie and falfe thoughtes that there lie hid ,myalmofi no faithat all,and as little loue , euen then happelie when I thought my felfemofi perfe& of all: for when temptations come I cannot Rand, when I hauefinned faith is feeble, when wrong is done vno mee I cannot forgiue, in fickneffe,in lofiè ofgoods, in all tribulationI am vnpati- ent,whenmy neighbour needeth my helpe that I muff depart with himof mine ownc,then lone is cold,And thus],learnt& feele thatthere is no power F f to
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=