Chriils oftheCreede. fitting at,&c. .•. was alleepe; and hisdifciples came & awoke Matl1.8. him fayino SaH~'Inm4fler~lVtpaijiJ. Behold her: a Iiuely pi/lure of t~e dealing of C~ri(l: with his fcruants in th1s ltfe. Hts manner 1sto .1\. Lordhathgiuen rhcglftof/•ith, torhem,Jfo l'bil,>, hchathginen thi<gift tcflifferaf!Mlions. And ' 9 • the fame Apoflle alfo prayeth for the Co– lofsians, thattheymaybeftrengthenedwirh aO Cd,>.JJ might through hiog!or/Q,u puwer 1!ntoP.Ilpatience andlonl{fo!feringwith ioyfu!neJ!i. The euidence loht9• 3 7 .and 4:,,6. plaO:: themvponthe feaof this world, and to raife vp againit them bleake ftormes and flaes ofcontrary winds by their enel1)ics.'the flelh,, the diuell,the world. And further ,mthemid– deft of all th;:fe dangers he for bis owne part maketh as though hee Jay alleepe for a time, · that he may th~ better make trialloftheir pa– tience faith and obedience. And the ends for whic!.'he vf;th this fpiritual exercifeare thefe. The firft to make all his fubieCis to humble themfelu~s,and as itwere tJ) g~crooked and B buckle vnder their offences commmed a– gain/this maiellie in times p1ll. 'Ihus lobaftcrthe Lord had IongafAilled him, andlatd his hand forevpon him,faith,21eho/dJ""'""''' and again, f abhor myftlft andrepent entbtft Md ~rjbes. ln the filme manner we bemgh1s ~~biellsand people , mulllo<;>ke tobe exerctfed with temptations and affltchons whtch tball make vs be~<d and bow for our finaes pail, as the old man goeth c!ooked ahd do~bles to the earth by rcafon of age. The fccond,is tP preuent finnes in the time t'Ocome. A Father when he fees his childe too bo]d·!l< venturous about fire and water,takes it and holds it mwr the fire orouer thewater,as thoughhewould burne or drowne it, whereas his ptttpofe tn– deede is nothingelfe but to preuemdaoger m C time to come. Inlike tnai1ner Chrills fubteits art: bold to linne by n:tture, and therefo~e to prencnt a mifchicfe bee doth exercife them· withaftli,'tion; and feemes for a feafon as though hec wo;Id quire forfake his Church; but his meaning is oRely to lJreuentoffences in times to come. The third end is,co cOd~me his fubicCls in obedience vnto his comman– dements : fo the Lord faith,when hee would hercot wee may more plainly fee in the mail conllant deaths of theMartyrs of Chrifr, recorded both in the word of God , and in the Church-hiftories. It is wonderfi>ll to fce their courage and ccnflande.· For at fttch times-as they haue be<ne brought to execmion, they refufed t6 be bwndor chlb>ed, willingly fuffering moft crucll tcrmeuts, without tbrin– king or teart-; fuch coUrageand ihength the Lord gaue them to withfr,md the violent rage ofall their aduerfaries. · Secondly, he defettds his Church by limi– ting the power and rage of all enemies. And hence it is, that although the power of the ChurchofGod 011 earth bee weakeand llcn– der in it JHfe-; and ccntrariwife the power of rhcdiucll exceeding great, yet can hee not fo much as touch the pcorleof God. And hee more preuailcs by im>.-ard li>ggcftions and temptations then by outward violc"ce. And ifit w~re not thatthe puwer of Chrifl dO<h bridle hi~ rage, there could be no aboad for the C!iurch ofChriflln this world. Thus W&haue feenewhat are the works of Cbrill ingouerning his Chinch: and wee for our parrs that profefle-oilr felues to bee mem– bers thereof; mull tbcwour felues tobe fo inot>,,,,. bdng his Church from idolatry ; Behold, il!i/1 jfopthyw<ry >•iththom.,,and male!an hedze,that IJheeJhall not jinde her pathes. The holy Ghoft here borr0wes a compuifon from beafh~·s, whichgoing in the way ,fee greJ;:ne paftures._ 1 & defire to emer in, and therefore goe to the hedge, but feding rhc lharpncs of thethOI'Jll!S dare not aducmure to goe in: So Gods people Jike vnto wild beafl:s in refpect offi)l,viewmg the grecnc pailuresofthis \vorid, whichare the plc,>fitres therof, are greatly affeited ther• with:and ifit were not for tbarpne£fe ofcrof– fes and temptations,which areGods fpiritual hedge by which hee kecpeth them in , they would range out of the way, and rufh into deed, by an experienceofthefe workesof his in our ownC:hearcs..And we mufi fi1ffer him to gather vS'vnder his owne wing, and to guide vs by his wOrd& fpirit; & weare to-acquaint our felues with thofe fpiritual exercifes,wher• by hisgoud pleafure isto ilvrture vs to all obe– dience. La1Hy,wemn!i depend on his aide& protccHonin allcllat~s.And fecing we in this land haue had peace and reft with the Go(pel of Chri(l: ·among vs a long time, by Gods efpeciall goodn'dfe, wee'mull now after thefe daies ofpeace Iookc for daies of triLubtion : we mufi not imagi1ie that our eak: and liberry will continue alwaies. For Iookeas the day & D night doe one follow anbther : fo Iikewife in the adminifl:ration of the Church here vpon :arth, Chrift: fi1fferetb a continual! intercourfe betwc:eHe peaceand perfecmio11.Thus hehath done from the beginning hirhtrto, and wee may rc:folueourfelues, that fo it v.:ill continue till the end : and thereforeit tball be good for vs in thefC our daies ofpeace, toprt<pare our felues for trvnbks and affliClioAs' and when troubles come, W(e mull fiill remember the fourth worke of Chrifl in the goueriiment of his Church , namely, that in all dangers hec wil defend vs againfi: the rage ofour ent-mies as well by. giuing vs power and llrength t~ bear~ with patience an~ ioy whatfoem:r fJ:all I be latd vponvs, as alfobridle the r.tg<ofthe 1 . world, tile flc!h , an<l the di;!ell, fa as they n,.u not bee able to exercife their power ' I finne, as the horfe into the battell. The fourrh and !all worke o£ Chrifl in re– fpc<tofhis Church is, that he firs at the right '1 hand of his l'ather todefend the fame againll the rage ofall cncmicswhatfoeuer they are:& this he cloth two waics. Firfl,by g(uing to his fcru,nts fttfficient llrength to bcareall the af– faultsofthcircncmics,theworld~the Befh,and the diuell. Forc'Prwl {aith,.thofe to whom the and ,
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