ChriLts rvf nExpojition Kingdome. and maliceto the fullagain!l:vs. . A ofour fetues; a manmay haue good gifts of .Thus much ofrhedeahngofChnfr towards God,as thegtftofknowledge,the giftofprohts owne Churchand people.Now followerh phecy, the giftof conceiuing aprayer (I fay t~e feco~d point, namely, hisdealingroward nor of p~aying truly:) and hereupon thinke htsenem~ts;andhere~y enemtes I v.ndedland htmfelfe 10 good cafe; and yet for all this haue allcreatures,butefpeC!allymen,wluchasrhey nothmg but an impenitent and flintie heart. are by nature enemies to Chrifr and his kin~- For this caufe it !l:andeth cuery man vpon to dome , fo they pcrfeuerei~ the fame enmltle lookevnto it, lc!l: this iudgementofGod take vnt? the <nd. Nowhtsdcahngt~wardsthem hold on htm. And that wee may auoide the ts, mh~sgood ttmero worke thetr confufion, fame, wemull labour fortworhings:I.tofeele as he htmfelfe fatth, Thefomme enemmthat ththeauyburdenofourfinnes andtobetouwou/dnot that 1 j11oHidreigne ouer them, bring ched in confcience for them, ;uen as wee are themhith~r,andjlaythanbeforeme. And DaJ<ia troubled in our bodies with the aches and faith, the Lord will bruifthis enemies witharod painc,thereof:thisisatokenofarace.II. We ofyron, and break!_ them in ptem lik: a potters mu!l:labourro fecle in our foule~ the want cf & ua,s. 1Jtffi/l. And againe,Iwill mak! thineenemiesthy Chrill : wefay indeede that we fecle it butit Ior. ••· foor..ftoole. As iifHahdealt with the liuekings B is a very great matter to haue an hca:t that '•· that were hid in the .caue; hee fir~ makes a d?r~open it felfe, and as it were gape after flaughrer ofthetrarmtes; then he brmgs them Chrtll:, as the dry and thirllicland where no fortha~dmakes the people to fer their feete ware~ is. Though wee haut knowledge and on thetr neckes, and to hang them on liue learnmg neuer fo much, and many other gifts trees: So Chri!l: deales with his enemies; he ofGod, yet ifwe hauc not broken heartsrhat treades them vnder his feete, and maketh a feele the burdenofourfinnes,and rhe want of flaughter not fo much cf their bodies as of Chri!l:, and that wee !land inneedc of euery their foules.And this the Church of God finds drop of hisblood for the walhingaway ofall to be true by experience,aswell as it finds the theteour fins, our cafe is miferable. And the Joue of Cbrifr towards it felfe. rather we mull preuent this hardnes ofheart, Now he confounds his enemiestwo waies: becaufe Chrirt Iefus in heauen fits at the right The lirfr, is by hardne{fe of heart, which ari- ~andof his Fatherio full powerand authorifeth when God wirhdrawerh his.grace from tte, to kill and confound all thofe that bee his man, and leaueth him t<> himfdfe, foas he goenemies, and will not fubmir themfelues to cth on forward from finne to finne, and neuer beare his yoake. repenreth rothe !art gafpe. And wee mufr c• c Thefecond way is, by linalldefperation, I !l:eemeof it as a moft fearefull and terrible fay, finall, becaufc all kindeof dcfperarion is iudgementofGod: for when the heart ispof.. not euill. For when a mandefpaireth ofhim· fdl<d therewith, it becomes fo flintie andrefclfeand of hisowoe power in the matter of bc:llious, that aman will nc:uc:r relc:ntor turne his faluation, it tends to his cternall comfort. to God. This is tmnife!l: in 'Pharaoh, tor Butlinalldefperationis, whenamanvtterly though God fent moll grieuous phgues both defpairesofpardon of hisowrie fiones. and vponhimand all the land ofEgypr,yet would oflife euerlalling. Examples hereof w~ h•ue he not fubmit himfelle, faueonely for a lit, inSaul that flue himfelfe, and ineA"chitophel while the hand ofGod was vpon him: for afand /ud.u,that haoged themfelues. lhis linne tcr~ he returned to the former obH:inacie, in iscaufed thus: So many finnes as aman cornwhich hec continued cill hee was drowned in mitterh without repentance, fo many mod the fca. Arid this iud!',emenr of God isthe bloodywoundshegiu<thvntohisownfoule: more fearcfull, becaufe whenaman is in the and either in death or life God makes him middell ofallhismiferie, he feelesn<> mifery. feele the fmart, and the hu!',e waightofthem And as in fome kindeof lic~ne{fe a man may all: whereby the f<mlefinkes downe to the die langui!hing: fo where hardne!le of heart D gulfc ofdefpairc without recor.ery. God faid reignes wholly and linally,a manm•y dcfcend toCAin: If thoudoeamitfe, Jinne lyethatthe G••M· to the pit of hell triumphing and reioycing. .bore. Where hce vfeth a borrowed fpeech Andtocomeneercroourfelues, it is to bee from wild bea!l:s,whofolongas they are fleefeared Jell this iudgement of all iudgemenrs ping llirre not; hut beiog awaked,they flte in be among vs in thefeour daies. For where is a mans face, and rend outhisthroat. In like any turning to Godbyrepentance l Still men manner the finnes which thou committelt,lye goe forward in finne without remorfe. Wee at the doore of thine heut, though thou feele hauehad the word preached among vs along them not: and if thou do notpreuent the dantime, but it takethno place in mens hearts. gcr by ft>eedy repenrance,GOd will makerhee They are not foftned with the hammer of rofeele them once before thou dye, andratfe •Gods word:nay they are likethe fmiths ftithy vp fuchterrours in thy"confcience, that thou or annill, which the more it is beat with the !halt rhinke thy felfecobee in hell before thou hammer, the harder it is. But in the feare of art in f1ell : and therefore it is good for cuery God,let vs fceketo bcchanged, & take heed: man to rake heede how hee continues an enethe deceitfitlnelfeof finne is wonderful!. Let my to Chrifl. The bell: courfe is to turne bevs not bee carried away withanouerweening time from our finnes, and become the friends ·~----------------------------------------------------~of~ t
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