Perkins - BX9318 P47 1626 v1

I Of the of the [reede. holy Ghoft. 1.73 I Pfalme he is called thiii.Jl'ofgladms, Plal.4>:7 A ground. And the earncll: in abatgaine it may becaufc beemaketh~ad t~e heart of man 111 'is but a per.ic laid downe for the payi11g of trouble and di(heffc. here oetwo thmgsthat twentic rhoufand pound. The feconcl ql1efii· I fill the heart full ofcndleffe griefe: the firll:, on is,whether rhc graces oft:1eH. Ghclt n\ay I outward calamities , ~s when aman is in any be wholly loft or not?Anf. The common gifts I dangerofdeath, when he lofeth his goods, his ofthe fpirit may be!of\ and extinguifh<d. But good name, his friends, and fuch like. The fe. the gifts proper ro the Elect ca!lnot. Indeede cond, i'i at:-oubll!d confcience, whereofSalothey may be diminitned and coucred as coa!es monC.ith,Pro. i 8. I 4· .A tro•bledJtirit, who C"'f vnderafhes,& as the fappe in theroote ofthe ' beareit? and ofall other iris the·mofl heauy& tree in rhewinte::r fcafon,not appearing at al in grkuous croffe thauan be. Whenas the hand the branches;& the feeling ofthe may be !of\: ofGod was heauie vpo\>Job, this was>he fobut they camlot cithcr finally or totally bee r<flofhisafAil'tion•,anptherfore he cries out lofl.It is true that God doth forfake hi,chilthatthearrrowes ofthe .Almightiedidflick!, inhu dren;butthat is onelyin parr,as he leftEz1chi.u IJoHic,lob,6+Nowwhatis the comfort in this toprooHeandtril wh~tWA4 itz hUhMrt ol• Chron. cafi:1.Anjivcr. Inthemid£\ofall our diflretfcs 3 2. 3 I. A moth'er that loues her child mofi the holy Gbofl is prefcnt withvs to make vs B tendtrl,y,fetsitdownin th.d!ore, !etsitfiand, reioyce, and to fill vs with comforts (that no and fall,and breake the face,and all this while tongue can exprel!e)out ofthe word ofGod, fhee hides h<r felfe,not becaufe her purpofe is and fpecially the promifesthereof. And hereto!eaue herchikle quite, or to make it hurt it vpon,rhe vngodly man when~ffliClionsbefall felfe; butthat when filetakethitvpagaine,it him,isready tom•ke away h>mfelfe, becaufe may loue her the better : So dealeth the holy he wants thecomfort ofthe holy Ghofl:. Ghofl with men to make them know their The la£\ benefit wroughtinthe hoattsofthe wcakcnes and frailtie : he hides himfdfe as it EleCl , isthe Jlrengthning ofthem to doe the were in (ome corner ofthe heart for afeafon, weighticfl dutiesofd;eir callings: andhence thatthey may themoreearoeflly hungerafrer the holy Ghofl iscalled theJtiritofjlr~ngth,Egrace,tbe wantwhereofthey fe<le. foy I t. 2. There be diuers things to be done of Thevfeofthis article, whereby weconfeffc a Chrifitan man that are farre beyond the that webele~ue in the holy Ghofi,is manifold. reach ofhis p.ower;as fir£\,when bee feerh his Firfi, confideriug that all the gifts which any owne finnes, and is tn~ly humbled for them; man hath,whether they be gifts ofknowledge then to lift vprh~ hand offaith to heauen,and in thewordofGod,orofhumanclearning or thereby to catch holde on the mercie of God c any gifts whereby men are inabled to p;ain Chrifl, is the hardefl thing inthe whole l'tife their trades or handicrafts,doe come not world:and thisdoe al thofewhichknowwhat from our felues,Gut from the holy Ghofl, wee itis to belceue. Secondly, iris as hard athing are taught this duty. Looke whatgifts foeuor ' in the timeoftemptation torefill: temptation, we for ourparu haue receiucd ofthe fpirit of as for dry woodtorefiflthefire whe itbegins God, wemufivfethem lo, as they may eutr to burne. Thi-dly, when aman is put tohis feme for the glory of God and good ofour choice, either to Jofe hislife,goods,friends,& brethren,and not to the prat'\ifing and ferting all that he hath , or els to forf..ke religion; eforth ofany mannerof fin, and by confequenr ucnthen 10 forfake al,&to flickevnto Chrifi, to thcferuiceof the diuell. Fonhat is as if a is amatter ofas great adifficulty asany of the man receiuing riches and reuenewes of his former. Fourthly,when amao. wants~he ordi. prince, fl>ould flraightway goe tothe princes nary meaues of Gods prouidence, as meate, enemy & imploy them for his benefit; which drinke, and cloathing, then at the very inflant were apoint ofexceeQ.ingtreacherie. toackn<?wledge Gods prouidence, toreioyce Furrhermore,in eucry place the greaterpart in it, and to rdie thereon , in as much as ifa ofmen are blinde and ignorant perfons both man fhould fl1akethe whole earth.It isagainfi D young&old; and aged folks,as they arcignoour wicked naturetotrnll: God,vnleffche fir£1 ram rhemfelues,fo they muzzle vp their youth lay downfomcpawneofhisloue& merciero in ignorance. Couferwith them,you !hall find vs.Howthen,wil! fomelily,OJal any one be a· that they can fay nothing, but thlt which may bleto dothcfe thiDgs? An). The holy Ghofl is be learned by common talke,as that there is a the fpirit of!hength, and by him wee doeall God, ahd that this God mu£\ be wodhipped: Phi\.4. things, ~s PaHl faith, Jam able to doe a/Jthings but a>ke them further ofthe meanes oftheir thro11gh the help of Chrifl whichJlrengthnerh me. faluation,aod oftheirduties to God and man "· Concerning rhefe gifts of the holy Ghofl, and they will anfiver you, that they are no~ two queflionsmaybeemooued.Firfl, what is booke-learr.ed:rell them further, that the orthe meafure ofgrace infins lif<?An). Smal!,in dinariem::anes to bring men to knowledge,is refpeCl:.In this world wereceiue,asPaulfaitl!, the preaching oftheword, which ifthey wil Rom.8.23. not the tenthe,bnt thefirfl f'•its of not vfe, they fi1all be mexcufable; they will GodsfPirit,and the earnefl oftheJtirit. z.Cor. I • fay, alas, wearedullofmemorie, and cannot zz. ~owrhe firfi: fruits properly are but as an learnt. Wel, for all this,thuu.failt thou bekehandtullorrwainc ofcornc, to awhole corn.. ucfl in the holy G!:oll:, ond bee isthy fchoolefi~d , cc_:::aining m~yacresand furlongs of m•ller toteJCh thee : though thy capacirie be A'1 z. dull,

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