LalccS. ... Tothe Chriil:ian Reader. .O.dReaderit i6athing tobeconftdered, that Mttannuyftemebothpnt~himft/f& to theChurch ofGodto bMtrueproft!for~fti?e (;ojfel,.&yct indeedbenon~.A/1prife[– fors that beifthufort,nrr exce/Jmtfydefcribedin thefc~>ords. And they whichare l N<.-J"''~EI' vpon.thc ftony ground arc they,which wheuthcy!hall h<aro receiue the word with ioy: but hauingno root, beleene for attme,and in the time of tcmptati– ongoe~way. Where are to beenottdthree.t;hings' {· thei,:fa~rh~ in that thry are !3!5,-1M~!::!:'Yftidto beleeueforaftafon. 11. thtftuitJ ofthat/mth,Jnt~atrhey are foid'iore– cei;te thewardprtt~~chedwithioy. 111. their v~foHndfeJJJ~i1~th~t thryarecomparcdtoj/o?Jygro~tnd)and ilftimeoftemptationg~e 4W.cy. . . , ... 1 r. , • • • • • • Concerning theirfa•th,wheruu thef}mt ofGodfoub,.:hlfl;h~y doebelee~<e,thefe thmgsare tobe c~nftdered. Firfl, that thry hau: the k{towledge ~f Gods wori/. Secondly, that thry both can andd.egme. e[– {mt v11to Geds wtrd,that it um4ft true. ThJrdiyJ mmore fPecMil rmmner they gsueaffim 1Jnto the coue~ 11ant ef t;racc made in Chrifl, that "i; mojl certaineand,Jure: an1they_ar<p_rrfwad.din a.r,mera/1•nd coR{ufed manner, th~t Godwilt verifie thefomec9Hentt1'1~ ''!thenuw:~~rs Ofhu Church. Thuu all therr •ith :whichindeedproceedethftomthe holy Ghojl; bi<t" " .not{uffimnt to mak.r_rhemfoundprofej[ours. For albeit they doege11eniOy beleeue ~ods promifes, ~et ~rein t~ey d~ceiue them_Eiues, that r?ey ne~ter applythefometo their o"'nefoules; An exampleifthufaith l)'e haJt<,Ioh.z-24·Whmour Sa1110Hrcame toimifi<leinat thefe<tf/OfEitfter, many beleeucdin his'name, and yet be would not commit himfelfe vnto them becaufe heknewth~m ~ll,and what was.mthem. . Tocomctothefocond thing: thofeprife/forl which tire i,n'iiHed with thus muchgrace, M to bel teN tin Chriflinacolfjufed manner,goe)etfurther: [or thil tl,~irfaith,though it benotfojficient tofoluarion,;·er itjhewtthitft/feby cert~ineftuttmh~eh >tbr~~rgsforth : for.u.~ tree ur abran_ch if • treethat hatbr.o deep rootin$,buteither:lcoueredwith 4 fap moJIIe~.Jor e!felus in tht W4ter,at thift;:fonoftheyere bring! orth leaues "!!dbloffomes,4.ndfome fiuit tOo~ndtblltfor oneortwo, orm1~yeeres·; fo qne that U 4lt hM– ~er'oftheword,may recti•• theword,andth<word M fted.hy.rhugrnerallfaitlrmay befomewhat rootedin hi; heart,andfotledfor ~fi"Jon, andmaybringforthfome fdits i~ hu lifeperadJ<mr.rt -very fai~e in hi; '"'"'andother mens .eyes : yet indeed~eitherfo~nd nor lajling,norfobflamiaO, Whatthefefh~io<re it m"} beg•theredforthifthefo worlls;where it i;/•id, that ~1\ey'receiu~the word with ioy, w~e~t~ J, hweit: for here m"} begathered; FtrJI., that they d.e 'Wtlling/;yfo~teC/. ti?etr.filuestothe mm~1en~J 2. the word. SeconJly,that they are .uf•I"Ward k •ny,and.u,ioy[uilinftequemingformons. Thirdly, that 3· they reu.mnce the miniftm ,.h..,they fo ioyf~lly heare, L<ifl';, .t/i<1cond~mn~ ibcm if impiecj, 'i"h~eh . 4· will not beht~trn-s, orbenegU:gent hearers of fiie word. . '1 . • ~:;:~:re Now,•Jthefe&[~«hliksftuits,thumight be.ulded, thoughthey arenotfound,yettheyare 11oide ofthat is • true of{< /eindiflrypocrijie.For the minds ofthoft prifefforsar< in p.rtenlightened;& their hearts are endJ.ed faitb, "'ith[.ehafaith "'may-bringforththc{eftuiufor Atime:andthetforehereintheydif[embie not th<tfaith wrought which thty haHe not : bnt ratherfoew thdt which tbry btt~te. :Al/Je hereHnto, thnt 1t m!in beingin rhi1 e– ~h~a,H. flare, "'"Y deceiue himftlfe;ailil.rhe moftgodly inthe world,,.hi<f, ha1« thegr«u.f/giftsofdifeerning,ho"' nry like theyan~ tfoeir brethrenftimd hefflre ~Ji, J?ord: lif:r.! M the fi~~tr~'e' With greme l~aHes.deceiuedour Saui. rauing lmr Chrifl,MhCWd4 man: for when ·mhu hunger be C4mt -timo JttohaHe harlfomcfutt, hejfmnilmme. faith, yet Ifthi; befo,it '!"'Ybe tbenrequired,howthef!,vnfoundprofe!fo.rs di/ftrftom trHeprofe!fors. I anfnm·; not fa. inthu theyd;lfer,that thty hall<nfltfonitd healtuo cleaue 11nto C?rifl Iefo•for euer. Which appe.tretli uiagfaith in that they are comP,irerf to jlo~y graund.' ~ifw jlonygrounds mingled "'i~h fomie.rth are i:i,;.,/,olsly Lu~es. 1!. G,l.!.6. Clnt.8. ~7· t.Cor. 13•f• hot,andthereforehaue a&'it rverefom~ al4cr'it_y(w'd_ haftinejfo i11 them-, andthe eorne.tUfoone tU itUcll}l into thuground, it JProutetboUt'1l<Y)JPtedlly, bf<t]{t thej/on<S Will notfo!ferth<cotneto be YOOte<J.detpe!y beneath,andtherefo~cwhenjitmmer cdmf'eth,the bladeoftheco17urpithereth withrwtes andall. 'So it if with thefc profe!four]: they h~ue i~ the.r,hearts'[ome good motions if the holj Ghu,lf, to that whichi; good'.theyhaueakjnde •f:z.ea/e to Go'!sgl~g; .they ha•<ali~ng togoudthings, andi!heyarea<forward"' any otherfor a ~ime, 4ndthey doe.beleelte. Bm thefogoud·mqtiqns dndgr11cesAre not lafting)but Uk,.rrhe ame andflajhmg offtraw andfl«bble: neith;r are thryfiiflicimt tofoluation, Wtth trHe profe!forsit ufarotherwift.forthey,haue vpright & honeftheartsbefore the Lord. Arrd they haue faith whichworkcth by loue. Andlh<t Chrijtian '"""which lo11es God,whatfoeuerjiMibe– all,yeathough it were a thoufonddwhs.,;oer,hi;heart can,neuef be"feueredftoriJ'th( Lord,& from hi; Sa. wourCimji:.u the SpoufeJPeak,!thvnto Chriftofhu owneloue:'Setmeas a feale bn thy harr,as afignet vpon thy arme:forloue is as £1:rongas deat\l:icaloufieis as cruel as the graue;the eoales therofare fiery coales,& avehement llame.Muchwate~cannotquench loue;neithcr can the floods drowne it: ifa m;mOwuld gine alithe fubftanceofhis houfe for loue,they would greatly contemne it. Wherfore(guod Reader)fie~ng ther< ufitcfi• ftilliliwde 0" <jfinity betweeNthe temporary profejfor ifihe G•t,et,&thetrueprife/forofthefom.: tt u the du.ty of'"e~yChrifli•n to try &'examine himfilf• whether he emthefauhornot.~n1tvh~rtU.'~ u an.~4i"Jthingfo: a rntt'n~oft~rch Dllt hMow~heart,weareto'pr1· vnro Godthat hewoldgmevs huJP1rzt todift.er,iJbetwlen th.'lt wh~ehugood& enil in1Js,lVow 'Nhi4 1114 n hathfoundouttheeflateifhu heart,hyftarahingit,he is further to obfeme & keep itWithal dilige:e that whmrhe hour< ofdearh,or th, d"J iftri411fh~!Jcome,he"'"Yft•ndfore,¬ be dcceiitedifhii hop:. An1forthu P''"PofiI hau<defcnbedthem•ftdfthefeJm•ltrcatiftswhichfollow,tomlnifler vntotheefemi helPfnth~<t.¥<mmmg ~~ ob{tr111ng ifthme •wn hc""t. Read them,andaccept oft~em,&by theblef]lng of 1' Godthey[hall notbe vnP!!fi!!!blevntothce.Andiftheyf1talany whu helf'thee,llelp m<•lfo withthypr4ier. i ~95, Hh L.EKTAJNE
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