aNum. u.t8, bNum. lt-)~· Pfo~l. 78. Dilfe. rencecf Elech.od repro.. bate. '· ; r.u~< s. ll• 2· 3· eJob 13. •sHow forre a~eprobate XVII. The wicked in their di!trelfe may pray to God, and God may heare theirprayers, and graunrthem their requefr, ' as the lfraelites wickedly murmuring again!lGod,de!iredfldh in the wilderncs:God heard their cry,andrained Quailes among them. But Godheareth the wicked after one fort, and thern that feare him after another: themthatfearehim, hec granteth their reqne!ls ofloue and mcrcie: to rhe other of indignation and anger. b As may appeare in the Ifraelites, who when they were ineatingoftheir ~iles,and the meate was within their teeth,GOd in his anger flrok A whatisthista!le? ltxpre!feitthus,afterthe meaning of Gods word. Suppofe abanquet prel'ared,inwhich are many fweet,& pleafam and daintie meats. At this banquet, fuch as are tbe bidden gudls,they mufl be fer downe, they fee the meats,they tafle them,they ehaw them in their mouthes,they digefl: them :they which are not bidden to ~his feafl:,may fee the meates,handle them, and rafl:ofthem to f~ele how good they are:but they mufl:notcateand feed ofthem. The firfl refemble the Ele<t which truly eate,digefl,and are nourifhed by ChriflVnto euerlafling life,becaufe they haue great aboundance of the vitall heateof Gods them with afore plague< And(which is more frrange then this) God hath performed that B which he bath promifed to thC: vnbeleeuers, though thoy refufed to askeit athis hands, e– uen then when they were particularly com– manded:' ofthis thingwe haue aworthy ex– ample in King AchM, who vrrerly rcfufed to haue a fig•eofhis deliuerance,and the confu– !ion ofhis enemies, when GOD offered it to bim,and yet the Lord deliuered him. XVIII• . The reprobate may goe furtherin the pro– fefsion ofreligion, aud may feeme for a time to be planted in the Church, for he cloth be– leeue the promifes ofGod made in Chrifr lefus, yetfo that he cannot apply themtohim– felfe.Jnthis thing the eledand tile reprobate differ. The reprbbate d genmtNy ill a confNfed C mann.r beleeueth that Chrifl:is a Sauiour of fome men: and he neither can,nor delireth to come to the particular applyingofChriJI.The elca beleeueth that Chrifr is aSauiour ofhim particuhrly. The reprobates faith may periih in this life, but the faith af the Eled cannot. The reprobate may be perfwadedofthe mer– de and goodnes of God toward• him for the prefent time in the which he feeles it:the elea is not onely perfwaded ofthe mercies he pre– fently enioyeth,butalfo he is perfwaded ofhis eternallele<Hon before the foundation of the world,and ofhis euerlafl:ing life,which yet he cloth not enioy : Ye~ ' if God wouldconfound him,~tndhe Jaw nothing butprefentdeath,andhell fire: yet fuch is his nature, that frill he would D beleeue; for faith and hope are not grounded vpon fenfe and fecling;bnt are the euidence of thofe things which were neuer yet feene or felt.The lifeofthe fairhfull is hid in Cluifl, as the fap in the root of thetree : theirlife is not in fenfe and feeling , but in hoping and belee– uing: which oftenrimes are contrary to mans fenfe and feeling. XIX. holy fpirit in them, and doefeele fen!ibly his grace and venue in them, to flreogthen thein and guide them. The kcond fort truly refemble the reprobates;which neuer in trurhenioy Chrift, oranyofhis benefitsapptrtainiog to faluation:but onely fee them,and haue in their heartsaVJnilbiog,butno ccrtcn or found fee– ling of them;fo that they may bechanged and llrengthened,and guided thereby.To vfe ano– ther fimilitudc. The reprobates haue no more feeling, and enioying of Chtifl: and hisbene– fits, thenthofe men haue ofthe Sunne, which fee onely aglimmeringofhis light atthedawning ofthe day, before inifeth. g Contrari- , : p,., wife,the eletl,they haue theday .jlar,euen the ,,, Sunne of righreoufne!fe,lefus Chrifl, rifint. in • lob. ' theorhiarts;rbedayfPringftom•nhighdetbvijit ~-- 8, them,theglory.jGoddJthr<[tvponthem: they E~a.:: haue their eyts annointedwirh tht ~ntmmrof 1,2. thej}irit, which is the true rye-fa/~e, and do plainly behold the Sun ofrighteoufnetle; they enioy his prefeoce, they effcaually feele his comfortable heat ro qui,::ken and reuiue them. XX. From this fenfe and tafre ofGods grace proceede many fruits : as firfl, geoorally, he may dooutwardly all rhings which true Chri– flians doe,and he may leade titch a life here in this world, that although hecannotattaine to faluation, yethispaines inhell !hall belelfe: which appeareth in that our Sauionr Chrifl: faith, hItjhaMbe eafi.rforTyrsu aniiSydon,for "M"tb. S9dome And Gomorrha ; thenfor CapernaHm,and 11• 1o,. other cities 'lmto which bee came, in the My of "' u, iudgem<nt, 'l• XX!- Alfo the reprobatemayhaue a loue ofGod: butthis'lone can be no fincere loue ' for it is onely b:caufe God befleweth benefits and profperiti!:vpon him' as appeareth in s.nt, i who loao:d God for his aduancement to the i rSaar. kingdome: and here is adifference betweene <0-9theelea& the reprobate: theelefr loue God, as childrcm)their fathers : but reprobates, as hirelings their ma!lers, whom they aflitl not fo muchforiHemfelues,as for thdr wogesX XII. Afrer that he hath recciued a general!, and a temporary faith inGods heauenly word,and his moO: mercifull promifes 0feuetlailing life contained thcrin, bytbepowerofthe fpiritof f lleh. 6. God, f hecommcthtohaJltAtafteiphithe4rtof 4· the fweetnes ofGods mercies,and areioycing Math·•3· in con!idcrationofthe eMfion, adoption, mf/ifi– za. cation, andfont1ificar~on,of Gods children. But Alfo a reprobate hath often a reioycing in k Mar~doing thofe thing which appcrtaineto the fer- 6,, 0 . uicc:ofGod,as preachmgand prayer. k Herod\' Matth• heard John Baptif/ prcJchglad!y: & the feccnd 'l·"• ·-" . kinde
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