tn this life. · fomuchhumbledastheyfcefomeothers: for A God in great\vifedome giueth. ro.cuery on_e which are tobe faued, that whtch ts conuem– ent for their efrate. And it i!often feene in a fcfrered fore , thatthe corruption is let out as well with theprickingofafmall pinne~swith the wide lance ofarafer. XII. The fourth thing in true humiliation, is an ~~~~~ :~:t.:r~~;:'e~~~~~~~i~~nP.~!ii~n'1;~~~~ frrength or goodnesofhisowne:fpeaking and thinking more vily of hiinfelfe then any O• ther can doe ; and heartily acknowledging himfelfe tohauedeferued not oneonely, but cuen ten thoufand damnations inbel tirewith B the diudl and his angels. This was in Paul, when he faid of himfelfe that hee was the (a)ehiife if allftnnm.This was in Daniel,when ••.Tim, inthenameofrhe people of Ifraelhe prayed •·' <· and Clid, (b)0 Lord, rightmifnrsbekngeth vnto ~ Da.D.9• thee, and tovupenJht:~111t,M11pptArttbthi.rtk_y, 7 ' &<. The fame was in the prodigal! child,who L k faid,(c)Father,l haMeftMrdagAi~fl het~Nelllld•- :9~ ' 11 ' .!•injl thee, and/Am no ,.rrworthy.tobecalletl • Sm9• thy[onne,Lafrly,it was in Ezra,(d)wlio faid.O my Godl•mconfounded, 1111dAmAjhAmedto lift vp mine eyes 'Unto thet ,myqod: for our iniquititJ ~tre increllfodoHtrtJHr he11d, .andollrtrtf}Ajfoil: gr~wne vp vntotheheANell,. · XHI. Sorrow Many are ofopinion that this forrow for C fo, finne, fin is nothing els butamelaticholike pafsion: ao mo. butin truththe thingisfarorherwife, as may lancholy. appeare in theexample of Dauid: whobyall conicClureswaslea!~ troubled( e)wirh mdan– • 1 Sam, choly, and yetneuer any.tailed more det:pely ,.,... oftheforrow and feelingofGodsanger for finne then hedid, as rhebookeof Pfalmcs de– clareth. And ifaAy defire tokoowthe ditfe– rencc, they are tobe difcerned thus. Sorrow for linne may be where health, reafon,fenfes, me111orie,and all arefound: but melancholike pafsions ate wherethe bodie is vnfound, and the reafon , fenfes, memory dulled and trout bled. Secondly,forrow for finne is not cured by any phyfickc, but onely by the fprinkling of the blood of Iefus Chrifr: melancholike D pafsions are remooued by Phyiicke, dyet 1 mu– iicke,andfuchlikc. Thirdly,forrow for!ina• rifethof the angerofGod,that woundethand· pierceth the confcience: but melancholike pafsions rife onely of meere imaginations 4 ,. frrongly conceiued in the braine, L>fr!Y, thefe .1 palS10nsare long in brecding,andcome by lit– fleand little: buttheforrowfor fiunc'Vfually commeth on a fuddaine as lightcning1 .into a houfe. And yet howfocuerthey are ditferiug, tt mufr be acknowledged that they may both concur together : fo rhat the fame manwhich is troubled with meltncholy, may feele alfo thcangerofGwd for linne. ,xnu. flow flithis bred io thobcart Thus it appeareth how God maketh the heart lie to rcceiue faith, in the next place it is to beconfidered how the Lord caufeth faith to fpring and to breed in the humblod heart; Forthe<lfeCling of this fo bldfed a worke, God worketh fcure things in the heart. Firfr, when a man is ferioufiy humbled vnder the burden of his iinne, the Lord by his fpirit makeshimliftvp himfclfe to confiderand to ponder moll diligently the great mercie of God otfered vnto llim in Chrifr Iefus. After thecontideration of Gods mercie in Chrifr : he comes in the fecond place to fee, fee!e,and from his heart to acknowledge himfolfe to frand inneedeofChrifr,and to frand'in neede of euery drop of his moO: pretiocs blood. Thirdly, the.Lord frirrcth vp in his heart a vehement delire and longing after Chrifr and his mcrits:thisdefire iscompared toa f thirO:: which is not onely the feeling of the drinclfe ofrhe fromacke, but alfo a vehement appetite after drinke, and D•uid firly expretfeth it when he faith, g Ijiretchtdforth "'Jh•ndt vnro thee:myfoNiedtftrethafier thee .uthe thirf/y l<nd. Lafrly, after thisdefire he beginsro pray, not for any world benefit, but onely for the fqr– giuc!nes·of his iinnes, crying with the poore Publican,O.G•dbemerrifuOtomea[mner.Now thisprayer;ir is made, not foroneday on~ly, bar continually from day to day: nor with lips , but with greater lighes and groanes of t.Ccnfi. drralion ofGods mucic.. t.:f~eH.g of the w:mtof cm;n, J•DcGre. fRcu.u. .. Efa.Jp. Luk.r,f3 4. Prayer (or the pardon of f1nne. Aliuely atfur3nCe. the heart thenthat they can be exprdfed with the·tong"e.Now,after rhele defittSand pray– ers for Gods mercie, arifeth in the heart a liuely affuranc~oftheforgiuenesofiinne. l-or God, who cannot liebath madethis prom ife, (h) Knoc~&itJl.aHbtopened:and again:before h Matth. tht] co/J I willufwer,.ndwhiluheyfPea~ I Wtfl 1.,, heare. Therefore when an humbled '!inner El>y &f, comescrying and knocking at his mercy gate ••· for the forgi~enesoflin,eirher then or fhortly after the Lord wo'rkcth in his heart a liuely affurancethereof. And(i)whereas be thirfred in his heart, beeing fcorched with rhe heat of Gods difpleafure beating vpon his ~onfcierlte; Chrifr Iefus giuinghim to drinke oft!ie well•orthe wateroflife freely: and hauing dmnken therof,hefhallneuer bemore athirfr,. but lhall haue in him a fountainc of water fpringing vp into euerlafting life. xv. For the bettervnderfranding ofthis, that 6odworkcth fauing faith in the heart ofman afterrhismanner; it mu£\: beobfetued, that a filmcriscompared (l:;}•tbaftc~manoliin the S~riptures. And therefere rbecuringofadif– eafe·lirly refembleth the auring.~of fin·ne. A man rhat bath adifeafe or fore ih his budy,be– fore be can becured 9fit, hemufr fee it, and beeinafeare lefr if bting him inro danger of death: ,after thishe fhall fee bimfelfe to ft.tnd i~ neede of:,Phyiicke, a_nd ·bee Iongeth ''"bee bee wtth the Phyfittan: ·when bee is once'come to him, bee defircthhim of all loues ro helpe him , and to fhew -~he befr skill he can: he will not fpare for any c"fr: then he yeelds himfelfe into.the Phy(jcians .hands, i Rcu.tt. .. lob·4·'4· k Luk.4. rs, M:mh,9'.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=