• Eph.J, 17eGel1~ zs.:.~. m this life. toexprdfe,astheyfe~lethcm.Nowthishear- A any fhould rhinke this faying is peculiar to tie praying &.delire torrhe pardon of fin can Paul, he h relhfieth of himfelfethat forthis neuer comefrom the llcfh, butonely from the caufe hewas receiued tomercie,thar hemight fpirit, who, flirrerh vpthef~ heauenly motibe an ex.tmple to themwhich after !houldbeons oflonging, defiring, lighmg after rcmifs1lecue in Chrifl to life cternall : and the whole on offin,andallorhcr graces ofGod which he Church in theCanticles vfeth the fame in cfbefloweth vpon his children. And whererhe feft : faying,Cant. 8. 6,7• Loueu M f/rong M fpirit of Cfjrifl dwelleth, there muflnceds be death, iealoujieu M crueB M thegraue, thecoales f.1ith:for b Chrifl dwelleth in the hearts ofthe thereofare fierie coalcs, •nda vehementflame. faithfull by fait~.Thcrefore as Rebem;,c when M~tchwaterc;y.n;tot quenchloue J neither can the lhee felt the rwinnes frriue in her woo1be, floudsdrowncit: if•TI'•n {houldgiucallthefob. though it pained her, yet fhe knew, both that ftanceofhu houfefor loue,tfuy would contemneit, lhehadconceiued, 0nd that the children were X X I. quicke inher: fo they who haue thefe motiNo Chrillian attaines to this full affurance ons, andholyaffeCl:ions in them beforenacn· at the firll:, butin fome continuance of time, tioned,may affitrerhemfeluesrhat\h~ fpirit of after thatfor along fpacehe hath kept a good God dwellerh in them; aod confequcntly that confcience before God,andbeforemen: and they haue fairh,rhough a weake fait1J. B hath haddiuersexperiences of Gods loue and X IX. fauourrowardshim inChtifl. This Paul deExamples ofthis fmall faith areeuideut in clareth ro the Romanes: i in affliCtions God • Mltth, the Apoflles , who though d they beleeued jheds abroad hu loue in their he.,.ts, by the holy 16.16. that Chrill: was the Sauiour ofrhe world, yet Ghojl,which ugiuen to them: but how? l>y de- ' Mat<h. theyewere igoorant of his death and re_furregrees:for from affliction arifethpatienct,from 11 .:. 3 • dion,whichare thechiefe means offaluarion. patiencecommethexperieme~ from experienct, Lu<, 9 . After his refurreftion they were ignorantof hop<:andhopeneuermakethafhamcd,ordifap4f, his afccnfioo,& ofhis fpirituallkingdome, for pointeth him ofeternalllife.This iseuidenr in r A'lf,t,6 they dreamed f ofan earthly kingdome: and Dauidspra<iife: k 'Doubtle!fi,faith he,kjpdneffi at his death they all fled from him, aadPeter andmerciejhallfollowmeeallthe dairs af mylife, ! Matth. hf. T[,egre.l tefrmu~ fureof faith. fcarfi,Uy denied him.They beingin this eflate, &1Jha/1/iuealongfeafo" intheho•fe afthe Lord, are not faid to hauo no faith, but robe o(g litMarkethishis abfolurcperfwafion:& confider tie faith. 'Anotherexample we haueinDauid, how hecl!lnevnroit,namelybyexperienceof who h:iuingcontinued a long fpace in his two C Gods fauou~at fundry.times, and after fundry great finnes,adulrery, & murther, was admo· manners.For before hefer down this refolurinifhed thcreofbyN •than the Prophet : being on; he numbredvpdioers benefitsreceiued of admonifhed he confe!fed his fins,and ll:raighrthe Lord : that! hefed him ingreenep•ftum,& ivayNathandeclared Vnt() him from the Lord ledhim by therefejhing waters ofGods word: the forgiuenes ofthem. Yet afterward Dauitl that he rejlores him,andlead:shimin thepathes humbleth himfelfe, as it appeareth in the51 . ' ofrighteoufues: that he frrcngrhenerh him in Pfalme,"imd prayes mofl earndlly forthe forgreardangers, euen ofdeath, aRd preferueth· giuenelfe ofrhofc and all other his finnes,cuen him: that in defpightofhlseoemies,he inrichas though it had not bin true, that they were ed himwjrh maay benefits. Bymeanes ofall fcrgiuen, as Nathan told him : the r<afon is : thcfe mercies of God beflowed on him, hee , howfoeuet they were remitted before God, came to be perfwaded of the continuance of yet Dautd at his firfl repenting of them felt the fauoor ofGod towards him.Again,'Dauid no a!li~rance in his heart ofthe forgiuene(fe of faid before kingSaul,t Sam. 1 7•3 2 ,Letnomans them, onely hcehad aperfwafion, that they 1 J::artfailebecaufeafGali•h:thyfcruantwill,go& nught be pardoned: and therefore he vehelPght with the Philijlim. AndSaul faid roD•- mently d.efired and prayed tothe Lord, to re. D 1 ",id, v,33,Thou art not abletogaagainjlth&Philimirrhem,and to fanel'ific himanew.This then utimitofight withhimfor thou <rtb~<t•boy,& ht bemg the lcafl meafure offa~th, 1t mufll>ec u amanofwarftom hi<JoHth, Dauidanfwered, ;emembrcd,,thath~whohoth net attained to that he was able to fight with, and ro fLy the tt,hathas yetno faumgfaJthat all. vucircumcifed Philiflim. And theground of · . X X. his perfwafionwasraken from experience:for Thegreatelt meafure offaith,isafull pcrfwa1 ~ms:he faid,verf.H.Thyfiruant k!pt hufathers <Onafthemc;cyafGod,For lt lS the fhength and 1/Hcepe,&thtrecamea Lyon,andlik!wifea Bearc, npenelfe o.t faith, Rom.4.ao, 21 , Abrahamnot andtook£ aJheepe outofthefockt, andver(. 35./ W~ak§ tnfatth, bntbemgftrcngthencdmthefauh, went out ~tfter 11tm andfmote him, Andtook§ it DHt !>Mfully per[waded,th.r he1vho hadpromifedw"' of hi4 mouth, andwhtn bee<rofe againjlmee, J able todoe it. This full a!furance is when aman caught him b)lhebeard, andfmate him andflew can faywirhPani,Rom. S. 38. 1amperfw•rkd b.m. ved; 36. Sothyfer~••tflew both th: Lyon tha: ~euhn-life,nor death,~or .Angels,norpn~s4n~ the 73eare: therefore rhis vncircumcifod"Phi . pa!.tzes, mrpo_wers, nor thmgs prefint~ nor thmgs Jejltmjhallbc M one.ofthem 1 foeing he barb railed tocome,norh«ght, nor rkpth, nor any athercrea. on the hof/o{the lii•ing God. The like proc<eding t~<refha/1 bee able to Jiparate vs ftomthe!oue.f mufrbe In ,matters COilcerning erernalllifc Gad,whtehu in Chrijl{cf•uour Lord. And !call Little Dauid refembleth euery Chriflian; 1! 1i Goliah
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