ofj}irituall.'Defertions. 419 and odeeuc·and~hercfore arepentantand be– lecuing hea;tindeed..For God ~tall rimes,but efpecially in temptauon, of hi~ gr~tmeme 4<Y>tptsthewi/lforthetkede. Netther rs ttto be regardedrhathe &id he wasdamried; for men infuch cafes fpake notaHbey are;butasrhey feele themfcluesto be. A ingtheafsifranceofhis!pirlt, amanigle.ftto f•ll into foruo actuall and grieH<>US finne. And for all this no man is.tothinke rhat God is the author oflinne, but only man thatfailoth, and Satan. Are.!i'mblanceofthistrutb" ·e may fee io a llaffe:whi<h,ifa manilialtakeand fetvp– rightvp:on the gruund, fo long as he holds it with his hand, idliids vpright; bnt fo foone as he'With<lrawcshis hand, thogh he nener pufl1 irdown,it faf~ofit fc:lfe.)n this defertion was thego<kbl>.ing Jiwchias; ofwhom the holy Ghofi fpeakctll.thus: Hev:chiMprofferedin an hUw~ties,thereforedMliirl lYith the Ambaffodour J ofth< PriJrcesofBabeI whU:h-fent to hi"'to inquire Yea,ro goe forther,whena profelfour ofthe Gofpellhal mlke aw"Yhimfelfe,though it be afearefull cafe,Jct frill the fame opinio" muft be carriecl. Firll, Gods iudgements are ver)' fecret. Secondly•,they may repent in the very agonie for any thing we know, Thirdly,none is ableto comprehend rhe bonoinelelfe depth of'thegraccs and mercies whiChare in Chrif!:. Thus muco of the manner which God v- R ofthe~onlierwhU:hwtU dune in the la11d, Cjodleft him,(namely1to the pride ofhis heart to exalt himfeffe)ih t<mptil1g him,tb.1theemight crieont fethin forfaking ofhis clea; Nowfollow the Kinds of ~indes ofdefe;tion,w.hich aret~o:defettio~ DeCcui.. 1n pumfhrnent, defcruon·m·fim,e. · -• ' om. Deferrionin putrilhment, is'when God&~ ferreth either to midgate, or remooue the croae andchafriftnent which he hath laidvp– on his childre. This befel Chrilhm thecrolfe, .(4)My qod,(faith he)~nyqod,whyh4JIthoufor- "~at.t.7 fak!n mt? Thiswasthecmnplaintof Gedeonj\ 1 ' Didnotthe LordbNng '1JSButof Egypt? 'But now'. the Lordh4thforfok!_nw,&rkliueredvs into the. • Fo• h4»ds ofthe Midianites,1Ndg.6.r J.(b)Mafrer Aa:. & Rob1rt GbJHer Martyr at CouentriC, afrer hee was condemned bythe Bylhop,an~wasnow, at thepoint tobe deliuered outofthe world, Menu. lfff• Scptcmb it fohappened,thattwoorthreedaies before C hisdeath, his heart beeing lumpiih and defolateofall fpiritu2tl confolation,felt in himfelf no aptnelfe nor willingnclfc, but rather hea– uinelfeand dulneffe offpirit, full ofmuchdif– comtort to beare the bitter croffe ofmartyr– dome ready nowro·cre laid vpon him: wl<ere– uponhe foaringinhimfelfc, lefrthc Lord had withdrawrrbiswontcd fauoudr6 him, made his mone to o~e Aujlinehis friend, lignifying vnto himho1v c:arncfrly hee had prayed day & night vnto the Lord, afld yet could rcceiue no motion nor fenfe ofany comfort from him, Vnto whom the fald A4fin<anfwercd againe, willinghimpatiently towaitcthe Lord• plea– fore, & howfoeuer his prefentfc:elingwas, yet feeing hiscaufe was iulland tme,he exherted 0 hiQl conllantly to fricke to the t:<me, to play · the man, nothing doubting bot the Lord in I his good timewould vilite him, &fatisfie his Idelire withplentieofcofolation,&c.The next day when the time cameofthe martyrdome, ashe wasgoingto the place)& was now come to the fightofthe!take, although al the night before praying for llrength and courage, hee " ·"' couldfeelenone,fuddenly hee was forepleni– lhed with the holy Gholl, that bee cried out .clapping his hands toAl<jline,and faying with 1 thefe words; Akfline~ heUcome,he'itcome, 6-c andthatwith fuch ioy and alacritie,as one fee– ming rather to bee rifcn from fome deadly dangerrohbertie oflife, then asMe pafsing out ofthe world by any paines ofdeath. Dt:f':rnon 1n Gnnc,iSwhen God withdraw.. ollthatwMitzhis heart. Torhisplace apper– taine,NfJf.tdrimk!nnes .> DauidsadHltery, Peters denial/ofChrift, The reaCon offuch defertions may be this: Ifapatient !hall be grieuoully licke,the phylition wil vfe all manerofmeans that can liedeuifcd to recoqer him, and ifhee once come to adefpcrate cafe, the Jlhylition rather then he wil not refrore him, wil itnploy all his skill;he wiltake poyfon, and fo temper it,and againfr·the nature thereofhe will make a fooeraigne remedie to recouer health. The elect children ofGod,are difeafed with an in– ward,h!dden,and fpiritual pride;wherby they affd'hhemfelues, and delire to be fomcthing inthemfelues forth ofChrifr: and this linne is very datlgerous:iirfr,becaufo when other fins dieio a !"an,this fecretpride gets frregth: for Gqds grace·is the matter ofpride,in fuch wife that a man Will bee proud, becaufe hee is not proud:_for example;ifany fltall be tempted of the diuell to_ fome proud behauiour, and by Gods grace get the vid:orie ; then the heart thus thinketh, Oh thoN h•JI d.ne well, th011 haft foiledthe enemy,neitherpride, nor an7 otherfinn~ can preuaiie llgainft theeifHchmdfochcouldnfHfY h•ue Jq~, fo: and avery good man !hallhudly be free from fuch kind of motions in thi's life. Secondly, there is no greater enemy to fayth then prideis: for itpoifoneth the heart & maketh itvncapable ofthat grace, fo long as it beareth.aoy fway: for aecthat will belecue in Chrifr mufr be •nnihi!ated, that is,he mufr be bruifed.&.battered toa flat nothin!; in regard of any hk~ng·or affca10n to htmfelfe, that hee may in fpirit mount vptoheaue,where Chrifr fits attheright hand ofthe Father,&as it were with both the hands offaith grafpe him with al his crleffed merirs,thathe may bewifedome righteoufnelfe,fanrlificatio, redemption,life: g~>;>d, works, & whatfoeuer good thing he is, netther m~norby, nor for h!mfelfe; but euery way forth ofhtmfelf 111 Chni\.N·ow this blef– ~d coh\litiotmfa bele_cuing heart, by naturall tc!f-loue &Celf-hk1ng ts g'Featlyhitid<red.God thereforcingreat mercy to remedy this dan– gerous c<>rroption, lets his elect !em.mts £11! into trouble ofminde and C'Ot>Kien<:e, and if\ they haply be of greater hanltt.:lfe ofheart, N n 3 m~!=> , t.Cor.J. ,o. Ioh.tJ.t. Gal.~.Jo
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