)I td. Cf'"reatije of Chrifiian Equitie. of dearh,urthedayofJUdgcmcnr. VVhen A therefore thou ha(! donetoill, and fcdell a pnckcin thy confcicnce,and achecke,butno more,rcmembertharcucnthcn)if God d1d not moderate Ius Iu(iice,rbou Owuldell feele the cxrreame horrour of thy confcumcc, which would ouerwhelme thee a• a burden, which is too hcauy forrheeto beare. Thus then \\'Ce fee the n1aruci~ous mercy of God:wid:cd men are hisfworne enemies, for Jinne is that which offends him aboueall thingsin theworld,yetfo gtei.t is his mcrcy, and (o lartie is his moderauon, that eucn his enemies taflc of it eucry day and houre. Thus much of Gods Equity and moderation to all men. B Now fecondly, this moderate and milde dealing of the Lord, is more fp<ciall ro his Church and children: and that alfo 01ewes it fclfe in two adions. Firll ofall,lu(ircc rcqui· re1h thateuery man Owuld pay his debt:and 'oruruo£.1 rea{on rels~vs,rharwords and pro· mifes.c•nnor palfe for paimenr, but due debt mull befarisfied. NoweucryChri(iian man is in agreat debt to God :that debt is ob,di– cncctohulmv.forCbriCl camctofaucvs Crom 'trle rigourofthe law,nor to free vs from obc– dienceroit~ buthowdoe we paytbatdebtl euei1 as bee cloth, who owerh renncrbuu(and pourids, and crauetb to pay it by apenr.y a year'; for fo wee owing porfca obedience in C tbougbr,word,and deede, and alfopuritieof nature, the rooreof all: we(I meanethebcfi and holiell men ofall) haue nothing to ten– der t" God, burafc1y good dellrcs&grones of the heatt,and a GUy pooreendeauour: all which is vitro that which the law requirerh, l1ke vntoone penny to ren thoufand pound. Yet hehold rhe mcrcic of God andbts com– paffion to hiS chiJd,en :rhcfeourdeGrcs,and that our indeauour comming from the truth ofour bearrs,dorh he accept for perfe(\ pai· menti and that man who barb an heart fea– rrng God,~ndacarcand deureto plea(e God lp,a)lrhings, and in h10p,laeeand callingen– deauouretb itaccordingly, is the man whom God louetb,andem~raceth in<he~rmes of D his_mercy,rpough,hcbe far from tb~t,whicb ind~qrand duty bee,o.wcth to God, Thus doHi'God tef!ifie of himfelfc in llfAl.chi•: .f,w..~U :t~re;oiUHe!JtU 11..fatberJP4retbbUo.wne Tolne~t.hllt (autth him. Now wee know th~rc isrE~fp,aringnor forbearance bkc, vptp rhar. A:h1h.er bids hrsllltlefonnedost~rsor that wliichii farreabouc hisllrength,rhechlh\e ~ot'conudering the difficultie, bu' l!'<l~ing ogelnr his durie, anddcllring only,rg p,l~a(e liJSt~iher,~oethaboutit, and doth,his bell, an}.rcr"hcn allis donc,hcccan docnothmg ro if ~t all: now the 'fatheneioyceth in thrs wF\Ulp ?b<dienca of his fOnnc, aqd approo1 u~r~ ui ,his childc_ the w1lf and ~n~cauc>ur, · rhotfgh f1ee cannot d~iithe thingn_ee biddes h(jll·· ~uco fo<!_orp tljc Lor~ fpare hi_s chil– qre~l,!,l,l£ec~mm~n~ct,h vs to k~epc liis ~~~· and it is nomore rhen our dutie, which cm· W1thllanding of our fducs wcc can doe no more, then alittle ch1ldc is ablo to carry a milllone: yet ifwee Willingly goe,whenGod commaundcth vs, and doe our endeauour, andall we can, and gro11c vndcr the burden, and dehre to doe mme;thisour defir~and ih· deauour, proceeding from fauh,and from a fon-l1ke wtllingneJfe, doih rhe Lord accept forrhe perfect deed. This Is nofmaiJ mode· rarion,bur greatond •·onderfull. Forwhere– as wee owe perfetl obedience, and hemight 1uniy challenge it, and for want of u make vs pay it with foule and all, he Is con~enr to rake a will,a defire and er.deauour, which io allwee can, and is in effectnothingat all. In thiS world, that man would bee extolled for · his mercic,who will tak• ofhis dcbter apen– nyaweeke,whooweth him a too.pound:or that takes all he can pay, & accepts hi• good mmde for the rell: Oh then how merciful! is our God,who for fo great offences, and fo huge ad<br,as oursis to hisMalellir, is ccn– rcnr eo accept of our cndeauour and hearry defirei the heartand tongueofman canner fuflicrmrlymagnifiefogreata mercy. Thus much for the firll. Againe, the mercle and moderation of God toward• his children appeam rhus : There is not the be(! man, but he finncth; & there is not afinne fo litle, bur in iu!lice it de· fcruetha wholeworld ofpuniOmJ<nts,yeaall rhofe curfes denounced in rhelaw, eueu all rhoiC: plagues threatned,Deur.z8. all which in iufltce lhouldoucrwhelme him,preJfe him downe, and crufh him to nothing. Bur be– holdc the mercifull moderation of God, he is content to lay no more crolfes on hischil– dren,then by his owne grace (which hcalfo giues them) they fhall beeable to vndergoe, and in the ende to ouercomealfo.When his ch1ldrcn finne,'as when doe they nor!) doth hepunifh them according to rheproportion of rheirlinnel no: forthen allrhccurfes of ~is lawfi,n~ld, ~·eeheap«fon,rhcm fer otic hnne; and if heqdidfe,hcedtd butiu!lice: nay he dcales fo.with th<\D; as:it is not to be called apunrfhme~tat all, but rather a cha· lhfement: fqr apunifhrneot m~fl be infome fort proporuo_qable to the '?ffence,but tha,t which beelayet~onhis childtell, isnothing a1 all to their iipne:andthe<eforeit is no pu· ni0m1enr properly, but (as it were) the cha– (ijfcment orcorr,e~ioo of~ fathft, to teach (lis fonne his durie, and to reforrne him,and bring him hoq1~ from his euiiiwaies: and thetef\)re not in therig~urofa ludge,but m the lo.ueand wifepomeof a farher, hee 6r0- <;9,oiidereth what wee are able to beare: and ~.li~n'layethn9 Ujii_i~on vs,ihe~wemay well beare:and which is mofl wonderfull ofail,he gi{I~$,VS Qrength10bearethein:'ro this cod l fpcake• rbeAponle to the Cormrh•ans, 1. ·C.~r. Jo.Thereluzt/J '!o trmptatimfak ..rnyoH, b~t 'th,twhich b•f•f;t!J<n•t•rrofman, Wher<_~Y I - - he ..
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