44 [afes of Conjcience. . I. Booke. ( lea,yctthc r .. tb,whcrby \VC lay hold ofthem, A felteagame into thefauour of God,whome he I is like vnto a ve![ell with a narrow oecke, had offended, confiCied of thefevery heads, which though it becaCI into thegreatOcean, whichhaue beene oamed;Repentance, Con• receiues bur a litlc waterat once, and thatby fidence,and Affiancein Gods mercie, &Perdegroes,droppe by droppe, accordingto the formance ofnew obedience.And this his prawidene!feofthe mouth. And hence it is,that ,ctife was verified, among(! may otherplaces, tboughrhegifrsofGodwithoutvs,whichare Cj>ecially in the 119. Pfalme, and in all the oursby imputation, be perfect; yet all fuch Pfalmes commonly called penitential!. A· gracesasarcput into vs are weakc and im~ gatne, rhe Prophet Daniel was accepted of perfect God ondyfor thedoingofthefe things,Dan. Secondly, ifany feruantofGod,Owuld be 9. And in like manner was Paul, and there!! perfectlyregenerate,and made abfolutely ho. of the Apollles, Rom.7. I. Tim, 1. n , A. ly in thislife:rhenhe fhould fui6JI the morall gaine,for further proofe,!rtit be confidered; law,and (obecome a Sauiourto himfelfe:and what 1t is that make• a man to become a by the tcnour of the law haue hfe; and fo Chri!lian,andferuantofGod: notthis, that OwuldnotChriCI be a Sauiourproperly, but I ,B heis pure from all finnes, and neuer Oides or onlyaninPrummt,to dtfpofevstothckeeping fwarucsfrom obedience vnto God; but be· ofthe law,whereby we might faue our felues. caufewheo he Gnnerh and fallcth, heis grieBut there ts one onely aHufficienr Sauiour, ued with hirnl<:lfe, and labourerh euery day, Chri£1 Icfus,and the begmning, the middle,& to mortifie his cwruprions, which are rhe the accompMuncntofour faluarion, is robe marreroffinne,in his hearr,and hfe,and fuffea!Cribe.d to himalone. reth not finnc to rc1gnc in hismorrall bodie, Tbirdly,ir is the •·illofGod,rhat hisowne but crucifierh the ftcfh, with the affetlions children, wah whome he is well pleafed in and luUs thereof. Chri!l,fhould be brought tonothmg inthemYet here remaines a great dif!iculric, Mafelucs, that they might be all in all out of nyagoodferuantofGod,may,anddothtru- ' rhemfeluesin ChriO:being,as it were, emptily fay of himlelfe,I bewailemy finnes, and do ed offclfe-loue,and of all confidence in their in fome fortre!l on Gods mercie, and withall ownegoodne!fe. But if fantl16cat1on fhould I endeauourto performe new obedience: bur beperfeihrrhe6r0, rhcnarllan lhouldnot alas, here is my griefc, I can nor doethefe goeour ofhirnfelfe, bur would rather !lay ;is thingsa•I would, In matter of forrow and he is,and reCI contented in IllSowne.goodne.. C griefe,I am troubled with hardnelfe ofhearr; For this canfePaul, afrerlilisexalrarion, wa• in occaGons of boldnelfe and confidence, buffered by Satans temptati0ns ;lth.rt he with doubtings: in cndeaucur to obey, with mighr not be exaltedout ofmeafure, :.Cor. many flips,and fundryfalles. Forthe !laying 12. 7. but 01ould content himfelfe with rhis, and moderatingofthis griefe,rhcfe rulesmay that he wa; in theloueand fauourof God in furrherberemembred. Chri!l, The firfl Rule.Ifthere bein the minde, a I I. Gronndi•; Tocoouder,wharrnakes a purpofenorrolinne: in the will, a deure to man profdfing Chrifl,accepred ofGod: and pleafe God: and in the wholeman,an endea· hmv much he huufelfe mufl doe,for rhioendl . uourroperforme thepurpofe of rhe minde, The fuh!lance of all rhingsrobe done of vs and the defire of rhe1vill: marke what folfor thisend,that we may become rhech1ldren !owesvpon this:God'in mercieaccepreth the ofGod,may be reduced to three heack purpofc &will to obey, fur obedience irfdfe. Fir!! ofall , we mull heartily bewaile our Yea, though amanfailein the very act, and finnefullliues pall, and (erioufiy humble our doe not fo well as hefimuld, theLord accep· fduesin regard of ourownc finnes , both of terh the affection and endcauour fot the heartand life;and ifby occafion wee fall into D thingdone.Exccllcntisrhe fayin!l of an aun· any finne,wc muCl not lie therein,but by fpcecienr Father, Cjod ampurb that which i& hu, dierepentance,recouerour formeretlate. andfDrgiu~J th11t »>hicbU thine.His is thegrace Secondly, in regard of the finfulne!fcof whereby we are enabled ro endeauour too· our hearrs and liues, in times pall, we mufl beymthe want ofobedience, and thathe ac· re!! our fclueson Gods mercie alone, flying cepteth: oursis rhe Gnne and •·eakcnelfe in ro rhe throne of mercie for the pardon of performanceofrhedurywhichherequirerh, them all. and that he cloth m mercic forgiue, Herein Thirdly, we mufl indeauour in rhe cuurfe appearerh the great goodnet.fe of God vnto of our liues afterward to performc obedience vs, and we can neuer befufliCJenrly rhankfull to God in aJJ his commaundements; that forthefamc.Butyetrhatwemaynutherederhereby we may OlC\v our (clues rhankefull ludeour hearts with conceirs, •nd blelfe our to him for his mcrcie, and profit in our obedi· felues in vainc:we mufi know, rhat God dorh ence. nor alwaies acceptthe will for the decde, vnFor proofc hereof; Firfl, conuderrhe exlelfe there be .conf/antp11rp•fo in hra·rt' """' ampies ofrhis pract1fe in Gods chlldren. All defir. in will,and fome r.folued •odeauour fura. that Dauid,rhar worthy feruanr ofGod could, ble in the life: Malach. 3·17. G•d fP•m them doc,aftcr his finnes comrnittrd, to bring him.. thatftare him,M 4 jAthtr fP'"u his o'nlne child. How Acdpit·fu. "m,&rc– mitti,UUJR,
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