14 eAnExpojition ofChrifls M.urh.5. --- "'·7,8. maHcr mull thus in mcrcic vfc the labour ofhis :A our profpcricic and wealth : "'·bar then Jhall feruant; and the fcruant thus in mcrcic doe we _doe? furcly we muH hurnb!c our fclucs by fcruicc to his mafl:er ,for confcicncc towardcs pr:ucr and fallmgvmo the Lord, \fnot pubhkGod. And happic:: were it with all dlatcs,ifthis ly, yet priuatdy;. cuery man :md cvcrie family rule ofmcrcic:: were obfcruedahc: "''ant whereapart, cuen for th1s one ftnnc ofvnmcrcifltlm:s: of,is the bane of all focictics. and with:~ll in this humiliatioi1 , "begin to praJ.Rule. Thirdly, for rh< more chearefull pracl:i[e of Ctifc mcrcy,by befiowing that vpon the poorc, mcrcie , we muil lay alidc fomc part of our which we fparc from our bodies iln the day of goods for the rcleefc of them that be in mifcour f.1lt, rie. The I ewes \..,.ere commanded ·to fct apart v. 8. :Biejfedare the pure in the firA: fruits oftheir cornc ::md cattel, for th.e Lares altar : but in the newe TeA:ament the alheart : fQr they Jha!lfee qod. tar is ccnfcd, &. the poorc come in fl:cad thcrof; and therefore we muH now bequeath fome Thc(c word.s:containc th.t" Jixt Rut~of Chrill 1 ~.J'.uk, thing for their rclccfe.Many arc: giuen to great touchin~ true Mj>pincs;\\'hercin., as in the for.. cxce{fc in fare, and in attire; bu~ thd may doe mer, ob cruc two: IfOints: the pcr:fons blef.fcd, well to abate fomc part thcreot, an befi9w it B and whcrci11 thdt bldfcdndfc confifis. The on the poorc, for hereby \Vill the reil: bee fan ... perfons blclfcd, ;~.rc:·~hus quahfied;rJu·r arepun Ctificd to their 'more free and comfortable vfc : in h(arr. This is: diuerfiy expoundcd:Bypw( m ' nay, in cafe ofnccclfitic,'-"''C ought to fcquefi:er h~4rt, fame vnderfiaHd thofc that are chaHc ; fomc part ofour O\vne ncccffarics, for the reothers, thofc that :ne ilrnple heancd, void.e of fren1ing of the poore; fo did the Church of guile an.d deceit. But 1hc woFds wi-11 beaFc a t s:.Cor.8.s. Macedonia , euen 6(yond th(tr powir , giue to more gencrall fcnfc, af'ld betoken fuch as arc Who-Ue th( re/e(fe of the a.~:il(dln~(t~rm. .Men arc exholy in heart, hauing thtit: hearts burged from pun~i11<h:ur. ceedinf. cold in.c taritic ; and one maiuc caufe the defilement oftheir finncs,~·nd e i-n pan rethcreo , is want of obferuing this Rule,in fctnu<d and fanctified by the holy Gho!t : and ting apart fomc thing , acCm:ding as God fhall that they arc fo to be t01kcn, may appcare,I>fal. bldfc vs in our callings , fOr the rclccfc ofthe 24. 4 • whence ~hcfc wordcs arc borrowed f poorc. ; where alfo the Prophet cxpcundcth rhepure The fecoml point robe confidered in this in heart ro be fuch,as hauenot l~fr vp thtir mind Rule is, wherein this bldfedneffc do•h confifl, tovaine·thingt: to "~hiehpurpofc, the Au~hor ChaP',U'.,11~ namely, in rhc obtaining of mn-cie : bee that to the Hebrcwes fatth; Folluw( pettu .wirh·ttl{ .. i'he.r"e.r. fhewes merdc",.fhallfindc mcrcie, both with mm ,dndho!pt(~;without which no mttn.can{n Aga!nfimis God and man. Where firll, \<VC may fee the er- c God. Againe, the intcntofourSauiour Chrifi ments. rour ofthe Chu"rch of Rome in their doCtrine in this place,was no doU:bt to crof'fc the Phari"- of merits :for they make .a fpcciall part of hufaic.all conceit ofthofe times,whereby men did mane fatisfaClion, to confi(\ in Almcf-dccdes comcnt.thcmfclucs With outward ho!yndfe,as and relieuing of the poorc,tea.ching that a man fufficient to true happindfc; and therefore hce may hcrcb/c merit ctcrn~ll life : but they crre faith, Bf~Jfcd4re the puu, not outwardly, but groffcly ; or then Crhifl: would not hallc faid, ii1Wardly in heart. Further, by h~art we arc to Idled arc rhc mercifull, for they fhall findc v.nderfland the foulc, with theparrs and faculmercic :but rather thus; they fhall find iuHicc: tics thereof; that is, the mit~de, t·heconfcience, for that ~hieh comes of mcrit,is due by right. thewi/l,and.jf'Ciion!, And thor wee may ycr ~ Secondly, hereby we may fee wharro thinke concciuc more dcarc!y of this point,we arc to ofour Church,& Nation, in refpcCl: ofchc true fearch out two things; firfl , in yvhat mann(t", Title to Gods merei::! , for oncly the mcrcifull then in what mM{ Hr( the heart is made pure, {hall finde mcrcie. No\v it were caGe to goc: For the firfl, rhe purifying ofrhe heart is by a Themnner through all orders and conditions of n1CO arwo-foldAcrionofthc holyGholl; firfl, by ofpurifying mong v!', and therin to /hew abundance ofvncreating in che mindc a fauiug faith , which vthe heart, mcrcifulnes and cruc:ltic; fo as we may be iufi:- D nites a man vnto Chrifi, ;.tnd as an hand applyly called a cruell people, and therefore cannot eth Chrifis puritie,that is,his obedicncc,to the u Iam,s.sJ. lookc fOr mcrcic at Gods hands : for to uthe heart : fo Peter fpcaketh ofthe Gemiles, in the mnci/(f[e jhall 6ee i11dg(ment withoHt merci(. . Counccll at lcrufolem, that by faith rh' Lord Ml. rs.g. This is cuident by the Lords dealing wirh his purified rh~irhMrt.r. Secondly, when a man is peopk : for all their facrificcs and duties ofrein Chril\ , theholy Ghofl purgerh and fanClifi1: )fa.l• llo ligi6 were x ahhomir:ationJt.mto th( Lord,hcaHfo cth rhc heart inwardly, by mortifying all the t:t.Jf. their handJ"'"''fn/1 of blood, and becaufe they corruptions in the mind, \-\ill. and affeCtions, had no mercie , therefore they were lead into and by putting into it inward holindfc, wh~rc captiuitic, as ·we may fee at large, lcr.5 .18. Eby the image of Chrift is renued thcr<in.And .. z.ek.9.9, Io. and Z.ach, 9.11.. Now we beeing rhisourSauiour Chrit\ exprefferh, !oh.t5. 2. in the fame cafe with rhem for vnmcrcifulncs & when he faith, rhatthefatherk~~rgerh "'"! one crucltic,haue no doubt defcrucd long fincc the that bringeth forth frJtit in im. Now vnto fame punifhmcnt;euen that the Encmie fuould rhefc rh< holy Gholt adderh an excellent grace depriue vs both of Gofpcl and pcace,and ofall of Chrifttan RefoiHtion, whereby a man hath a confiatlt
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