\- ~TO THE NOBLE .AND VERTVOVS GENTLEMEN, . Sir loHN Sa~~FFIELD, Knight;andM. o~ 11 v ER S. I.o .;., : Sonnes and Hcircs to the Right Ho– n~Hrflhle E D M v N D Lord Shr:.1]Jirld,LordPrefdenro[ tht Nonh, and 0 LI V .ER Lord $. I oH N, Ba(Oll of 1Jirtjl7o •· Grace, muipetlcc. -------------------------------~----· • , He graciouspromifes of God(Honourablc and moll worthy Gen– tlemen)., made to the holy Pat,riarks, touching the Land of Can:t1 :tn, were !ingubr comfort to the belecutng Ifraelnes, m thetr bon– - dagc ·of Egypt. And the renewing of the f.1me by the ban,~ of Mofa(wholewords God confirmed by (o many miracles) mull needcsaugmcnt their ioy abund:mtly,ahhough their bonds at dm time encreafed. Bur, the pledge of God·s prefence in the cloudie pillar, whereby he led them in the wildemc!fc both night and day, did fo farre excccde 21lthc promifcsforthcmatterofcon(olation, thatcucn Mojes himfclfc dcfircd ratlicr to be detained from the prot;~ifed Land, t11en dcpriued ofthe comfort of that his prc- (ence in the way: Ifthyprt{eNce( f:tith hcc )zoe not 6ifowvs, hid vs not depari henc~. F.'""·lP >· Now, thefethings beeing tN[amples VtltO v's, and euidcnt types bf ovr ellat~ who line •. Co<.••·'' vnderrheGofpel,lbewc apparamly,that howfoeucrBelc;cucrs be greatly cheered in their fpiritualltrauell, by the gtatiouspi'omif~s whichGpd inCluill hath made vnto · them; yetthis their ioy is much encrcafcd, by 1 t·bc view ofthofe that hatte gone before \ th~minthe way offaith; wh6arevmo then'l asaC/•11d of Witne;[u, pi' a ~lot~lie PJj!ar. For,how(oeuer the truth of God be the onely ground of found confo!ation: yet be- ·caufe wee areakinneto Thom,u, and will not beleeue vnle!fc we fee, and fccle; . therefore it is, that by the example of Beleeuer~(wherein is fomc fcnGble euiden'e of the comfort of Gods truth) we arc farre more cheered, then by the promifc it fclfe I alone. Herethen beholdc what great canfe.we haue to cafi our eye< vpon this Clot~de bfW:t• ntjfos; whtch the holy Ghofi hatlrercct,cd ~sa pledge of his prefcnce, and adireCtion Ito all thole that lball followe the'if.fleps in ihc praetilc of £1irh, till the worlds ende. I Shall Mojes affeCl:rhat cloude (o much, which led tiJetnoncly the way tO a teroporah inheritance: andfhall n.ot w~much more be rallilbed with delight. in thil .Cforitl,which l lcades vs to·the kmgdomc of hcauen : In all cfbtcs the u;jl mufl ltue by fouh: For, we walkehJfoith,~nd not hyjigbt, Anc,l.¥'hatis,~9dJOpe and h:~ppinc!fe of a Chriflian 1H,b.,~.,s, man, but to receiuc at !all tbeJii!!Mtion of' o;ir JOules, which isthe e;;de of ourfait!J, and . 1 .,,cc,_,.,. r ' pc:iod of this walke. But any !aith will ~or fi>f>porr vs herein : fome b~ginne in the '·""· '· 9 • ' \ Sptrzf, who endm the Fk[h, gqtng pptVJtth.~aulfora while; but at lcngtl>rewrne1A•tth 1 0 , 1 , 3 , 1 • , Drm.t.! to the world , netther can they doe otherwife: for, ApoJ~aflti• the Catlljlropbe of\ ... liJpocrijie. l-!ec that would dccciuc in his pro(cffion is vfitally dcceiued of his faluari~ ' '· """•·••l on. vVherefore thislball be our wifcdomc , to fee w our foules, thlr cur fo irh ( as the • be!oued<.Apojllefaidofioue) benotinword, a11dt;mouc; bYt indmlcand intrtJth. And for our better direCtion in trying the trmh of our faith, v.'e hauchere many notable preii_ '· toh. 3 • d. Id_e_n_ts-io_t_h_is_c_l_ou_d_e_if_w._'_""_'_fe_es_:_,.:.__o_::~~~~!. ::ft ~'=?.~~~~~::_s -~~~::~=~:~ l.---.-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=