/~ the u.[hap.tothe Hebr. --------=~--:-:---:------~~- - -·-·-· The promifc was to hauc 3 child: She belec- A ~he c6craric,giuing hin1 occafions Ofdpubting, . ued it.Now again(t child-b~aring ehere 3re nvo and often n~cn ot dcij1airing of Cods fauot:r. impcdutJcnts: I .BarrcnneJTc : 2. Age. \Vhat mull a man doe in thi~ ea{( ?tuenbclcuu, If one be aged, or p~fl the ordinaric time, it though he ff:clc no rcafon '"hy to bc!ccuc; :md ' i3h:trd and vnlikcly: but if one be vcrieaged, h(lpc rt6rm: hope. Such w::ts: ..A!n·.r{b,zms and ... '".l· .. l 3tH.l farrC pail it,it bimpolli.blc lhe fhould con~ rah.r f.1ith , And for it :1s they \>YCrC rcgi!lt-c<l in i cciuc and bcare achilci:thus it Hands in rcafon. theSroricofGcndis:10 both h<:rc, and in d~c 1 Bdidcs, thougb one be.not pall age, yet iffhc Romancs, Ch3p. 4.remcmbreJ ~gainc, & eom.... I beb:wrcn (as feme by iCerct rcafons in nature mended for ir.Now,fi!ppoJC that thou,afccr thy 1 ;~re) it i.s not to be expeCted, l11cc.(hOuld con- ~ommingro Godby f.1irh and repentance, fal l I ctiuc. Now, both rhofe lay in Sarnhs w'Jy; for, HltO temptations ofdc!crtion, v\·hcrcin to thy here it isf.1id, fl1cc was paft a ... ~e: andanother feeling, Gods hcauic hand and wntth h:tth i(·J~ , place·( namely, Gen. r6.I ,2.) iaithJhe w&bar:.. zed on thec,and the dC'ui!ll::mth thy fins to thy rc 11• charge, & tcls thee thou art a. danmcd wretch, But it maybe obicClcd ag:1infl Sarahs age, for thou wen cuer an hypocrite, and neucr' char in rhe old cimc d1ey had children, till they hadH faith, &.tl,ac thcrforc God is thyenemy; ~ wereof great :1gc. Eue bad her fonne Scth at B In this cafe, wherein in rcafon or in fceltng, qo. ycarcsolde (Gen. 5· 3.) For , Adam and there is not thclcall hope of faluation; what I EHc rn_u(l nccclcs be bothofone ag~: and ::~fttr muH thoudoe,dci£>airc?God forbid.for that is that , Euc bore man; {onnu and il.dtighuu. ~he ddwufall into l~cll.No,but hop.c \\hen there Therefore, it may fceme , that Sarah was nor lS no hope, keep faah when there 1s no fcd ing 1 j paR age :lt 9o.yearrs olde. Bur V\'earC' to kno\ovc, And to !hcngthen vs herein, remember the 1 that rhcy who began to bcarcat that age, liucd faith oflob(tried and flftcd,fo ~s fc~,ov hauc bm) · e1ghcor ni11c hundred yeares i blit Sarah liucd who though rhettn·owc~ ofthe Almtghtieflnck§ in. aJccr the flood , when Ages wtrC -b-rought him, and the vcnome thereofdno;k£-vp hiJJPirits, downc to 200. and for the moll part tO 1 oo. lob, 6.4. yet cucn then he bc!ect!ed: and \\'Ould ycares, .Ahraham Iiucd bm :;~. r 75. ycares; !!.nd not giuc oucr, nor let goe his hold, and f.1 id<:, Sarah but t 2 7· Shec therefore who liued 1 >]. TboHghthot<6ringmctotkft ,yet willI 1101 Jorfalze yeares, and died an olde woman, mull: needes thte : no, thosegh thou f.:.!. /I mce ,yet will I tmjl in bee pall:: age. of child-bearing, at 90. yeares t},ec, So, in the furic of temptations, when d1e oldc. vcnome ofGods wrath fccmes todrink vp our And bdidcs hCt"<!ge : lllec was alfo barren' fpirits' then mun \NC bdcr:lfe: and in the patlgs by her nacurall confiitution (as many .uc and C of death, when God fccmcs 1:caclic to kill vs, haue becne) and brought A6raham no chil• th co mull we trull in him. In filCh cafes is the drcn. Yet vnto this \\'Oman comes a word frO life offaith tobe {hewed: when re.1flm andfeeGod, Sarahjhall6edrc afonne. And beholdc, ling fay, God is a terrible Iudge,faithmull Jay, ! this;agcdand barren \\'Oman, dorh not obicct he is" mcrcifull Father. • 1 dc[peratcly the: le her two hindcrancc.s(thcone Iriour health,and welfare,& fccling..ofg.ods whereof in rcafon is luAiciem agaiqfi -ehildefauour,this exhortation may feeme tcdiou~~bJ.lt bearing) but beyond all impediincms and aif we belong to God, ifit be not pail ali-cadi,e-~ boue reafon bclceucth it fhall be fo ~ rdHng & the time is furc to come,w hen this doChlnc \·Vil relying .oncly ani! wpolly qn Gods wotd for be needful! forrhe bell ofvs all. jc, . :. · Thus we fee the exccllen<:ic of this V\Oi11aqs Thev(c ofwhich nouble and faithful! pra• faith: which i• the m,orc comtrteudcd, by. [q:\- Cl:ife (fowondcrfull in awoman) muH teachvs fon ofthcfe two fo great h\nch·anccs. Novy_folto r.dl: on GodJ'wQrdand ·promifi: ,.thS)ug_h wee low theeffect-s ofher faith , which arc diucrfc: hauc no rcafon (o to doe1fo'r cxarnplc, fom laid down in rh is vcrf, & fome in the nc.xc. When we JCc: our tficnds, or childrcns boReceiuedffrtngth toconc(iuepedr:, dic.~caCl.imo the earth to feede Vl.'ormcs, burnt D And WN deliuercd ofachi!de. by fire, or eaten by fifhcs,rcaf~n faith,rhcy arc ln thefe words arc two effeCts. , gone,theycanneu.cr be againc.We hauc Gods Firfi, by pb\'\'Cr of her fa~th f'hc "''~ inablcd . word and aJTurcd prol)li[c, -The:4e~-tf.fhallrifo: eo conceiue: which before fhe did not, thoug~l with their; bodies ftJall they rif. ·~vec mufi there were the (J.mcrcafons ln nature why fi1cc .th~rcfore belceue it, ifwe will be ofthe faith of {hould. I ·Sarah: God faid to I]er; AJe and k~rrfnnejfc Sccondly,f1le was dcliucrcd ofa chilcl in hc.r fb.tllhatieachild: fhcc bclceued ir.He faith to vs old age, and that child was lfaac:vvho is there- ' Dllf\ &rottc\mc!fe fhalliue againc:nry he hath fore called the promifcd feede, and the child of ! often f:1id it:and.{hal not o_ur faith ac~nowkdg the promi(c. . . I the voice ofour God~ & bc!ccuc it as fhcc did? Out ofthe conllderation ofchcfc two, ~vce : Bu~t lct~s .eom'to per.fonall promi:~s, as hers lTI3Y learn.e diucrs g~o~ inflr~tCl:ions:for/ccin£:, wa~(ton.h1s 1s gencral)rgod hath pro1fcd gr(l.rc .theyarc to neere a-ktn Ill rhcu nacurcs,vvc will I &pardon to cucry penitent & bckc.umg fouk; fpcakc ofrhc:m both ioymly together. , ycJ.no man is parr:tkcr of the fwcctncs hereof, l~idl,here we may fee that nothmg is fo hard \ without the blncrncs of many temptations ro J or difficult whichGod bath promiiC:d,bur..faith · - ---.---- Ii 2. · -~--·c~n _l~---
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