Perkins - BX9318 P47 1613 v3

~'"f"· Tthe'· c6ap. oJ,h;~----;;r·--: --·-·---- -·- - ·c~1 1 IJ1ohM,\\ hereby others may walkc m rl11s darkc I A thJs. place, and ·eucry other Chriili:m in the ; ,,~rid to rbc ktngdomc of heaucn, whiCh IS a compaffc of h1s calling mufi labour to kc.c :! : moft bicffcd hght. In the wmtcr iC:afon men lh_uung: candlc,both for kno~ovlcdgc and g?dly , dunkc they doe mhers great pleafure, tf m the hfc bctorc an the world' cll:lt fo he m::ty ctcape ! n1 ght they hang forth 3 ltghr to gu1dcp:affcn- 1 Gods fcarcfull Judgements. _In commo1_1 ~c:a.G ! gcrs a !mic way 111 an earthly walkc. What a fon V..'cc olighr to <.·a.rr1c our t:Jucs ~!' 11um,ng 1 bic(fed thing then is rbis,rhar a man 010uld allights before others. It is in v!m!l dting in the V\'aics ho!d forth that light whi..:h Jh::11l gUide a wuucr cin1c to hlng fQrtb lights fur tbc gui..: linncfull wicked wretch to leaue the wnycs of cling of mens bodies Cafe from place to place, dcath,and GO walk in the paths ofrightcOltfncs Now ifwee hatic fuch care ouer their bodic.s,. to ctcrnall life? But on the comrary j when we: ought to hauc mt.1ch more ouer bodic and men liue in Gods Church like candles pm out foule both; th.lt by the light of grace in vs,· by rcafon ofthe b!indnclfc oftheir minds, and · finncrs and wicked men may be guided in the· the b:~.dnelfe of their liues; hence com;ncth d:1rkc and dangerous wayof this world to the c)'rcat hurt and dlngcr to others with whornc I kingdomc ofhcaucn. . .: cl1cy Jiuc: for they lead others d1::tt depcn.dvp- . Here then all igndrantperfons ~nd ~oo(c Ji ... 011 thc•n to the pit of.dcHruCtion, cfpecially I B ucrs , "''ho abotmd in euerie place, muft be ~td..; they who know the w1\l ofGod,and yet m::tke ttionitltcd to reforme th:rnfclues, a~1d la~9ur not conCcicnce to fi1cwfonh thcfzme by good to become lights in Gods Church. They ~and_ example of~ godly life. For as in an haucn as candles, buc they are e'!<.tinCt& giue no l1ghc towne, if any man in the: night time doe re"' to othcrs.Ignorant perfons thrtefore mull cofi moouc the rca-markc which guidcth the {hips offtheir ignorance ; ami lo.l?otufor knowlcdg: i~' the right ch:mcll, he dot~' :~.s much as in him and wicked linc.rs rhuH reforme their Ioo(cn~s hcth to caH away all the fi11ppcs that arc cornof life, and become obedient to the word 9f hling nccrc the l11oarc, by eau!log them to run truth, rh'at fo they may t11inc vllto other~. ~fa I onrockes and fands: cuen fo they thatfuould man haue a candle fct vp it1 hi-s familtc, ;1nd. ~iuc light in the. Church, ifthey giue cirhcrno ll1all a!fay to light it, ~nd {nuffe it once p,r 1 l1ght, orfa:lfc l1ght to fuch as dcpendc vpon twifc,and cannot get-it burne, th~n in difplea1 them, who arc f3.yling in the: fca of thisfinfi1ll fi1rc he wlll tta..mplc lt-vndcr.hi-s (cete;cr cafl i~ world, hereby. they Jcjd and diretl them to a into the fire: Euen fo ChriH IcfusfC~kingJ.O / wrong hauen, & in{h:ad of hcauen bringthbit enlighten the n1inds of thefe ignorant pcrfons~· foules tO CtCtnall perdition: wbi,·h muft tcrri- C} and tO refo(mC the Jiucs oft1})efc loofc !ittcrsby fic·vs from ignorance& euill works,&make vs the miniA:erie.ofthe word; vyh~n he {haH pcrklbour to fhinc as lights in thi~ \'\'orld by g.ood ceiue that they rcfufe .the 1-ight;and w:Hnot be infiruClion and godly conucrfation.T.hird rea.. reformed,vndoubtcdly in furic 1 ofhis wratl?.~~~ fon.Conlider the fcarefull iudgementsofGod wj!] aolength plucke ' thcmf,qm,thcir.p:l_acss, , J'r~.J'-5· againfi [uch asliuc in his Church as members aod.£hmpethem to pGJtder:,af)9,y_ail thcm..iiUC? thereof, and yet giuc no light: theydoi~curre hell.Many be igtroram in eutry.p.lacc,an'cl mop· the fearefull wrath of Chrolt. In the Temple, beprophane, and linall is the ppmberof gQpd the ketping of the lamps and lights b~Jonged Q1ining lights: but we mufirOrJlembcr o.~r:f4uto the Prieft,and therefore he had his fnilfferS, tic, and walkc \1\'P.rthy' our c~Uing. Ifwe hf?ld and other infirumcms to trimme .thc £1me: forth the Iigbtof'knowlcdgand db;cdlepGft;,.J."t'C which \>otably figured the dutie o'f Ghri(l in lballlhine as the firmament in .the -~orld·.w the Chllrch ofthe new TcHarnem:for he is our come, Dan.12"'·'. ;, .. , . ~.~~ •: .. ...~ high Priclt, who lookcth to eueric light in die I... ,G,idcn candlejltck!_. The Cht>rchcs of Gcrd Santtuade, that is, to euery member--of his arc not bare candlfiicks, bu.t.cat)dkftjcks made Church, who ought to fl)inc as·a lamp:e rand pf s.old. ·:r.hc:~:c b.C~.two caufcs of this rcrem1 when they burne but dimmely and darke,hcc D blancc: Firll;becaufe gold isrb.~moltcxccllft I ' hath his fh uffcrs to trimrnc them, and make ~dfall mcttals: fo Gods Churt=he~ here on car'h them gruc a bener light, both by godl.y life, .a(e ~he mofl e~a~lent ofall ~oPcti~~·JQ.c.com.. l ·and good inllruClion. But when he·h:ith fimfp~uHes and foc1cuesofmcn in f:;am1lies, town~, , fed them againe and agalnt,.if fiill they ;burne and ki.ngdomcs, add in other commonaffaires I darke :~.nd dimme, aild giUe either .fl·o light, or :.of. this lifc,bethe or<linance of.God,aud good elfea falfc light, then furcly he will either cafl: in i:hdr kind; but yet the focicticof Sai1.1t~ j~ them om oftheTemplc,or elfe tread them vn- .the Church ofGod, dorh farrc furmount·t\lcm der his tCctc. VVc graunt this libertie tO,cue- ~all, and that in thciC rctpcets; FirH, Qe<:_aufe ip rie goucrnour, when he h:nh lightvp candles ,Gods Church faluarion may be:c oQtaipcd., for his family, if any of them will not burne 1but in other tOcicties, as t.hcy ....are focierics.,. dcarcly, he may fi1uffc it ; ifthat wil n6tferue, though fundric benefits arife. frq:n them J yet he m:~.y C'aft: it into the fire,and fct anotherin it faluadOn 1S nOt to be h:1d in tb~h~, yo,c{fc ~hey pjacc. And ll1all we dcnic to Chri.fi Icfus the bee either ·parti.tular Churches, or membcr.s like authority in his church,which is·his houfe, thereof. Secondly, the Church~.of God is rh,c oucr men at1d women, who ought to fhinc as end ofall other (ocictics: & they a1·e all or.(hj. !.Ji_Shts? God fotbid. The minifier therefore in ned to prefcruc.::md chet·iih the Church,\·,bich 7.z. .2 is f ·--.- ------

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