Offreking Godr foce. . 145 rhe keeping of i~ clofe unto Goq ,, though in_- a cafe , that. feemes to bee the ruine of it, is its happioelfe and perfeCtion. As for ·cxample, when Abrtzham 1 iliould:have.defiroyed his fonoe by offeriog.~im; up, h<e thought hee fhould oot_Iofe by it, n9r Jjaa& neither: he thought with himfelfe, God-hath com– maoqedm.e to do it, and I never yetloU b~_keeping' any commandement hee gave mee :; God1sable_to raife him up againe. I never yet was alo{~r byhim, and on the contrary. I fhall.bee f~re to,)bee aloCer, and my fonne .alfo if I doe it not. Jc is indeed in1· poffible>that ifa man fhould filrlply bee alofer,that hee fl1ould doe thus ~ but when hee confiders that though hee bee ddhoyed at prefent, yet hee be.· Jieves it will bee for his gGod j and fo it will bee in– deed: ·As tikeabeame of the St:nne, the way-t,o preferveit, is not to keepe it by it felfe, the being ofit depends upon tht Sunne; take the Sunne away,. and it periiheth for ever: but yetrhorg_h it fhould . come to be obfcured, and fo cut offfor a while, yet· becaufethe Sunne remaines fiill,the~efore when the . Sunne .lhines forth againe,ir will be renewed agairie. · Such a thing is the creature being ~ompared whh Go_»· If you would prefervc the -qeatur~ in it felfe, it is impoffible for it to .fia~d ; like agbffe without abottome, it mufi fall and breake. When therefore this is confideredby a man,/ then hee will fay, I will bee content to qenymy felfe', and feeke theL o.R», whenmyfelf~comesinro competition with·any commandement of his. Arid let oot ,this [eerne ftrange to you' that the bell: way to make 3 mans felfe happy, is to refigne up himfelfe to the \ L utmofi .. ·
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