is made mani felt by God. all by the roots : So when we M inifters have fowed the feed, and it begins to grow, a little to put forth, when ill company come in t hey fpoile all ,they marre all, they pull up all by the roots, fo that we have loft our labour, it is indeed fo effeduall to keepe downe the Seed, and to make us,pprifon the Truth. Againe, cuftome in fin, 'giving your felves liber- ty in any fin, that keepes downe the Truth, ancyo- thing more. Therefore, of all other things you muft know,nothing fuppref es that truth,that know - ledge thole beginnings of Grace,thofe good moti- ons in us fo much as a1uall finne, becaufe it is quite contrary to it : Pire is not quenched fo much with any thing as with water, being quite contrary there- to; and light is not hid fa much in any thing as in darkeneíl'e. Take heed then that you be not led away with the deceitfulneffRe of fanne; you may think you (hall be able to leave this fan afterwards, but it is not in your power to doe fo, for finne takes away the fenfe and a great finne weakens the faculty that (hold ref ti, it puts out the Ta uth, becaufe it is fo direEtly contrary unto it. And herein you muft obferve a notable difference betweene men that live godly, and others; the god ly when they fall into fin it is fo farce from putting out this Truth, that it helpes it forward, for their fais doe but difcover fuch fins, and fo itcaufes them to fearch themfelves,by which wanes they find out that to be in them,which they never knew of before, it may be it is Covets ufnef e,or it may be Envy,one thing or other is difcovered, and when it 1s &- covered, there is a winnowing of themfelves, they fee 189 SEg.VIII 2 4
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