284 I I. Motive. Sin is a thiefe. Pauls Cmn ,er,Çon. and fo efcape thofe judgements which otherwife will light upon you. Te eleventh motive,to move you to hate finne, is,becaufe Panne is a thiefe : it will rob you of your precioufeft Iewell, and belt thing you have in the world, which is your afi'urance of election : for what is the reafon that many have fuch heart. qualmes, and pinches, and doubts, and feares, whether they be God's or no, but becaufe they let fome luft or other enter into their hearts, which (titres up the mufty corners of the heart, and fo makes a foule fmell in the foule, which if they had beene carefull before, they might have prevented. Now how great a comfort is it to bee affured, that hee is one of Gods Elect, hee that hath felt knowes what it is , though hee cannot expreffe it; but if you have not felt it, you will not believe ir, though you fhould be told it : to bee affured of the love of God , and that all the priviledges in Chrift , and that all the promifes in Scripture belong unto a man; it is fuch a joy as will raiCe the heart, barely to efteeme of all earthly things , and to walke in Paradife as it were, and to rejoyce continually in the meditati- on , and affurance of thofe things , which are appointed unto the Elect in the Booke of God; betides, not to fcare death, not to be moved with any Tyranny, or evill tidings, but to bee like a fquare (tone that ftands even upon his owne bottome, in whatfoever eftate hee is cart. But all his of Trance , joy, and comfort is loft, if the
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