Taylor - Houston-Packer Collection BS2755 .T394 1619

EpijifrofS. PadfoTitu6. CHAP. I.13. Gods skilfull Surgeons tobehandled,and set in ioynt,and fo reflored to foundnes againe. Now the reafons or motiues to the careful! vfe of thefe meanes areRearonstorf flue ; t. drawne from euery mans neceflity, which is not fo little as it is littlefelt andperceiued.Thepoorewoman in the Gospel tyred for t 2. yeares together withher iffue ofblood , spent all the had on Phyfitians tocure her ofher greife;and the reasonwas, because she felt the paine and tedioufnes of it: but wewho cannot weare out one weeke nor one day in bodily griefe,without many complaints,can carrie manybloody iffues offinne in our foules , euen from our cradles to our graues , and I complaineofno greife, no paine, and foneuer feeke for cure : nay , be- 1 caufe we deeme our (clues found men,we refufe cure when it isoffered. 1 We reade in the Gospelof a number ofpeople who followed and floc- ked afterChrii}, for the cure oftheir bodily maladies and greises , and the caflingof deuillsout oftheir bodies : but of verie fewe who com- plained oftheir fpiritualldifeafes and iffues,or ofthe blindnes,and deaf= nes, and lamenes of their foules; or cryed tohaue their finnes,the works ofthe deuill can out oftheir Coules.And yet is there no neceflity hereof, because men fee it not ? r. Confider how many we haue who conceiue that they are foundChriflians, and fay they beleeue in Chrifl(they thank God) and they hope to be faued byChrifi as Toone as the beta : and yet thelife of Chrifi ( much leffe foundneffeof foule) was neuer in them, yea nothing elsebut reigning fin: if tobe dailydrunke, and to be found flakes on the alebench,to fweare, to lie,deceiue,boaf,contend,quarrel, contemne the word and Chriflian praEtifes, and men, will make found Chriflians, we neede not goefarre to feeke fuch found men. 2. Of such as are Chrifiians,andofthe number ofbeleeuers , how are many crazy and ouergrowue with bad and vicious humors? Tomeofcouetoufneffe, fumeof licentioufnes, force ofidlenes,andCome worse then these. The creple that lay at the pooleofBethefda, eight and thirtieyeares hadne- tier more neede of putting into the poole then they : that should a man looke wholly vpon fome,and not vponothers with them,our congrega- tions would feeme rather fpirituall fpittles, then the Temples ofChrifii- ans.;.How had the bell need of that counfel giuen to theChurch ofSar- dis? Reu.3.2. Be 'make ,andffrengtben the things which remaine,and are rea- die to due, for Ihark notfoand thy work!perfeJt or found before God ._ for the truth is,fuch a generali confumption of brace poffeffeth the mot+, that were the bodies ofmany fo farre wafted and (pent as their foules are, from that which bath been inthem,long could they not look to remain in the landofthe liuing. Secor.dly,it is the foundries of faith which the Lord is delighted in: 269 mote meanes. t Lnk.e.41. r s-7, dump ón,vpon verymany a for

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=