EpifileofS.Patrd to Tttra. CHAP.I.I4 'be;;he truth fo faluation, which fofewembrace,and fomany contemne; what doetone knowor go Erie way ro heauenbut a few meanemen, and thole perhappes more nice then wife ? what becomes then of fomany great and learned men,wifer (wehope) then all they ? Thus while Paul fpeaketh the wordsof truth, and fobernes,he is counted a mad man,A. 26.4 5. Men are tvifer then to becomefooles thatthey maybe wife; it will nor fnke with them that Chrifl cancome out ofGalily, Ioh.7.4]. And thus by Gods judgement vpon the infidelitieof men, themfelues can layblocks enough in the way to (tumble at the truth, and def"perately breake the necks oftheir foules vpon that very rock, which was laid for the rilingand faluationof the righteous; 3. At howmany hands doth the truth go away reproched,yea hated, andperfecuted ? Godsgraces are derided, Gods children fcctfed andmocked, by thole who are borne after the fle(h, Gal,4. z9. And whydoth Cain hateand kill h!s brother ? bccaufe hisdeeds weregood, andhis owneeuill, And why areChriftians, yea Chriahimfelfemocked ? euenfor this confidence in his God, Plal.aa. 8. But here euery man bleffeth himfelfe, and God forbid that men that profefl'e Chri(t, or that we who are ordinarie hearers of his word, fhouldbe iu(tly ranked in thisnumber.Yet euen ofvs, how few are there whom the truth bath let free from lulu, and feruice of force finne or o- ther? Many of vs indeed haue gone farre in the contemplation of this truth; but our minds and foules are no more altered and changed, then if we had read or heard forcehumane Hiflories,affeeting vs for the time, but leauing vs where they found vs at firfi. How fewe of vs arefanl-tift- ed by this truth , and daily proceede on to encreafe in fanaification by meane of it? which that it is the fcopeof it, Chrifls petition teacherh, lob.]7.57. Nay how many of our hearers detaine this truth in vnrighte- eufbef e? that is, while they heare,!carne, and can remember much of it ; yet in their courfes are as vaine and vngodly as euer before. Which plainely argueth a forfaking ofthe truth vpon the plainefield , making fuels perlons more liable to woe, and more fearefull flrokes ofGod:who receiuwg the truth into their eares,vnderflandings,and iudgemenrs,but turne away their afteelions frown, yea turne from it in their prsdlife, in that they hate to be reformed by it. And if we baue not in great part turned away from the truth : where is our former courage and refoluti- on for it ? may not the Lord iultly complaine of vs as he did once ofhis owne people ? 'they haue no courage for the truth. Many of vs durft bet- terhave been feene in Chrißian exercifes then nowwe dare; we could better bearea rebuke for our proftffion then nowwe can : we did more take to heart the dammageof the truth, then nowwee do : we did take more pailles for it, we could be at more toll for it, we could bee more z79 +.cor.1.i8. t,toh,;.ra. Ioh 17.17. Rom.r,rs. S ; zealous
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