Taylor - Houston-Packer Collection BS2755 .T394 1619

Epiff/e °J` S. Paulto Titus. yHAP.3.6 wareofaccuhng God,but condemne our felues in whom all the fault is, 66; as who refufe and defpife fo great grace. Irany aske how k can come to Wehauegreat paffe that fuchexcellent grace fhould berefufed.I anfwer,there are three wale our bar maine caufes ofir, r. ignorance and blindneffe of minde , z. hardneffe rcunes:tvhere of heart, $. fecuritie : which three deflitute vs of fo abundant grace as aaufes. ne is offered. Firfl,we fee nor,know not,and thereforeaffe& not theft gra- _ ces, Iob. 4. to. Ifthouhadit kZno vne thegiftof God, thoumonldi haul asked, andbee would hautegiuen theewaters of life. Water is fo nece(farie a crea- ture, as nothing can be more dangeroufly or vñcamfortably wanting to the lite of man : this eueryman feeth by the tie of his fence : and fo are much more there ffpiritual waters of life vnto the heaucly life,which becaufe men cannot dilcerne wich the fame ele, they neuer affectt, nor thirfl after them : whence it commeth to page, that (as the Poet in the Tantalus á1a. fable) men Hand as it werevp to the chimie in theft waters, and yet die Krençacntu. for water., euen in the midfr of chofe fweete llreames die eternally for Fmmina Hoc. want of them.If we NN ant them therefore it is becaufe we chin(i not after Scrut.r,Gt.r. them: for onely he that tbirfletb is called to them, and Chrifl will giue onely to him that thirflethto drink: of them. Enlarge thy heart there- fore, wait vpon the Lord, open thy mouth wide and he will fill it : Sam - fon readie to die for chirfi, called vpon the Lord, and the Lord opened a chawbone , and a riucr camegufhing out;fo ifthou feeing thenecefliity, and that there is no way but eternal} deathwithout theft liuing waters, and thirfi after the Lord and call earneflly, he will before thou (halt want euen by miracle abundantly fupply thee: but if thou efieemeil of grace as a thing thoumaift bell want,there is good reafon thou be with out it. The fecond let is hardaefe of heart , and worfe then the former : for a that cannot affeEtbecaufe it knoweth not; this will not though it know, but keepeth the foule dric and barren, without the leali drop of grace: powre a lea ofwater vpon a rocke,it remainetha rocke fl ili,neuer a drop finketh in; and fo is it with many a man, he fetteth himfelfe by years to- gether vnder thePreacher, he hearech gracious doûrine; but the inuin- cible hardnes ofhis heart,fuffereth not one drop ofthere dewes of hea- ven to finke into his foule,but as the light of the Sunne fhinethonely on I the outfide ofa tree,fo doch this Sunne ofthe Church on Euch a man,but neuer gettethwithinhim. The third let is fecuritie, ioyned with extreame neglect} of meanes, wherein the fpirit vfually conueìeth theft graces.Aman that meaneth to 3 be rich, will nor negleol his calling nor the meaner he leech offered; but hech'r meaneth to die a beggar cafieth vpal,folderh his bands together, putteth them in his bofome, care away, let the fquares got as they will. T Ifa.ss.r. Mir

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=