Almighty God perceiving the frailty and weakness of this nature of ours, even at the first beginning of the world pronounced thus,1 and said, Pronum est cor hominis ad malum, à inuentute sua The hart of man is prone and ready unto evil, even from the cradle. This God himself saw well in our weak nature, and therefore he spake thus of it. So dull are we of our selves, to learn any good, and so quick are we to forget the same, so ready are we to fall unto vice, and so hard are we to incline unto virtue. And this hath been engrafted in us, this hath been grounded in this nature of ours, even from the beginning, and this will so continue in us whiles the world lasteth. The hart of man hath always been ready to fall from God, and decline unto vice, always prone ⟨image 86⟩unto evil, and hard to be won unto good. And therefore it behooveth all such as are Preachers, all such as are messengers sent from God, and will show them selves as trusty and faithful servants, it behooveth them not only to show their message, to declare their commission, but they must also encourage them to whom they are sent, they must improve, rebuke, exhort, and control them, and that in time and out of time, in season and out of season, that their message may be fruitful, and they found faithful. So Paul to Timothy saith, Insta oportunè, importunè, 2Preach the word, be fervent, be it in season, or out of season, Do the work of a Preacher, be earnest, call upon them, both in time, and out of time. And even this thing that he willed his Scholar Timothy to do, the same performed he in him self;3 I have not ceased, saith he, to Preach unto you, to teach you both day and night. So likewise in another place, he saith,4 Mundus sum ego à sanguine omnium vestrorum, I am clean from the blood of you all, I am pure from ⟨image 87⟩the blood of all men: For I have kept nothing back, but have showed you all the counsel of God. So in like, he saith, Quis infirmatur, 5& ego non infirmor? Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is hurt in the faith, and my hart burneth not? As who would say, there is none of you all, no not the least of you, that is grieved, but I also am grieved, none of you troubled, but I also troubled, none of you made weak, but I also am made weak with him.6
Almightie God perceiuing the frailtie and weaknesse of this nature of ours, euen at the first beginning of the world pronounced thus,1 and said, Pronum est cor hominis ad malum, à inuentute sua The hart of man is prone and readie vnto euill, euen from the cradle. This God himselfe saw well in our weake nature, and therefore he spake thus of it. So dull are wée of our selues, to learne any good, and so quicke are we to forget the same, so readie are we to fall vnto vice, and so hard are we to incline vnto vertue. And this hath béene ingraffed in vs, this hath béen grounded in this nature of ours, euen from the beginning, and this will so continue in vs whiles the world lasteth. The hart of man hath alwayes béen readie to fall from God, and decline vnto vice, alwayes prone ⟨image 86⟩vnto euill, and hard to be won vnto good. And therefore it behooueth all such as are Preachers, all such as are messengers sent from God, and will shew them selues as trustie and faithfull seruants, it behooueth them not only to shew their message, to declare their commission, but they must also incourage them to whom they are sent, they must improue, rebuke, exhort, and controul them, and that in time and out of time, in season and out of season, that their message may be fruitfull, and they found faithfull. So Paul to Timothe saith, Insta oportunè, importunè, 2Preach the word, be feruent, be it in season, or out of season, Do the worke of a Preacher, be earnest, call vpon them, both in time, and out of time. And euen this thing that he willed his Scholler Timothe to doe, the same performed he in him selfe;3 I haue not ceased, saith he, to Preach vnto you, to teach you both day and night. So likewise in another place, he saith,4 Mundus sum ego à sanguine omnium vestrorum, I am cleane from the blood of you all, I am pure from ⟨image 87⟩the blood of all men: For I haue kept nothing backe, but haue shewed you all the counsell of God. So in like, he saith, Quis infirmatur, 5& ego non infirmor? Who is weake, and I am not weake? Who is hurt in the faith, and my hart burneth not? As who would say, there is none of you all, no not the least of you, that is gréeued, but I also am gréeued, none of you troubled, but I also troubled, none of you made weake, but I also am made weake with him.
- 1Gen. 6.
- 22. Timo. 4.
- 31. Thess. •.
- 4Act. 20.
- 52. Cor. 11.
- 6Gal. 4.
