A Golden Chain

How was Lydia dismayed and cast down in respect of her wickedness, like as David was or Job, whose heart God only is said to have opened to give attendance to the preaching of Paul and Silas, who also even presently after was ready to entertain them, and to make them a feast in her house, which she could not have done if she had been in the perplexities of Hezekiah, or David. The same may be spoken of the Jailer, and of them which heard Peters sermon at Jerusalem, who for all that they had murdered our Saviour Christ, yet in their conversion, their hearts were only for the time pricked. So then God in preparing us, which in truth are nothing but fleshly and stinking dunghills of sin; nay, very uncleanness and pollution it self, I say in preparing us to be the Temples of his holy Spirit to dwell in, and the storehouses to hoard up his heavenly graces in, doth otherwhiles use a mild and gentle remedy, and maketh the Law to look upon us, though with no loving and gentle, yet with no fearful countenance; and otherwhiles in some he setteth a sharp edge upon the Law, and maketh it to wound the heart very deep, and as a strong corrosive to torment them, and to fret and gnaw upon their consciences. And we see by experience• that a botch or a bile in a mans body, is as well eased of the corruption that is in it by the pricking of the point of a small needle as by the lancing of a great razor. Wherefore if God by his spirit have wrought in you sorrow for sin in any small measure, though not in as great measure as you desire, you have no cause to complain: and in that you are grieved with a godly sorrow for your sins, it is a good token of the grace of God in you.

How was Lydia dismaied and cast downe in respect of her wickednesse, like as Dauid was or Iob, whose heart God onely is said to haue opened to giue attendance to the preaching of Paul and Silas, who also euen presently after was readie to entertaine them, and to make them a feast in her house, which shee could not haue done if she had beene in the perplexities of Ezechias, or Dauid. The same may be spoken of the Iayler, and of them which heard Peters sermon at Ierusalem, who for all that they had murdred our Sauiour Christ, yet in their conuersion, their hearts were onely for the time pricked. So then God in preparing vs, which in truth are nothing but fleshly and stinking dunghills of sinne; nay, very vncleannesse and pollution it selfe, I say in preparing vs to be the Temples of his holy Spirit to dwell in, and the storehouses to hoord vp his heauenly graces in, doth otherwhiles vse a milde and gentle remedie, and maketh the Law to looke vpon vs, though with no louing and gentle, yet with no fearefull countenance; and otherwhiles in some he setteth a sharp edge vpon the Law, and maketh it to wound the heart very deepe, and as a strong corrasiue to torment them, and to frette and gnawe vpon their consciences. And we see by experience that a botch or a byle in a mans bodie, is as well eased of the corruption that is in it by the pricking of the point of a small needle as by the launcing of a great raser. Wherefore if God by his spirit haue wrought in you sorrow for sinne in any small measure, though not in as great measure as you desire, you haue no cause to complaine: and in that you are grieued with a godly sorrow for your sinnes, it is a good token of the grace of God in you.