A09466:131
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he may discern it, and persevere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set down in the page following.A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he maie discerne it, and perseuere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set downe in the page following.
London: printed by R. Robinson for T. Gubbin, 1590
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
XV
For the better understanding of this that God worketh, sowing faith in the hart of man after this manner; it must be observed that a sinner is compared *to a sick man oft in the scriptures. And therefore that the curing of a disease fitly resembleth the curing of sin. A man that hath a disease or sore in his body before he can be cured of it, he must see it, feel pain of it, and be in a fear lest it bring him into danger of death: after this, he shall see himself to stand in need of Physic, and he longeth till he be with the Physician: when he is once come to him, he desireth him of all loves to help him & to show the best skill he can: he will not spare for any cost: then he yields himself into the Physicians hands, persuading himself, that by Gods blessing, he both can and will help him: after this he comes to his former health again. On the same manner, every man is wounded with the deadly wound of sin at the very heart: and he that would be saved and escape damnation, must see his sin, be sorrowful for it, and utterly despair of his own strength to attain ⟨p. 47⟩salvation thereby: furthermore he must see himself to stand in need of Christ, the good Physician of his soul, and long after him, and cry unto him with deep sighs and groans for mercy: after this Christ Jesus will temper him a plaster, of his own heart blood, which being applied, he shall find himself revived, and shall come to the assurance of the forgiveness of all his sins. So it was in David, when he repented of his adultery and murder. First God made him see his sins, for he saith, eI know mine iniquities, and my sins are ever before me. Secondly, he felt Gods anger for his sins, fmake me (saith he) to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Thirdly he utterly despaired of his own strength, in that he said,