Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

What • […] •nto you, I say unto All, so we may say of him in matter of mercy, What he promiseth unto any, he promiseth unto al• in an equal estate. It is good therefore to observe the truth of God in his Promises to others, and when we find our selves reduced unto their condition, to apply it unto our ¹selves, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope. This is the counsel of Saint •awes, Take my brethren the Prophets for an example of suffering ²affliction and of patience—ye have heard of the patience of •ob, and ye have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful •nd […]. And saint³ Paul assures us that for this cause God comforted him in his tribulation, that he might be able to comfort them who might be in any trouble with the comfort wherewith •ee himself had been comforted by God. A poor Christian might object, Alas If I were an Apostle▪ if I had such graces, such services, such ways of glorifying God as ⟨p. 352⟩Paul had, I might hope for the same power and providence of God in my afflictions as he finds. But I am a poor ignorant, unfruitful, and unserviceable creature, who do more blemish then adorn my profession of the Gospel of Christ, and shall I look for such care from God as saint Paul? Beloved, the members in the body would not so argue; If I were an eye, or a tongue, one of the noblest parts of the body, haply some compassion and remedy might be showed me in my distempers; but I am but a joint of the foot, or a mean, dishonourable, and less serviceable member, therefore though I am tormented with a gout or stone, the tongue will not speak, the head will not work, the hand will not distribute any thing for me. The Children in a family would not so argue; my father is careful to provide physic, and cure the diseases of my brother, because he is grown up to do him credit, and his country service, but I am but a child, that lie upon him, and do no work, I am unable for any employments, and therefore I shall perish in my disease without care or regard. Surely if the members of a body, or the children of men, who are evil, would not thus argue, how much less reason have any of Christs, who have a head entrusted with the care of his meanest members, and a father tender of the falls and failings of his weakest children? Thus rather should the soul resolve.