I answer.1 A sick man cannot eat meat, but it breeds humours that strengthens the disease: shall he therefore forbear all manner of meats? No, for meat strengthens nature, and makes it able to overcome the power of the disease. So by reason of our corruption we have within us, we halt in every good work we put our hand to: shall we not therefore work at all? Yes, for notwithstanding our weakness, though we merit not any good, yet God he over-looks the ill-ness of our works, and accepts and rewards the good that is in them, giving us comfort and assurance of our justification, by the sanctified fruits, which though imperfect, yet are true. To conclude, Seeing we cannot have Christ, putting any confidence in outward things: Let us labour to get an esteem of the weakness and imperfections that are in them, as also in our persons, and actions: that we may hunger after Christ. To this end, daily renew ⟨p. 82⟩we our repentance, and examination of our hearts, and when we do any good, Examine what weakness, want of zeal, want of affection or attention hath possessed us in our performances (of praying, hearing, reading the Word, and the like) and want of watchfulness in our courses, and then shall we be of St. Pauls mind, all will be naught. And take heed of spiritual pride, and conceit of any good in us, for it hinders spiritual comfort from us. Let us meditate of the greatness of Gods love to us, and the infinite reward, and it will make us ashamed of our weak requitance of Gods love to us. Consider the multitude of our sins, before the time we were called: and consider of our proneness to spiritual pride, let us by all means abase our selves. For those that God loves, he will have them vile in their own esteem: for it is his method; First, to beat down, then to raise up. And therefore John he comes thundering, Hypocrites, generation of vipers. Then comes Christ; Blessed are the poor, those that hunger and thirst after righteousness: as if only they were blessed that feel their wants. We must disdain any other titles to any good, but only in Gods mercy, and accordingly give the glory of all to him. Thus did the Church militant, Not to us, not unto us Lord, but to thy Name: and thus do the Church triumphant, Rev. 7.12. Honour, glory, and power, be to the Lamb; those that do not thus, are no members of the Church.
I answer.1 A sick man cannot eate meat, but it breeds humours that strengthens the disease: shall he therfore forbeare all manner of meats? No, for meat strengthens nature, and makes it able to overcome the power of the disease. So by reason of our corruption we have within us, we halt in every good worke we put our hand to: shall we not therefore worke at all? Yes, for notwithstanding our weaknesse, though we merit not any good, yet God he over-lookes the ill-nesse of our workes, and accepts and rewards the good that is in them, giving us comfort and assurance of our justification, by the sanctified fruites, which though imperfect, yet are true. To conclude, Seeing we cannot have Christ, putting any confidence in outward things: Let us labour to get an esteeme of the weaknesse and imperfections that are in them, as also in our persons, and actions: that wee may hunger after Christ. To this end, dayly renew ⟨p. 82⟩we our repentance, and examination of our hearts, and when we doe any good, Examine what weaknesse, want of zeale, want of affection or attention hath possessed us in our performances (of praying, hearing, reading the Word, and the like) and want of watchfulnesse in our courses, and then shall we be of St. Pauls mind, all will be naught. And take heed of spirituall pride, and conceit of any good in us, for it hinders spirituall comfort from us. Let us meditate of the greatnesse of Gods love to us, and the infinite reward, and it will make us ashamed of our weake requitance of Gods love to us. Consider the multitude of our sinnes, before the time we were called: and consider of our pronenesse to spirituall pride, let us by all meanes abase our selves. For those that God loves, he will have them vile in their owne esteeme: for it is his method; First, to beate downe, then to raise up. And therefore Iohn he comes thundering, Hypocrites, generation of vipers. Then comes Christ; Blessed are the poore, those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse: as if onely they were blessed that feele their wants. We must disdaine any other titles to any good, but onely in Gods mercy, and accordingly give the glory of all to him. Thus did the Church militant, Not to us, not unto us Lord, but to thy Name: and thus doe the Church triumphant, Rev. 7.12. Honour, glory, and power, bee to the Lambe; those that doe not thus, are no members of the Church.
- 1Answ.
