Pretend not thy unworthiness and inability, to keep thee off from God, ⟨p. 491⟩for this is the way to keep thee so still, •f any thing help us, it must be God, and […] ever he help us, it must be by cast•g our selves upon him, for then he will reach out himself unto us in the promise of mercy to pardon our sin, •d in the promise of grace to sanctify •r natures. It was a good resolution •f the Lepers, If we enter into the City, the 1•ine is there, and we shall dye, (say they) •f we sit still, we shall die also: Let us there•e fall into the host of Assyrians, if they 2•ve us, we shall live; if they kill us, we shall […] dye; So we should reason, if we sit •ll under the load of our sin we shall […], if we put our selves into the hands •f Christ, if he save us we shall live, if […] save us not, we shall but die. Nay •ely, he will not suffer us to die. Did •er Christ thrust any back from him, •at put themselves upon him? Unless […] were by that means to draw them […] nearer unto him, as we see in the […] of Canaan. His denial was but […] increase her importunity. We should •refore do as she did, gather all ar•ments to help our faith. Suppose I ⟨p. 492⟩am a dog (saith she) yet I am one of the family, and therefore have right to the crumbs that fall. So Lord, I have been a sinner, yet I am thy creature; and not only so, but such a creature as thou hast set over the rest of the works of thy hands; and not only so, but one whom thou hast admitted into thy Church by Baptism, whereby thou wouldst bind me to give my self unto thee before hand, and more then this thou hast brought me under the means, and therein hast showed thy will concerning my turning towards thee. Thou hast not only offered me conditions of peace, but wooed me by thy Ministers to give up my self unto thee, as thine in thy Christ. Therefore I dare not suspect thy good meaning towards me, or question thy intendment, but resolve to take thy counsel, and put my self upon thy mercy. I cannot think if thou hadst meant to cast me away, and not to own me for thine, thou wouldst ever have kindled these desires in me. But it is not this state I rest in, my purpose is to wait upon thee, ⟨p. 493⟩until thou dost manifest thy self far•er unto me.
Pretend not thy unworthinesse and inability, to keepe thee off from God, ⟨p. 491⟩for this is the way to keep thee so still, •f any thing help us, it must be God, and 〈…〉 ever hee help us, it must be by cast•g our selves upon him, for then hee will reach out himselfe unto us in the promise of mercy to pardon our sinne, •d in the promise of grace to sanctifie •r natures. It was a good resolution •f the Lepers, If we enter into the City, the 1•ine is there, and we shall dye, (say they) •f we sit still, we shall die also: Let us there•e fall into the hoast of Assyrians, if they 2•ve us, we shall live; if they kill us, we shall 〈…〉 dye; So we should reason, if wee sit •ll under the load of our sin wee shall 〈…〉, if we put our selves into the hands •f Christ, if he save us we shall live, if 〈…〉 save us not, wee shall but die. Nay •ely, he will not suffer us to die. Did •er Christ thrust any back from him, •at put themselves upon him? Unlesse 〈…〉 were by that meanes to draw them 〈…〉 neerer unto him, as we see in the 〈…〉 of Canaan. His denyall was but 〈…〉 increase her importunity. We should •refore doe as she did, gather all ar•ments to help our faith. Suppose I ⟨p. 492⟩
- 12 Reg. 7. 4.
- 2Omnia in rebus humanis spes futurorum agunt.
