He that […] […] with a contented heart, is neither 1restlessly […], nor discouraged in the bearing of it; for to be contented, and yet discouraged, cannot stand together; but such a soul sits down in silence, submits himself […] under the hand of the […], […] away well […] with whatever disparagement is cast upon him, by reason of his desert, and takes it as an allowance set out unto him by the Lord; he can look upon it, and lie down […] it, with […] and quietness ⟨p. 664⟩of Spirit: So the Apostle recalls and recounts his former loathsome miscarriages upon each occasion, breaks kindly with the fresh abasement of himself in the sight of God and man; I was a persecutor, blasphemous. 2and injurious, not worthy to be called an Apostle, for I persecuted the Church, Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am chief. So Dan. 9. 17. Oh Lord, Righteousness belongeth to thee, but unto us, shame and confusion of face; he looks at it as their due, owns it as their portion, which is appropriated to them, and belongs to them of right, and rests satisfied therein. Nay, the heart truly called, is here indeed most comforted, when it can take the greatest shame with greatest content, and that when it seems most loathsome, and himself for it. The sick Patient is most comforted with the Vomit when it works most vehemently, […] he knows the more sick it makes him, the sooner it will make him well; but when it lies like a dead drug in the stomach, stirs him least, endangers him most, Oh says the Patient, it made me marvellous sick, but I was marvellous glad, it wrought kindly upon the Humour, and I expect a Cure, my stomach is much clensed, periissem, nisi […]; the greatest shame that ever I received, did me the most good, was the best Physic I could ever take, I had never parted with my sin, but my shame weaned me from it. Whereas a false heart never yet truly turned from his sin, and sincerely humbled; if the venom of Gods vengeance give him a Vomit, and make him cast out all his […] by confession in his own face, there follows such wearish wrestlings of Spirit, such restless and […] hurries of thoughts, sits down disconsolate, Rachel like, cannot be comforted, because their Honour is not, their Credit and Respect is not, lies a bleeding as they suppose, and not likely to be recovered;
He that 〈…〉 〈…〉 with a contented heart, is neither 1restlesly 〈…〉, nor discouraged in the bearing of it; for to be contented, and yet discouraged, cannot stand together; but such a soul sits down in silence, submits himself 〈…〉 under the hand of the 〈…〉, 〈…〉 away well 〈…〉 with whatever disparagement is cast upon him, by reason of his desert, and takes it as an allowance set out unto him by the Lord; he can look upon it, and lie down 〈…〉 it, with 〈…〉 and quietness ⟨p. 664⟩of Spirit: So the Apostle recals and recounts his former loathsom miscarriages upon each occasion, breaks kindly with the fresh abasement of himself in the sight of God and man; I was a persecuter, blasphemous. 2and injurious, not worthy to be called an Apostle, for I persecuted the Church, Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am chief. So Dan. 9. 17. Oh Lord, Righteousness belongeth to thee, but unto us, shame and confusion of face; he looks at it as their due, owns it as their portion, which is appropriated to them, and belongs to them of right, and rests satisfied therein. Nay, the heart truly called, is here indeed most comforted, when it can take the greatest shame with greatest content, and that when it seems most loathsom, and himself for it. The sick Patient is most comforted with the Vomit when it works most vehemently, 〈…〉 he knows the more sick it makes him, the sooner it wil make him wel; but when it lies like a dead drug in the stomach, stirs him least, endangers him most, Oh saies the Patient, it made me marvelous sick, but I was marvelous glad, it wrought kindly upon the Humor, and I expect a Cure, my stomach is much clensed, periissem, nisi 〈…〉; the greatest shame that ever I received, did me the most good, was the best Physick I could ever take, I had never parted with my sin, but my shame weaned me from it. Whereas a false heart never yet truly turned from his sin, and sincerely humbled; if the venom of Gods vengeance give him a Vomit, and make him cast out all his by confession in his own face, there follows such wearish wrastlings of Spirit, such restless and hurries of thoughts, sits down disconsolate, Rachel like, cannot be comforted, because their Honor is not, their Credit and Respect is not, lies a bleeding as they suppose, and not likely to be recovered;
- 1Evid. 3.
- 21 Tim. 1 13. 15.
