Gods husbandry

Now if we had well consulted with the Saints of God that lived in former times, and of whose ⟨p. 100⟩lives the holy Scriptures do give us a map or abridgement, we should easily perceive that there were no force at all in this argument, unless in so speaking, we will offend against the generation of Gods children, as the Psalmist speaketh in another case. For what reason were strong and good against me, or any of you that now live, the same had been also firm and strong against many of those that were members of the Church in former times; and if the Scriptures do assure us of their being dearly beloved of God, and surely engrafted into Christ, even at the self same time when they did complain of like corruptions to those that we now do complain of: then we may safely collect hence, that we also are in Christ, and in the favour of God, notwithstanding that we cannot deny our selves to be polluted with such evils. Wherefore if you will truly conclude of your selves in this behalf, whether you be, or be not in Christ: you must not look so much only to what corruptions you have, as to what you allow. For true grace may stand with the having of many, but not with the allowing of any. He that excuseth, extenuateth, makes light of any sin at all, and thinks he needs not greatly care for leaving off that, because it is so small a matter, and because he is persuaded that there is never a man alive but doth as bad; and therefore bears himself boldly upon Gods misapplied mercy, that he shall do well enough for all that he allows sin; he gives it liberty and licence, and yields himself to the dominion of ⟨p. 101⟩sin, and this man is not a living member of Christs body, nor a fruitful branch of this Vine. Let him by no means beguile himself, nor suffer any forms of seeming goodness that he hath in other things, to make him conceive well of himself; he is doubtless an halter, and Christ Jesus will reject him at last. But he that hath many sins, sees them, acknowledgeth them to God, hath his soul troubled at them, and desireth, rather then his life, to be freed of them, and becomes exceeding base in his own feeling, because of them, still casting himself upon Gods gracious and free favour in Christ for pardon of them, may be, and is a fruitful branch, though he have a thousand sins of infirmity in him;

Now if we had well consulted with the Saints of God that liued in former times, and of whose