A plain and familiar exposition of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth chapters of the…A plaine and familiar exposition of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth chapters of the…

Instruction to declare our selves righteous, and enjoy the Use. 1 prerogative of righteousness, in seeking help at Gods hand, against all our troubles & dangers. Our castle is every where: the gate thereof is always open for friends, & shut against enemies: ⟨p. 13⟩no time is unseasonable to repair unto it: no place is an impediment to hinder us from it: no bodily weakness can disable us of it. This journey may be undertaken at midnight aswell as at noon, and we may run apace as we sit in our houses, and lie in our beds, and the feeblest cripple, may make as good speed as the swiftest footman: only let us not make our hearts lame, or our ways unpassable, by infidelity, vain confidence, or evil conversation, with guiltiness of conscience. Faith, and faithful behaviour, put agility into the soul, and make passage for it unto Gods presence, without interruption.

Instruction to declare our selues righteous, and enioy the Vse. 1 prerogatiue of righteousnes, in seeking helpe at Gods hand, against all our troubles & dangers. Our castle is euery where: the gate therof is alwayes open for friends, & shut against enemies: ⟨p. 13⟩no time is vnseasonable to repaire vnto it: no place is an impediment to hinder vs from it: no bodily weakenes can disable vs of it. This iourney may be vndertaken at midnight aswell as at noone, and we may runne apace as we sit in our houses, and lie in our beds, and the feeblest cripple, may make as good speed as the swiftest footeman: onely let vs not make our hearts lame, or our waies vnpasseable, by infidelitie, vaine confidence, or euill conuersation, with guiltines of conscience. Faith, and faithfull behauiour, put agilitie into the soule, and make passage for it vnto Gods presence, without interruption.

This serveth also to reprove their folly, and to convince §2them of unrighteousness, which dare not commit themselves to the name of the Lord for their succour, lest it should be battered, and beaten down upon their heads, and therefore fly to such fortresses as are founded merely upon their own fancies. How many do make the flesh their arm, for things concerning their bodies, and this present life, as is the custom of worldlings? And how many do trust in lying vanities, as idols, the help of the dead, and prayers to be made for them when themselves are dead, in the behalf of their souls, in the life to come, as is the practise of papists? See this point, and other material uses thereof in the ninth chapter, first verse, and third doctrine.