Spirituall encrease: or, Conclusions for pacifying the perplexed conscience of the weake Christian

EXPLA.

This is our prayer, thy will be done,* 1.1 we must be conten∣ted with all hee hath done, that our hearts may beare vs witnesse, that of all things the Lord is most deare vnto vs: for if wee giue our heart to loue the Lord, our trou∣bles shall seem neither great nor strong vnto vs; for what can be great if our heart bee prepared to say, We reioyce in afflictions,* 1.2 because they shall breede in vs a hope which shall neuer make vs ashamed? o•• what can bee great, if God hath taught vs, that the mo∣mentany afflictiōs of this world,* 1.3 they are not worthy of the glory that shall be reuealed vnto vs:

or what can be great if wee can reioyce in afflictions,* 1.4 re∣ioyce exceedingly when we fall into many and great tri∣bulations? All is but vani∣ty, what should dismay vs? Nay, how should we not be glad if death were euen at our bed sides, that we might euen once see the vtmost malice of the Deuill, and af∣ter for euer bee deliuered from him? O! how God is delighted with vs, when we bee faithfull to abide these light chastisements!* 1.5 How many things haue all the ••odly suffered? are we not a∣shamed to refuse the crosse which they haue borne? yea, weight well thy case what it is, and thou shalt fee little cause of sorrow in it; or if

thou compare it with others, none at all: and it all things were as euill as thou couldst imagine, what then? Where is our loue to Iesus Christ, that gaue his pretious blood to the death vpon the Crosse for our sakes, if we will not leaue all for him? One haire cannot fall from our head but at his commandement; He is head of his Church, and all things happen they not vnto vs as he will?

Onely when wee sin, let vs bee sorrowfull to offend such a Sauiour, let it grieue vs more then death it selfe; but to remember againe so ass••red hope, we cannot but re∣ioyce in the Lord,* 1.6 and alwayes reioice: so let Gods wil pe••swade you, that whether you liue, or

whether you die, you may bee wholly his. The world hath taken vp enmity against vs, and striueth dayly to sepa∣rate vs from the Lord: but there is no ioy to this, that wee know our selues to bee the children of God, to bee ioyned to Iesus Christ, and made a chief member of a glo∣rious body, with whom we shall be ioyned for euer. And what is this world to immortali∣ty? What are fulnesse of de∣lights to the grace of God, the fellowship of Saints, the forgiuenesse of our sins, the loue of Gods countenance, the assurance of our life, the brightnesse of his glory, and these vnutterable eternall blessings? Let vs count then all things dung, that wee may

winne Christ, desire to be dis∣solued and be with Christ, that we may say, O death where is thy sting? All things of the world are but seruants of death, and serue to make his power more fearefull vnto vs: vanquish death, and thou hast vanquished all: height and depth, life and death, all is ours, and we are Christs.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mat. 6.
• * 1.2

  Rom. 5.
• * 1.3

  Rom. 8.
• * 1.4

  Iam. 1.
• * 1.5

  Heb. 12.
• * 1.6

  Ph••l. 4.