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love_n affection_n good_a know_v 2,539 5 3.6358 3 false
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A15344 [A short, yet a true and faithfull narration of the fearefull fire that fell in the towne of Wooburne, in the countie of Bedford, on Saturday the 13. of September last, Anno. 1595 Together with a Christian admonition as to the particular people of that place] T. W. (Thomas Wilcox), 1549?-1608. 1595 (1595) STC 25629; ESTC S113059 30,731 79

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things but in mans imagination and conceite onely and hinder themselues it may be others likewise by their bad example also from the sight and sense of sinne yea from religious repentance and godly sorrow for the same whereby they might be led vnto amendment of life not to bee repented of and plunge themselues into innumerable paines of bodie and soule here and without speciall fauour and grace of forgiuenes from God who onely forgiueth sinnes into euerlasting tormērs in the world to come Wheras Gods children are so far off from entering into these corrupted courses that many times before iudgements I will not say haue seazed vpon them but euen before they haue beene threatned against them haue yet in the reuerend feare which they haue had in their harts of them either humbled themselues and as we may say preuented the pouring foorth of Gods wrath vpon them or else at the thundering out of the same or the first stroake thereof laide vpon them haue soundly and speedily cast downe themselues at the feete of Gods mercie in faith vnfained and sincere repentance so if not remoued the temporary or outwarde punishment and yet vpon their submission God hath been pleased many times graciously to graunt the same haue notwithstanding found fauor from the Lord to vndergoe it for the present with patience and prayer and sincerely to profite by it yea indeed to ouercome it to Christian mortification and holy obedience As for the ends why God should strike vs we must know and beleeue that it is impossible that they should be whether wee respect them in themselues or as they proceed from him that is onely good of any other nature than hee is For as all his affections and actions are meerely and absolutely good so must also all his purposes and the ends that he aimeth at be likewise though alwaies happilie by reason of Satans malice and mans corruption they bring not forth this effect in man To make this plaine by some particulars His loue is absolutelie good and no man that knoweth what either GOD or nature meaneth can deny it for if the loue of earthly creatures as of parentes to children husbandes to wiues friendes to friends c. bee good and lawfull then that which is in and from the diuine maiestie must much more be so because it is more certaine more holy and indeed infinite he hauing it also in himselfe and of himselfe absolutely perfectly good whereas others haue it but by communication and that in measure and in men much vitiated and corrupted thorow the taint of originall sinne And yet this so excellently and absolutely good he laboureth to manifest as in the correction of all men generally so particularly of his owne people and children according to which the spirite saith in the Apostle to the Hebrewes My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lorde neither faint when thou art rebuked of him for whome the Lord loueth he chastiseth and hee scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth And if we bee without correction whereof all are partakers than are we bastards and not sons and dauhgters Wherefore sith in this and such like actions hee aimeth at the manifestation of his loue and that is indeede the principall end of his chastisements specially as in regard of his owne people it cannot be but good True it is that flesh and bloud seeth not this nor thinketh so The reason is because their eyes are blind and their vnderstandings darke But as it is not reason because a blinde man beholdeth not the Sunne to conclude there is no Sunne so is it absurd to say because the wicked worldlings neither feele nor feare these things therefore they are not For these are as all the rest of the things of God specially as in respect of his purpose end spirituall and therefore must bee spiritually discerned but they are carnall and sold vnder sinne Againe in as much as since the deprauation corrupting of Gods image wee are nothing els but both in bodie and soule tainted with all manner of euill and sith that euen since our regeneration and new birth wee carrie about with vs so long as wee dwell in these houses of clay and earthly tabernacles the relikes and remainders of sinne and we know by the light of the word euery where almost reuealing it and by the stinging testimony of our owne heart which euen telleth it vs euery day that wee rise vp and euery night that we lye down that sinne displeaseth his blessed maiestie and God hath appointed punishments and corrections both outward inwarde as one speciall meane to represse the rage and power of euill in vs whilest it scoureth from vs the drosse of our corruption and so mortifying in some measure sinne in vs fashioneth vs the better and more effectually vnto sanctification for this wee may assure our selues of that the decay of the one is the increase of the other we may euen thereby see as if it were in a most cleere and liuely looking glasse that he aimeth at in these corrections which he hath sealed not onely his owne glorie but our good both temporall and eternal in this work of fatherly chastisement and affliction And this sure cannot chuse but be good also howsoeuer somtimes by reason of the thicke clowde of our owne corruption interposed between Gods works and our reformed iudgement wee cannot so sensibly see or so plainly perceiue the same as we would or should Neither is this al the bettering of vs in this life but for as much as our good estate here is in the purpose and councell of God yet through his owne mercie and grace onely infinitely as I may say to be bettered in the life that is to come and afflictions doe not only frame vs to obedience in this world but in some sort pledge vp vnto vs the saluation of our soules in eternall blessednes according to which the Apostle affirmeth We are chastened of the Lorde in this world that wee should not perish with the wicked in that which is to come And againe the spirit in another place sayth By many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God Men by all this should be perswaded of the holy purposes blessed ends of Gods visitation and earnestly labour by these sith God also himselfe is pleased by them to aime at that end and to effect that grace in vs to be out of loue and liking with this present euill world and all the vanities and delights of the same vsing it and them no further than as by it and them we may be furthered in more excellent graces and to hunger and thirst after that eternal felicitie that is laid vp in the heauens for all those that in faith patience prayer and other good works looke for and long after his blessed appearing Thus we see what God mindeth to effect by striking vs but whether these fruites follow in mē let our own practise declare We are