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016 - Sermon 15 Verses 113-120 · Sermons on Psalm 119

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Speaker 1: Sermon fifteen of Sermons on Psalm one hundred and nineteen
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Speaker 1: by John Calvin, translated by Thomas Stocker. This LibriVox recording
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Speaker 1: is in the public domain. Same eh, I hate vain inventions,
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Speaker 1: but thy law do I love. Thou art my refuge
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Speaker 1: and my shield. And I trust in thy word. Away
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Speaker 1: from me, ye wicked, for I will keep the commandments
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Speaker 1: of my God. Establish me according to thy promise that
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Speaker 1: I may live, and let me not be disappointed of
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Speaker 1: my hope. Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe, yea,
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Speaker 1: and my delight shall be continually in thy statutes. Thou
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Speaker 1: hast trodden down all them that depart from thy statutes,
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Speaker 1: for their deceit is vain. Thou hast taken away all
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Speaker 1: the ungodly of the earth like dross. Therefore I love
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Speaker 1: thy testimonies. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and
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Speaker 1: I am afraid of thy judgments. We have so many
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Speaker 1: lets and stops, both from a bar and here beneath,
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Speaker 1: which draw us on to do wickedly, or at leastwise,
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Speaker 1: which cause us to slack our serving of God. That
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Speaker 1: whichsoever of us that is minded to do well, must
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Speaker 1: remove from himself all his wicked and evil affections, and
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Speaker 1: all the temptations which any way may come against him.
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Speaker 1: See then, why David in this place meaning to protest
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Speaker 1: that he loved the law of God, Say us to
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Speaker 1: the contrary, that he hated high enterprises, or rather wicked
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Speaker 1: and crooked imaginations or evil considerations. For the word which
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Speaker 1: is here touched signifieth a bow or branch, and by
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Speaker 1: the similitude taketh it for the evil and wicked imaginations
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Speaker 1: and devices of men which run this and that way.
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Speaker 1: Now we see what a bottomless depth the spirit of
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Speaker 1: man is, and how he reefeth or windeth himself in
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Speaker 1: his fantasies. This self same word signifieth the very height
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Speaker 1: and top either of an high hill house or any
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Speaker 1: other high thing. And thereupon, also, as by a similitude,
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Speaker 1: the imaginative conceits of men, when as they intend to
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Speaker 1: bring themselves into credit, and go about to advance themselves,
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Speaker 1: even as ambition ruleth our nature, until such time as
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Speaker 1: God hath tamed us by his holy spirit and humbled
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Speaker 1: and made us gentle and meek. And now that we
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Speaker 1: may have the true and natural meaning of this place,
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Speaker 1: let us see an effect that David, protesting that he
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Speaker 1: loved the Law of God, saith that he removed quite
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Speaker 1: from him whatsoever might withdraw him from it. Now he
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Speaker 1: speaketh not this here to the end to brag of himself,
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Speaker 1: but rather that this example should be for our better instruction.
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Speaker 1: For the Spirit of God hath spoken it by his mouth.
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Speaker 1: To the end we might understand and know which is
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Speaker 1: the means whereby we might be wholly given to the
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Speaker 1: service of God, and to take hold of the Law
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Speaker 1: with such an affection as that our hearts might be,
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Speaker 1: as it were even fast tied thereto. For it is impossible,
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Speaker 1: I say that we should ever come or attain unto
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Speaker 1: it until such time as we have clean cut off
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Speaker 1: the things which withdraw and turn us away, both on
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Speaker 1: the ones and on the other. To wit all our
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Speaker 1: own fantasies and lusts, we must thrust out from us
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Speaker 1: all whatsoever for the love which we ought to bear
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Speaker 1: to the Law of God. We must also forget all
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Speaker 1: haughtiness or pride, yea even studying how to separate ourselves
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Speaker 1: from those which any way might draw us to evil,
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Speaker 1: and not to communicate with the ungodly which are double hearted,
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Speaker 1: full of hypocrisy, or else such as are but vainglorious,
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Speaker 1: and of that pride which even moveth them to lift
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Speaker 1: themselves up both against God and men, for their company,
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Speaker 1: will so corrupt us as that, being nuzzled amongst them,
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Speaker 1: our hearts can never be so ordered and ruled in
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Speaker 1: the love which we ought to have to the law
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Speaker 1: of God. Now, then let us keep well in mind
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Speaker 1: this admonition as a thing most profitable for us to wit.
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Speaker 1: As before I have said that as we are inclined
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Speaker 1: to commit a great number of offenses and villainies which
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Speaker 1: will withdraw us from the love which we ought to
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Speaker 1: bear to the word of God, let us so much
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Speaker 1: the more fly from whatsoever draweth us away backward. Yea,
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Speaker 1: and let us understand that, look how many our imaginations
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Speaker 1: and affections are, that they are even so many cart
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Speaker 1: ropes to hail and pull us away from this love.
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Speaker 1: Or else they are so many poisons which Satan giveth us.
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Speaker 1: To the end, we should not once taste of the
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Speaker 1: Word of God, neither to be so amiable and pleasant
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Speaker 1: unto us as it ought, but rather that we might
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Speaker 1: be grieved and loathed. Therewith and so to leave it
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Speaker 1: as it were, a grievous matter and an occasion of heaviness.
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Speaker 1: Since then it is so, let us be well advised
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Speaker 1: to purge our hearts of all earthly affections, if we
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Speaker 1: will take it in hand to love the Word of God.
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Speaker 1: And yet it is not enough that we have fought
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Speaker 1: against our ungodly lusts and fleshly fantasies. But we must, also,
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Speaker 1: as it were, gather our wits together. For hardly can
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Speaker 1: we open our eyes to look about this way and
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Speaker 1: that way, but that Satan will lay before us some
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Speaker 1: evil and wicked stops, and in countries. It is very
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Speaker 1: true that so long as we live here in this world,
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Speaker 1: we cannot but both see and hear a great many
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Speaker 1: of things. But yet must we bribely ourselves and above
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Speaker 1: all the rest we ought to fight against these strange
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Speaker 1: and counterfeit hypocrisies and affections wherein we are nuzzled. We
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Speaker 1: must hate even deadly, all this in our heart. To
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Speaker 1: the end we be not hindered from the love of
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Speaker 1: the Word of God. And thus much for the first verse.
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Speaker 1: Now in the second David showeth how we should find
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Speaker 1: the Word of God pleasant and gracious that we might
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Speaker 1: love it. That is, when as we shall trust to
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Speaker 1: His word, Thou art saith he my refuge and my shield,
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Speaker 1: and I trust in Thy word. This is not added
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Speaker 1: hereunto without just cause. For if there be none other
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Speaker 1: doctrine in the law, but to say unto us, lo
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Speaker 1: this you must do, we can never be comforted, for
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Speaker 1: we shall find nothing in it but condemnation. When as
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Speaker 1: God showeth unto us what our duty is, we must
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Speaker 1: needs be confounded and know that before him we are
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Speaker 1: condemned and accursed, seeing that no man performeth that which
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Speaker 1: he ought. So then the word of God should be
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Speaker 1: both bitter and grievous unto us, if there were nothing
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Speaker 1: else contained in it but a rule to live well.
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Speaker 1: But when God is a testimony and witness unto us
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Speaker 1: of his goodness and mercy, and declareth unto us that
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Speaker 1: from him we must look to receive our chief felicity,
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Speaker 1: and that he is pressed and ready to help us,
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Speaker 1: that the treasures of his infinite goodness are open unto us.
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Speaker 1: When I say this shall be in us, then may
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Speaker 1: we savor and taste His word and conceive the love
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Speaker 1: of it. When as we know that therein consisteth and
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Speaker 1: lieth all our health and joy. Now, then, when as
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Speaker 1: we would profit in the Word of God and exercise
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Speaker 1: ourselves in it, let us learn to receive the promises
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Speaker 1: therein contained. Let us not be like unto them which
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Speaker 1: think that God saith nothing else unto us in all
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Speaker 1: the whole scripture. But do this or do that? For
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Speaker 1: then this were a very thin and feeble doctrine. For
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Speaker 1: if God were there as a philosopher to preach unto
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Speaker 1: us of virtues and to declare unto us that we
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Speaker 1: must be thus governed, we should have but a pitiful
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Speaker 1: cold pull of it. And because we are altogether and
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Speaker 1: wholly contrary to the righteousness of God, it is impossible
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Speaker 1: but that we should be grieved and troubled with whatsoever
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Speaker 1: shall be said unto us. But I have already showed
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Speaker 1: that the principal matter which God declareth unto us in
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Speaker 1: his word is this, that He protesteth how well He
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Speaker 1: loveth us, in alluring us unto himself to the end.
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Speaker 1: We should not doubt but that He will be our
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Speaker 1: father in all and through all, and that we should
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Speaker 1: be bold to come before Him, that when there is
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Speaker 1: any question of our salvation, and of whatsoever else we
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Speaker 1: have need of. We should not doubt but that He
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Speaker 1: is ready to hear all our prayers, that his hand
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Speaker 1: is always liberally bent to the end to give us
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Speaker 1: whatsoever we want. When we shall once know this to
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Speaker 1: be true, then as I have already said, the word
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Speaker 1: of God shall be pleasant unto us. Lo Now, why, David,
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Speaker 1: by and by addeth my trust is in thy word,
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Speaker 1: O Lord, This is also in some our faith which
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Speaker 1: bringeth us to the obedience of God. When I say
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Speaker 1: that it is faith which bringeth us to the obedience
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Speaker 1: of God, I mean that after we have understood of
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Speaker 1: His good will, that we are then stood up to
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Speaker 1: yield ourselves unto Him. And until such time as He
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Speaker 1: hath imprinted in our hearts the testimony of his love
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Speaker 1: and the benefit which He meaneth unto us, we shall
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Speaker 1: fly from him as much as may be. And as
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Speaker 1: often as this word of God shall sound in our ears,
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Speaker 1: so often shall it grieve and torment us. As we
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Speaker 1: see how thee faithless do fear when the word of
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Speaker 1: God is spoken unto them. It bringeth unto them nothing
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Speaker 1: but terror and fear, as if a thief or murderer
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Speaker 1: were brought before a judge. But when as we have
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Speaker 1: faith to stay ourselves upon the goodness of God, to
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Speaker 1: call upon him, as David doth hear our succor and shield,
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Speaker 1: we may call upon him with such a confidence as
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Speaker 1: that he will never be deaf to hear our prayers.
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Speaker 1: When then we are thus assured we are forthwith one
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Speaker 1: to love him, Then delight we to yield our obedience
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Speaker 1: unto His law. Now in the following that which we
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Speaker 1: have already declared, David again addeth away from me, ye wicked,
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Speaker 1: for I will keep the commandments of my God. Here
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Speaker 1: he speaketh of the temptations which come unto us by
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Speaker 1: reason of the ungodly, who assure us as much as
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Speaker 1: in them life, to make us to contemn God and
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Speaker 1: work so many offenses as that they break all good order. Yea,
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Speaker 1: even to leave the world naked and bear of all
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Speaker 1: goodness for so much then as we are to live
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Speaker 1: here amongst contemptuous and outrageous people who have neither faith, trust,
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Speaker 1: nor truth, And that these temptations are very perilous unto us,
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Speaker 1: as we see what a great number of men are
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Speaker 1: corrupt by them. David saith away from me, ye wicked,
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Speaker 1: because I keep the commandments of my God. Here we
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Speaker 1: are to note, as before I have touched, that he
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Speaker 1: speaketh not this to make recital of his worthiness, or
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Speaker 1: that he allegeth it for his power and strength to
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Speaker 1: win him reputation. But speaking by the spirit of God,
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Speaker 1: he admonisheth us to live holily to it that if
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Speaker 1: we will walk in the fear of God and be
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Speaker 1: under his yoke, we must in the first place separate
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Speaker 1: ourselves from the ungodly. Now this is an easy doctrine
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Speaker 1: to be learnt, but it is so slenderly practiced of
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Speaker 1: us as that we had need better to think of
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Speaker 1: it than heretofore we have done. If there were a
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Speaker 1: great number offenses in David his time, which were to
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Speaker 1: turn the faithful away from the fear of God and
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Speaker 1: to lead them to do wickedly, in what case then
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Speaker 1: stand we? Now? It is very true that we are
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Speaker 1: come to the full measure of all iniquity. For if
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Speaker 1: we do behold at this day these states and conditions
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Speaker 1: of all men, it will seem that it is impossible
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Speaker 1: for the world to be worse that the devil so
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Speaker 1: possesseth both great and small in towns and villages, as
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Speaker 1: that it is a very hell and tormentary to see it.
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Speaker 1: Even so, then, how is it possible that a faithful
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Speaker 1: man can persevere to live in the fear of God
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Speaker 1: and in such soundness as he hath commanded. Without he
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Speaker 1: stand very sure upon his guard. Without he keep a
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Speaker 1: good watch, and chiefly except he separate himself from so
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Speaker 1: great a number of corruptions. For at this day a
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Speaker 1: man can come in no company but that the talk
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Speaker 1: shall tend to the dishonoring of God with all ungodliness,
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Speaker 1: or else the talk shall be so vain as that
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Speaker 1: it shall have no good favor. Yea, and to make
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Speaker 1: whatsoever good seed that is in any man who is
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Speaker 1: yet teachable, to be nothing worth. And yet many times
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Speaker 1: this shall not be the greatest mischief. But a man
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Speaker 1: shall hear the most cursed blasphemies that may be vomited
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Speaker 1: out by these grinning hill hounds of this day, who
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Speaker 1: are grown to the full measure of impudency, like unto
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Speaker 1: shameless harlots, discovering their villanies not only against God and
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Speaker 1: all true Christianity, but do also even like mastiff curves
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Speaker 1: bark against all religion. This we see. Let us then
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Speaker 1: come to the greatest number of those which seem to
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Speaker 1: be a little more tolerable. I beseech you, what lesson
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Speaker 1: or fruit shall we read by them? We shall find
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Speaker 1: some of them to use abundance of wicked traffic, crafts, deceits,
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Speaker 1: or else outrages, violences, oppressions, and cruelties against their neighbors.
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Speaker 1: Another sword shall be given to lechery, and to such beastliness.
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Speaker 1: Another kind shall be gluttons, and such like brutish people
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Speaker 1: of life and conversation to be short. Turn which way
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Speaker 1: soever we will, and we shall find nothing but corruption.
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Speaker 1: So that if this doctrine hath been any time necessarily
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Speaker 1: to be taught, it is at this most necessary and
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Speaker 1: high time, since we are come even to so full
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Speaker 1: a measure and bottomless depth of iniquity. Let us then
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Speaker 1: be well advised to depart from all those at work iniquity. Yea,
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Speaker 1: and let us chase them far from us. If we
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Speaker 1: will faithfully and truly serve God. It is most sure
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Speaker 1: that we must needs be conversant with the ungodly, or
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Speaker 1: else to part out of this world at once. But
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Speaker 1: yet we must not keep them company so familiarly as
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Speaker 1: to draw with them in the same yoke. Let us
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Speaker 1: take heed that we in no ways wind ourselves in
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Speaker 1: with them, but that our life and conversation be so
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Speaker 1: simple and plain as that they be never able to
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Speaker 1: bring us in and to be infected with their vices.
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Speaker 1: For we hear what the Holy Scripture saith, that we
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Speaker 1: had no need of anything to corrupt good manners. For
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Speaker 1: as a little leaven soureth the whole lump of dough.
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Speaker 1: Even so when the devil can thrust in amongst us
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Speaker 1: the lead drop of corruption, lo all shall be perverted
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Speaker 1: and come to nought. We see not at the first
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Speaker 1: sight how the devil goeth about to beguile us, And
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Speaker 1: therefore we ought to be so much the more watchful.
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Speaker 1: Let the ungodly complain as much as they will, as
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Speaker 1: we see at this day the murmurs and grudges do
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Speaker 1: that they think themselves to be ill dealt withal when
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Speaker 1: as we will not be partakers of their filthiness. Now
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Speaker 1: we know right well that they seek none other thing
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Speaker 1: but to make wicked whatsoever is well ruled, and ordered
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Speaker 1: to overthrow whatsoever hath been builded up in God, and
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Speaker 1: to bring souls to destruction. All this we know now.
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Speaker 1: If any man keep himself from this hereat, they are
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Speaker 1: all grieved. How so they say, our company is a
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Speaker 1: shud yea. But give you the occasion that you may
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Speaker 1: be followed seek the right means, to give yourselves to God,
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Speaker 1: and follow you the right way of salvation. And the
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Speaker 1: better sort will not absent themselves far from you, but
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Speaker 1: will rather join with you. If they shall see you
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Speaker 1: ready to march forward, they will say, let us go together.
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Speaker 1: If they shall see you go before, they will come after.
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Speaker 1: If they shall see you tarry behind, so that you
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Speaker 1: be entered into the right way, they will stir you
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Speaker 1: up to follow them. But when as we see such
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Speaker 1: kind of people to go clean backward from all goodness,
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Speaker 1: and desire nothing else but to lead us to wickedness, yea,
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Speaker 1: to cast us down headlong with them into hill mouth,
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Speaker 1: whereinto they run like mad men. What should we do
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Speaker 1: but separate ourselves from amongst them and retire us from
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Speaker 1: thence as David showeth us, and namely he saith, for
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Speaker 1: I will keep the commandments of my God. As if
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Speaker 1: he should have said, these cursed men do right well,
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Speaker 1: show that they have no feeling nor knowledge of everlasting life,
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Speaker 1: but that they live here like to brute beasts. Nevertheless,
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Speaker 1: for my part, I will not go one foot forward
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Speaker 1: with them, but will go towards my God. And out
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Speaker 1: of this saying, we are to gather a good instruction
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Speaker 1: to it that when we see round about us all
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Speaker 1: people given over to wickedness, that it seemeth the whole
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Speaker 1: world hath conspired to make the Majesty of God nothing worth.
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Speaker 1: That we declare by our lives and conversation, that we
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Speaker 1: have no knowledge of everlasting life. When as then we
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Speaker 1: shall see such impieties, it is even to this end
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Speaker 1: and purpose to withdraw us quite and clean from our God.
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Speaker 1: It is very true that these are very dangerous offenses
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Speaker 1: and temptations. But let us always be sure to abide
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Speaker 1: firm and steadfast, and let us continue constant in this truth,
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Speaker 1: which once we have received. See then, what David mean
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Speaker 1: us to express in this saying, My God. It is
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Speaker 1: true that the faithful will often say thus, But when
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Speaker 1: there is any question to make these comparisons with contrary things,
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Speaker 1: the scripture useth not this saying, My God, So that
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Speaker 1: it is to declare unto us that nothing ought to
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Speaker 1: make us waver when we feel the things confused in
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Speaker 1: the world, when we shall see all whatsoever to be
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Speaker 1: there perverted and overthrown, that there is neither any more
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Speaker 1: law nor order, that it seemeth unto us as it
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Speaker 1: were in hell. Let us not for all that be shaken.
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Speaker 1: Let us stand still upon our guard, as the prophet
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Speaker 1: Habakuk thereof speaketh. Our faith must serve us instead of
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Speaker 1: a tower, wherein we keep good watch. And yet to say,
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Speaker 1: notwithstanding no, no God will tarry with me, And then
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Speaker 1: I need not to care for the whole world. See
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Speaker 1: then that no temptations ought to quail us, being even
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Speaker 1: enclosed amidst the impieties and abominations of the faithless, seeing
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Speaker 1: we cannot otherwise choose but to be conversant amongst them.
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Speaker 1: It followeth next after establish me, or stay me in
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Speaker 1: Thy word, that I may live, and let me not
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Speaker 1: be disappointed of mine hope. Although David protesteth here above
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Speaker 1: that he trusted in God, and that his hope proceeded
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Speaker 1: unto him from his word, Yet praith he his majesty,
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Speaker 1: notwithstanding to establish him, wherein he showeth us that we
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Speaker 1: shall never have so well profited, neither in faith nor
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Speaker 1: yet in hope, but that there shall be always some
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Speaker 1: warant and remnant of incredulity and weakness in us, so
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Speaker 1: that whensoever there shall be any question of coming to God,
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Speaker 1: yet shall we go as it were halting unto him. Now,
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Speaker 1: if David hath made such a request, I beseech you
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Speaker 1: have not we a great deal more need to do
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Speaker 1: it as well as he. It is most sure that
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Speaker 1: he never spake it hypocritically when he saith uphold me
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Speaker 1: or establish me in thy word. This is not to
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Speaker 1: make a show that his strength was imperfect, and that
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Speaker 1: he needed not to be strengthened. No, not so. But
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Speaker 1: he knew well enough his own infirmity. If he, then,
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Speaker 1: who was, as it were, an angel of God, had
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Speaker 1: need to profit in faith and in hope, and that
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Speaker 1: he had been molten and been quite consumed, had not
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Speaker 1: God thoroughly confirmed and established him, I pray you, what
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Speaker 1: shall we do so then, when as God shall have
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Speaker 1: already showed us this favor, to be surely grounded in
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Speaker 1: his word, so that we are able to say that
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Speaker 1: we trust in it, let us not cease notwithstanding, to
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Speaker 1: continue this request, and say, O, Lord, establish and confirm me.
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Speaker 1: For when we shall well consider our weakness, we shall
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Speaker 1: find that a very small thing will quail us if
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Speaker 1: God holdeth us not up with his hand and power.
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Speaker 1: And afterward, let us consider how boisterous the assaults of
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Speaker 1: Satan are, what violence he bringeth against us? And are
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Speaker 1: we ever able to withstand them? If that we be
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Speaker 1: not daily strengthened. They, then, which shall have conceived a
18:14
Speaker 1: true hope in the word of God, let them know
18:17
Speaker 1: that they are yet but in the midway, and that
18:19
Speaker 1: they must always march further forward until such time as
18:22
Speaker 1: they come to the end thereof which things shall never be,
18:26
Speaker 1: until they are uncased of this flesh and are departed
18:28
Speaker 1: out of this present life. Seeing then we cannot go
18:32
Speaker 1: forwards as of ourselves, nor yet be strengthened without God
18:35
Speaker 1: assist us, let us beseech him, after the example of David,
18:38
Speaker 1: that he will confirm us in his word. And afterward
18:41
Speaker 1: he addeth and saith that then he shall live and
18:45
Speaker 1: disappoint me. Not saith he of my hope. When he
18:49
Speaker 1: saith that he shall live, It is to show us
18:51
Speaker 1: that all our felicities. Lieth in this that we are
18:54
Speaker 1: thoroughly confirmed and fully settled in the Word of God.
18:57
Speaker 1: When this shall be so, let us then fear no more.
19:00
Speaker 1: It is very true that we shall never be but
19:03
Speaker 1: subject to a great many of miseries and afflictions, for
19:06
Speaker 1: it cannot be otherwise, but that this life must be
19:08
Speaker 1: full of afflictions and many griefs and vexations. We are
19:12
Speaker 1: then to fight whilst we live in this world, and
19:14
Speaker 1: so we shall find a great number of miseries. And
19:17
Speaker 1: yet we shall not choose but to live still when
19:20
Speaker 1: we shall be thoroughly founded upon the Word of God.
19:23
Speaker 1: That is to say, our salvation shall be sure and certain,
19:26
Speaker 1: even amidst all the afflictions which may come unto us.
19:29
Speaker 1: And so shall we have wherewith to be contented, for
19:33
Speaker 1: under this word to live. David comprehendeth all whatsoever concerneth
19:37
Speaker 1: the welfare and felicity of men. He saith, Then, although
19:41
Speaker 1: O Lord, I shall be taken as a miserable creature,
19:43
Speaker 1: and that indeed I shall abide many troubles which shall
19:46
Speaker 1: be grievous unto me, yet shall I have true life
19:49
Speaker 1: and salvation. So I be thus established in thy word.
19:53
Speaker 1: Now he addeth a little more, let me not be
19:56
Speaker 1: disappointed of mine hope. Wherein his meaning is to signify
19:59
Speaker 1: that God never so loffeth his children to be disappointed
20:01
Speaker 1: when as they put their trust in Him. But yet
20:05
Speaker 1: the case so standeth as that we must so beseech
20:08
Speaker 1: Him by reason of our weakness. For although we trust
20:11
Speaker 1: in God, yet for all that we go coldly unto Him,
20:14
Speaker 1: and we shall find our face to be always to
20:16
Speaker 1: to weak and feeble. To be sure, our hearts shall
20:20
Speaker 1: be so shut up as that the graces of God,
20:22
Speaker 1: as touching ourselves, shall hardly water it by drop meal.
20:25
Speaker 1: It is very true that God, for his part, poureth
20:28
Speaker 1: upon us his graces abundantly, but we therein are nothing
20:31
Speaker 1: capable for the receiving of them. Wherefore we are not
20:34
Speaker 1: worthy to taste and feel His aid in our need.
20:38
Speaker 1: What should this then be, if He surmounted not our
20:40
Speaker 1: hope to help that which therein is wanting. And besides,
20:44
Speaker 1: we know that the devil would soon overthrow all our hope,
20:47
Speaker 1: were it not that it is very well kept by
20:49
Speaker 1: an heavenly power. As also Saint Peter maketh thereof mention,
20:53
Speaker 1: For when he speaketh of faith, he sayth not that
20:55
Speaker 1: men are the guardians or keepers of it, for if
20:59
Speaker 1: that were so, it should oftentimes be violently taken from them.
21:03
Speaker 1: But that is a treasure which God keepeth in his
21:05
Speaker 1: own hands, and that by his own invincible power and strength.
21:10
Speaker 1: See also why our Lord and savior Christ in the
21:12
Speaker 1: tenth of John for our comfort, saith that the Father,
21:16
Speaker 1: who hath us in his hand, and through whom we
21:19
Speaker 1: are committed unto him to be kept, is mightier and
21:21
Speaker 1: greater than they all. Accordingly, then, as we know the
21:25
Speaker 1: power of God to be infinite, so must we also
21:27
Speaker 1: assure ourselves of our salvation. And therefore it is that
21:31
Speaker 1: we are to require of God, as David hath done,
21:34
Speaker 1: that we be not disappointed of our hope. Now in sum,
21:37
Speaker 1: when we make such requests, it is to the end
21:40
Speaker 1: that the promises of God should be so much the
21:42
Speaker 1: more certain and better ratified unto us. See then, what
21:46
Speaker 1: God saith unto us. Fear you not when as you
21:49
Speaker 1: shall put your trust in me, For I will neither
21:52
Speaker 1: deceive nor abuse you, nor yet shall you be destitute
21:55
Speaker 1: of mine aid. But be you assured that my hand
21:58
Speaker 1: shall always be stretched out to succor you. We have
22:02
Speaker 1: this promise made unto us, which can never fail us.
22:05
Speaker 1: Now it behooveth that it be ratified and sealed in
22:07
Speaker 1: our hearts. And how is that that in our prayers
22:11
Speaker 1: and supplications we beseech God to accomplish and perform that
22:14
Speaker 1: which he hath promised, which shall be instead of a
22:17
Speaker 1: seal sealed within to the end we might have such
22:20
Speaker 1: a certainty as is requisite and anon after God showeth
22:23
Speaker 1: in effect that he speaketh not in vain unto us.
22:26
Speaker 1: Lo say I what we ought to note of the
22:28
Speaker 1: accord that is betwixt the promises of God and the
22:31
Speaker 1: prayers which we make unto Him, in desiring to make
22:34
Speaker 1: us feel by experience that He is faithful in whatsoever
22:37
Speaker 1: he speaketh. Now, David, by and by addeth, hold thou
22:43
Speaker 1: me up, and I shall be safe, yea, and my
22:45
Speaker 1: delight shall be continually in thy statutes. Now the word
22:49
Speaker 1: which he useth signifieth sometimes to speak. And therefore it
22:53
Speaker 1: may be properly said, I will recite over thy statutes.
22:57
Speaker 1: But the most proper sense and meaning is I will
22:59
Speaker 1: meditate or study in thy statutes, and therein take delight
23:04
Speaker 1: instead that before he hath said establish me, o Lord,
23:07
Speaker 1: or stay me in thy word, here he saith hold
23:10
Speaker 1: me up. Now this is no simple and plain prayer
23:13
Speaker 1: which here he maketh. But having spoken of the word
23:15
Speaker 1: of God, he speaketh of the power which he showeth
23:18
Speaker 1: towards his faithful. It is very true that when we
23:21
Speaker 1: think that we have not one foot of ground to
23:24
Speaker 1: stand upon, that there is nothing but the sea under
23:26
Speaker 1: us and darkness over us, that we should be, as
23:29
Speaker 1: it were, in a bottomless pit and overwhelmed. Yet we
23:32
Speaker 1: ought to stay and settle ourselves on the word of God.
23:35
Speaker 1: But when as our hope shall be thus exercised, and
23:38
Speaker 1: that we have done God this honor to hold him
23:40
Speaker 1: for faithful, although we do not perceive any succor to
23:43
Speaker 1: come from him, he will add a second grace to wit.
23:46
Speaker 1: He will give us his hand to be relieved by
23:48
Speaker 1: His power and to be upholden by him, and will
23:51
Speaker 1: preserve us all the days of our life. Lo Here
23:54
Speaker 1: then the meaning of David. When he desireth God to
23:57
Speaker 1: stay him in his word, he saith hold me up
24:00
Speaker 1: by Thy hand and power. So then let us learn
24:03
Speaker 1: to fly unto God. When as we would be in
24:05
Speaker 1: any good safety. For without it, as I have already said,
24:09
Speaker 1: we may very well, for a while assure ourselves and
24:11
Speaker 1: think no evil can come unto us. But when as
24:14
Speaker 1: we shall be thus foolishly persuaded to say peace and assurance,
24:18
Speaker 1: destruction must needs suddenly come upon us, and we to
24:21
Speaker 1: be utterly confounded. But after we have waited, and seeing
24:24
Speaker 1: God to have appeared in very deed, let us learn
24:27
Speaker 1: to seek all our assurance in His word, to walk
24:30
Speaker 1: in His commandments, to take our whole delight in them,
24:32
Speaker 1: and in them, to bestow all our study in sum.
24:36
Speaker 1: David in this place declareth that when as God shall
24:38
Speaker 1: have bestowed any benefits upon us, that we shall have
24:41
Speaker 1: proved His mercy and fatherly affection. It is to confirm
24:45
Speaker 1: us more and more in his word to tie all
24:47
Speaker 1: our senses thereto to learn to forsake all vanities which
24:51
Speaker 1: hinder and occupy our spirits in these wild affections wherewith
24:55
Speaker 1: we are carried hither and thither, that we, then, being
24:59
Speaker 1: retired from them, might be inflamed with such a zeal
25:02
Speaker 1: as David was, to meditate in the commandments of God
25:05
Speaker 1: and in them to take our whole delight. Now it
25:08
Speaker 1: followeth thou hast trodden down all them that depart from
25:12
Speaker 1: Thy statutes, for their deceit is vain. Here in this
25:16
Speaker 1: place David considereth the judgments of God, which he executeth
25:19
Speaker 1: upon the wicked, howbeit we are not always able to
25:22
Speaker 1: perceive them, for we shall oftentimes see, as it were,
25:25
Speaker 1: against all God's forebode, as we say, the wicked to
25:29
Speaker 1: bear authority, and in such sort to triumph as that
25:32
Speaker 1: they think it cannot be possibly amended, and suppose themselves
25:36
Speaker 1: to be the most blessed people in the world. And
25:38
Speaker 1: then for the while we shall see all things go
25:40
Speaker 1: clean against the heir. But after that the Lord God
25:43
Speaker 1: shall long time patiently have forbidden all these abuses of
25:46
Speaker 1: his merciful, loving kindness. It cannot be chosen, but that
25:50
Speaker 1: at the last he must utterly destroy them. And so
25:55
Speaker 1: let us consider not to be so blockish as to
25:57
Speaker 1: forget the judgments of God, but let them rather instruct us,
26:00
Speaker 1: after the example of David, to walk in his fear
26:03
Speaker 1: and to love his commandments. Now he saith in the
26:06
Speaker 1: first place, thou hast trodden the ungodly underfoot, and all
26:09
Speaker 1: them that depart from thy statutes, for they imagine but deceit,
26:13
Speaker 1: saith he he addeth one reason which we ought thoroughly
26:16
Speaker 1: to weigh. For what is the cause that the ungodly
26:19
Speaker 1: hearken not under God, and so outrage against Him beyond
26:23
Speaker 1: all measure? For if at any time God moveth them
26:26
Speaker 1: to repentance through the admonitions of His word, they do
26:29
Speaker 1: nothing else but scoff and laugh at him. Yea, they
26:32
Speaker 1: are so shameless as it is pitiful to see. What
26:36
Speaker 1: is the cause of this? It is because the wicked
26:38
Speaker 1: have their hearts fast shut up in their back warehouses,
26:41
Speaker 1: thinking thereby to beguile God to escape his hand through
26:45
Speaker 1: their starting holes and subtle devices, and they, seeing themselves
26:49
Speaker 1: to be brazen faced, to cover their villanies before men,
26:52
Speaker 1: think that they shall easily enough put off the plagues
26:55
Speaker 1: and punishments of God. See how the wicked to increase
26:58
Speaker 1: in their wiles, that they are even come to this
27:00
Speaker 1: point that they fear nothing at all of whatsoever they
27:03
Speaker 1: ought to be afraid. And this is why the prophet
27:06
Speaker 1: Isaiah also saith that they dig caves in the earth
27:09
Speaker 1: for their defense, thinking that when their eyes are shut up,
27:13
Speaker 1: that their sins shall be no more seen, and that
27:15
Speaker 1: God shall not be able to find them a cursed
27:18
Speaker 1: be you, saith, he which thus dig deep pits. Now
27:22
Speaker 1: David saith in this place that all the subtlety of
27:25
Speaker 1: the ungodly is nothing else but vanity. It shall be
27:28
Speaker 1: forsoth to great purpose for them, when as they think
27:31
Speaker 1: they shall, through their hypocrisies, shroud themselves and cover their
27:35
Speaker 1: wiles and subtleties. Yet shall their devices be but vanity,
27:39
Speaker 1: For they shall be taken in the trip, as it
27:41
Speaker 1: is said in the other place, yea, and in the
27:43
Speaker 1: end shall be fast shut up in all their deceits
27:46
Speaker 1: and inventions. Hereupon he saith, thou hast taken away all
27:51
Speaker 1: the ungodly of the earth like dross. Therefore I love
27:54
Speaker 1: thy testimonies. Here David declareth unto us in brief by
27:59
Speaker 1: his example, that when God punisheth the godless, he layeth
28:02
Speaker 1: his hand upon them in such sort as that we
28:04
Speaker 1: may perceive that He showeth himself to be their judge,
28:07
Speaker 1: to the end that we thereby should be rather stirred
28:11
Speaker 1: up to love His commandments and to be ruled by them.
28:13
Speaker 1: In bestowing all our desire and affection upon them. See then,
28:17
Speaker 1: how the judgments and corrections which God laieth upon the
28:19
Speaker 1: ungodly ought to profit us. And this is it why
28:23
Speaker 1: Saint Paul, in exhorting the faithful to walk holily and
28:26
Speaker 1: to abstain from all pollutions, saith, take heed that you
28:29
Speaker 1: be not beguiled through vain words, for for such things
28:33
Speaker 1: the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience.
28:36
Speaker 1: Now it is true that before God hath executed his judgments,
28:39
Speaker 1: we ought already to be instructed to walk in his fear.
28:42
Speaker 1: But when God showeth us openly how he put uth
28:45
Speaker 1: to his helping hand, it is good reason that we
28:48
Speaker 1: should be so much the more attentive to his judgments.
28:51
Speaker 1: And lo why the prophet Isiah saith that when God
28:54
Speaker 1: executeth his judgments, that the inhabitants of the earth might
28:57
Speaker 1: learn that he doth it righteously. Moreover, let us consider
29:01
Speaker 1: how slack we are to come unto God, that he
29:03
Speaker 1: is fain to draw us befoce unto him. Ought not
29:07
Speaker 1: we even to run unto him so often as he
29:09
Speaker 1: lifteth up his finger unto us, so often as he
29:12
Speaker 1: shall open his holy mouth to instruct and show us
29:15
Speaker 1: the way of salvation, should we slack and defer it
29:18
Speaker 1: from day to day? But what mark the perverseness? And
29:22
Speaker 1: that not only of the most wicked, but even of
29:25
Speaker 1: the holiest and perfectest, which are infected with this vice?
29:28
Speaker 1: See what David saith that he had need to be
29:30
Speaker 1: pricked forward like an ass? Yea, even David himself, who
29:34
Speaker 1: was the most forward of all other according to the
29:37
Speaker 1: graces which he had received. If it hath so fallen
29:40
Speaker 1: out with him by reason of the rest of the
29:42
Speaker 1: imperfection which he had, that he was spurred and his
29:45
Speaker 1: flesh pricked like an ass, What shall become of us,
29:48
Speaker 1: which have scarcely received one drop of the spirit of
29:51
Speaker 1: God in respect and comparison of this Holy Man? And
29:55
Speaker 1: so let us consider to be more watchful over ourselves.
29:58
Speaker 1: So often as God showeth us any token, he is
30:00
Speaker 1: judge and calleth the ungodly to an account, that at
30:03
Speaker 1: the least we be stirred up to run unto Him
30:06
Speaker 1: for refuge and to love his word. Now in the meantime,
30:10
Speaker 1: to conclude, David addeth, my flesh trembleth for fear of thee,
30:13
Speaker 1: and I am afraid because of thy judgments here David
30:18
Speaker 1: setteth down two things which seem, at the first sight
30:20
Speaker 1: not to agree together. For it may be said that
30:23
Speaker 1: this fear, whereof he speaketh, can no way agree with
30:26
Speaker 1: the fear of the commandments of God. But yet there
30:29
Speaker 1: is a sweet harmony between the one and the other.
30:32
Speaker 1: And why so, for as the faithless, in fearing God
30:35
Speaker 1: wax desperate, it are so thrown down that they can
30:38
Speaker 1: never have that boldness to come near unto Him. Even so,
30:41
Speaker 1: on the contrary side, there is a frank and free
30:44
Speaker 1: fear in those which are governed by the spirit of God,
30:47
Speaker 1: which beareth a reverence unto his word, to make them
30:49
Speaker 1: tremble before it. For by the judgments which David here
30:53
Speaker 1: speaketh of, he meaneth not the punishments only which God executeth.
30:57
Speaker 1: But now he treatth as he doth throughout the whole,
31:00
Speaker 1: either of statutes or else of ordinances, which are to
31:03
Speaker 1: direct our life. As also the prophet Isaiah saith that
31:06
Speaker 1: the faithful tremble at the voice of God, that they
31:09
Speaker 1: conceive his incomprehensible majesty in his word, and thereupon are humboldt.
31:14
Speaker 1: But yet they cease not for all that to come
31:17
Speaker 1: boldly unto God, knowing that He will be their merciful father,
31:20
Speaker 1: and desireth nothing else but to receive them. This humble fear, then,
31:24
Speaker 1: may be well conjoined with the love of God, agreeing
31:27
Speaker 1: with faith, and with a taste which we might take
31:29
Speaker 1: in the Word of God, in giving ourselves wholly thereto
31:33
Speaker 1: but the fear which serve us to no other end
31:35
Speaker 1: but to astonish the wicked, which only feel an hell
31:38
Speaker 1: in their consciences, and yet have no taste of the
31:41
Speaker 1: grace of God. This fear, I say, serve us to
31:44
Speaker 1: none other purpose but to shut up the gait against
31:46
Speaker 1: these miserable, accursed people without all hope of salvation. Now, David,
31:51
Speaker 1: speaking of the fear of the Word of God, leadeth
31:54
Speaker 1: us to a deeper and more weighty consideration. For his
31:57
Speaker 1: meaning is to show unto us how that God is
31:59
Speaker 1: our far and Savior, and that He freely draweth us
32:02
Speaker 1: unto himself, as already he hath declared according to this
32:07
Speaker 1: holy doctrine. Let us prostrate ourselves before the majesty of
32:10
Speaker 1: our good God, in acknowledging our offenses, beseeching him that
32:14
Speaker 1: it would please him to make us to feel the
32:15
Speaker 1: sweetness of his word, as his servant David hath been
32:18
Speaker 1: thereon thoroughly settled. To the end, we might have such
32:21
Speaker 1: a fervent affection to it, as that it might cause
32:24
Speaker 1: us to forget all the desires of this world, wherein
32:27
Speaker 1: we are too too much plagued, and that we might
32:29
Speaker 1: cut off all the superfluities of our flesh. To the
32:32
Speaker 1: end we might be dedicated in all holiness unto our God,
32:35
Speaker 1: and be confirmed more and more in his service, and
32:38
Speaker 1: that being once brought by Him into the way of salvation.
32:41
Speaker 1: Although we must walk in this world because we are
32:43
Speaker 1: compassed about with so many dangers, Yet that He will
32:46
Speaker 1: always stretch forth his hand unto us to keep and
32:49
Speaker 1: hold us in his protection, unto the end, that he
32:53
Speaker 1: will not only grant us this grace, but also unto
32:55
Speaker 1: all people and nations of the world, et cetera. End
32:59
Speaker 1: of some man fifteen