5'9^ Meditations and observations , 1 hco’ogicttU

beaten stones, ( and then make a rew front ) that they may notafter build upon a rotten noughty or weake foundation, theirart is not to pull dowr.e edifices, but to build them up, but theydoe that which belongs not to them properly, that they maydoe that which belongs to them ,for they will r.ot build uponanunsourd ard crumbling foundation. God to make his chil-dren tiust in him , casts them cut of themselves, he will notbuild on a rotten foundation, he will not build on carnall trust,pride, and covetousncsse, but he will demolisli that rottenfoundation with afflictions and crosses. He will use such mearesthat we shall have small joy to trust in sirne; he will force usby crosses and afflictions to goe from our sirnes, he will demo-lish that rotten foundation that he may raise up an excellentedifice ard frame of the new creature,that shall endure to ever-lasting. The worke of a Physitian is to cure nature , not toweaken it, but if the body be distempered, it must be weakenedbefore it be strengthened ,to make that found he must give themstrong purgations, that shall afflict them and affect them asmuch as the disease for a while, but all is to make them strongafterwards: So God afflicts us to drive us out of our selves,that we may come at last to trust in him, in whom is all curgood and happiness:.

L X X X V.

Bees live likeSouldiers in a Camp, and therefore as besiegedCities or Ahmies that feare an approaching enemy , never daregive themselves wholly over to lecuritie, but alwayes night andday have their scouts, centinels, corp-du-guard, to keepe watchand ward, least some of their many enemies should by a suddenCamisado surprize or beate up their quarters. We have a hel-lish enemy the Devill, a roarirgLion, who waiteth for a timeofdrowsie fecuritie, wherein he may suddenly seize on-us, andi. teare us in peiccs. T! crefore when there feemes to be most fe-

curitie and cessation of fpirituall armes, let us conceive the mostdanger to be at hand, and prepare and srme our selves againstAd Htfied- day of battell. For Hicrox: faith truly , Tune maxrr.e ex-

t Ib. 2. c.&. pugKarU,cum te expugnari ut feu, thou art most assaulted, whenthou feelest no assault. When our adversary feemes to fleepe,^ he