Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

Eph~ 2. J'Q. P(.aJ. r r6. 1:!, 13,]1,16'. Job 3s· ,. Pfal.t6••• Luke I7· 10. lfaiah 64. 6. D-. Crifp in his Se, roOT\ on FIJi!. 3.8. A known advcrfary 10 1hc pure Doft1 ice of Duties. •ru~sHij;hc way to hcaveo. i>f.m>uttentn~enetal. - Chap 2.Sech2· -------------- - And I hope alfo God will mmwith fuch M are di.fturbers of the truth ofChrift, an-d peace of the GoJPel, by the~r haft and vzle conv<rfar.ons: Al:d I Jball rc.-ommend to thtm the ru.ding ofthe Epiftle of Jude, whm they may foe the fear{ltl wrP.th ofGoduponjischperfons"' a. b11{e the grace of God to fin. () let not the love ofChrijt tbm m.wifefted, befo bafely rtquited at your hands, fceing the Lord hath fo freely l•vcdyou, andgiven Chrijt toyou, thatyou might be to the praife ofthe glory ofhisgrace, in a godly Chrijtian •·onvt>Jimop, wh/reunto you are ordained. For you are Cods Wori{Jnanjhip(faith the ApofHe) created in Chrift Jefi# unto good 1rork}, whit:h God bath before msiained, thatyo;, jhould walk_ in them. And I bcjee{h }011 aiiMJS to ,·emember,_ Thatyou ciVlnot anfwer thefrttlove ofGod tOIMrdsyoH any other W'9', b11t byjhewmg 1t "'_afrHitful converfation in the world; confidtring that one end ofyour Red<mf""'' thatCh-fijtwho gave himftlffor you, might redeemJOlt from 11ll tmqwty, ~tnd pnrifieyou unto hsmfelf, apeculiar people, z.ealo111 •fgood work!. Here's goqd equity for Duties ; the foul cannot confider her deliverance by the blood of Chrift, and by the Spirit of Chrilr, but lhe cries, WhAtfl.~t/1 I renllier 1mto the Lordfor ttliiJt:S bmejitJ towards me? I willtaks ti>e cup offalvation, Andcall upon the Name of the Lord: I will pay my "''WJ Unt• the Lord, now in the prefen« ofallhis people: 0 Lord, trMLy I am thy fav,;-u, ! am thyflrvant, and thefon ofthy handmaid; tho11 haft looftd my bond. For I! roan that hath a touch of the loving kindnclfe of Chrifr, andtherefore frauds ready to fpeak forth the praife ofthe glory ofhis grace, that hath fo freely faved him, it mull: needs be an acceptable fervice to God in Chrift. SECT. 2. Of the infufficicncy of Duti<J. BUt alas, what are thefc DMties to my Lord ? or what are th~fe D~<tiOJ ill themfelves? r. All the Duties of man, they are nothing at all unto God : C"" amanbe profitable 11nto God, M he thqt u wife canbe projitablt unto himfdf ? is it any pleafltr• to the ALmighty, that thoa~trtrighttou;? Or is itgain to him, that thou ma/{sfl rhy wayes pnf .Et ?If thou berightwu, Wh'llt givrftthou him? or what rrceiveth he fro~r. thine hand.' Umy foul, thou haftfaid umo the L<rd, Thou art my Lord: And what then? what re.CG>tnpence to God fQr this propriety? Nay, David is here non-plu!S'd, Myguodncffe exte;,dcth not rmto thee. All the fervice of men and Angels, though they run parallel with the hmgcft lines of et'ernity, are infuf!ident recompence for my fouls deliverance : W-hen we-have done ~//we can, j/t/1 we mu.ft fay, We are ~nprofitabit{<>varltJ. . . · 2. All the Duties of man; as they are done by mln, are in that refped: finful:. \Vhat is Dmy, but mans rye to that which is due? or (if we follow theLatines) what IS Dmy, but obediencecommanded by God, tobe performed liy man ? Now wherein<~ny thing Is to be done os of man, therein is fome mixtureof linne: All our righteoufnefs is ao jilthyrags, """"enftruomcloth; How, .Ait <~tr righte01sjnejfe .'It is true, while!l:a Believers heart is overca!l: with grolfe vapours, and is more than ordinarily dull-in hearing, whileil it flies low and flow in praying, and is fomewhat ftiff', and _untoward in fafting above meafure, fuch Righteuufnejfe goes ufually forfrnne: but 1fa foul getts under full faile; if it be filled with a ll:ilf gale of the Spirit of Chriff'; if floods of mel– tings fl'ow from it ; if it cry mightily, be fwift toh.eare,begreedy in fucking in Divine Trut_hs, and be fomewhat c:kaCl: in obferving practical righteous means,. to mourn and pray luil:ily, being helpt by the Spirit herein: Are iu€h Pray_ers., M0nrnmgs, and ;>th~r Divine Exercifes in any fort linful ? yes, QS there is fome miXture of mans mfinn1ty m them· and in our belllAttie; there is fome fuch mi:Kture: for aU our righteoufiujfe u"' filthy ;,.gs, as mmftr~tous cl.othes ; I know who hath fa-id it, and yet I kn·?w not \~herein - to contradiCl: it. "Chrillians may dillinguilh "between that wh1~h 1s the Spmt, m " works after renovation, and the whole work after they have done 1t : N?w althougl\ " the motions and a(Jiflanc~ of the Spirit be pure, holy,and wtthout skum 111 the fpnng, "to wit, in it felf; yet by that time thefe motions and affdl:ance have palfed throughthe "channels of their hearts,and have been mi:Ked witiHhcir manifolcl corruptions m<l01.ng, "even the whole work thereby becomes polluted. *W#h hi11u•grces am m:ely Orrh•dox, "faying; Albeit our good works are perfect in refpeCl: ofthe.Spirit, from whomthey "firfi flow, yet are they polluted when they palfc fromYi, eecawfe they run through "our

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=