Chap. '2. Se&.). 6. ~f m>utte.s tn $tnerat. he could not read the N ame ofChrijl tkere ; how nmch rather may ~efay:~ T hat in 111412] Sermons, in ma.•Jy a mans M:r.tjlry, the d;·ift and end of all hispreachmg " not, that Chrift may be advan<·e,1. And agam, L et Chrif! be the mntt<r of our RJghteo~tfncjfe M d Co??ifort, more than he h.tth bem : you hnow the posh that JVerc not J rmkJed wah blood, wereJure rv be dejlroyed, andfo ,,,.e all tho(e p;rfons and dmies tlmt have not Chrf ~tpon them. How fweet is the harmony of D1tfentmg Brethren ! Me thmks, I wou.d not lofe a fhred of that gold which both Authors .(fo1hongly my heart beats and pants afteqmity) give out to be weigh' in the Ballancc of the SanCtuary. It is obferved by the former, That when the Church grew into cr~dit, then Rtlig io peperit Divitias & filia devoravit ma– rrcm. I may as truly fay, Chriftm peperit JnHttiam, & filia dcvcravit matrcm; juil: as if a Ki~g fhould promote a Favorite, and then he fhould be fo applauded. fo~ his ufe– fulneffc to the fubjects, that the Kmg mull be dethroned, and he Crowned m·h1s place : ---·In all exigences, wants.and extremities,how few followers bath Chri!l: himfelf? how rarely are men fent to fhelter themfelves under the fhadow of his wings ? In the mean while, what hideous outctys for Prayers, Mournings, Faftings, &c. to help men at a dead lift ? \Vhat fending and pofiing to them in extremities, as if they kept a Court by themfelves ?for Chrift is feldom heard of, at leaft not fet up fo high as to do all ; and that this Righteonfne!fe is but meerly his miniftring fcrvant: What the A– poflle faid ofhimfelf, I may as truly fay ofthe bell: Righteoufneffe befi affi!l:ed, What is Prayer, Mourning, Fa!l:ing, Hearing, but M inifters by whom ye believed, and received mercy? and if but .u MiniJ1m at bell:, fhall they be greater than the Lord? Let me not be mifiaken, I intend no derogation to Righteoufneffe, but the bringing ofit into its own place, namely, that it is to be u[ed M that, where according to Chrifts direltions we may mut with him, from whofe hands alone we may expeEf whatever we pamafter, according tohis will ; referving a fubmiffian to be dijpojed ofotherwife, ifhejee fit. Again; it is not the Spiritualne!fe, nor the fervency in the performance of Duties that carryes it, but when Duties are pc-;fcrmed as to the Lord, and for the Lord, and not to andfor our[ elves. 0 my foul, in refpetl: of all thefe ends, ufe and exercife Duties, but be fure of Chrifi in all, , above all, more than all : 0 let Chri!l: have the Crown fer on his head, give him all the glory. Call: not away Duties, but call: them down at the feet of Jefus Chriil:, as the twenty four Elders caft their Crowns, faying, Tho~tart worthy 0 Lord to receive glory, and!.onour, andpower: for thou haftereated all things, (all Duties) andfor thy pleafure they are and were created. SECT. 6. Of the Saints abilities, or power to do Duties, 1 Cor. 3:~;! Dr. Cri[yibidRev. 4. ul B Vt alas, howjhouldiperformmy Duty? by nature I am dead, arJde.~ceptGodtive me an heart an.dftrength, what can I do? there" no power in my hands, I am nothing in Objtel, my felf,and therefore ttll God come, or nllksd Chrift come I willfit do1tn in difcouragements· Pfaf. 77 • 10 , Let God do all, fee I have no ability 4t all, &c. ' .. ' _ What fayil: thou (0~y.foul?). furely this is thine infirmity ; thefe conclulions are ..Anfw. j~\drawn from a true Pnnctple; It ts true, all is of Go~, and by nature I am ~eld: but . s dl urged m th1s cafe, for that the Regenerate have m them a Seed aSpmtual Prin– ~.ple, f power t_o do goo~; · Fir_il:, becaufe fuch are living, and all life is a power to aCl:.. b hE fe thc~c ts no fpecifical dtfference betw1xt a m~n regenerate and unregenerate, if a~~ );0~~! fttll de~d, and wit~outil:rength, 3· Grace is a renewing ofthat image of God Epb.4, 2 4, h c ej[e, wh1ch we loft m .Adam; but that was a power to do what God required t ere,ore fo far as th t · g · · d r f h l ' h a 1ma e ts repatre , HJ ar t ere is power. 4· E fe we fhould not h ave as much benefit by the fecond .Adam, as we had by the fir!l: · for the fidt \"Puld· ave commu · d h" ' " d Oleate 1s power to do good, and being corrupted, doth communicate . power to o.lin ; therefore much more by Chri!l: have we a life, apower to do good Objeel:• m our meafur~. . · John . 1 s. ~; It may beobJ~fted, Wtthom meye c"n do nothing. . Sol. 1hemeanmg ts, Exceptye be imphm_ted illtQ m•y~ rail dq mthipg; The word [Wiia f.~r~~I'-J "ii; · N hol<t ' Cafi:
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