IJO --- - ·----;·.--We ;;;ufl: eye the precious promifes, and yet not fo as that we mull clofe with them, or reft on them alone, without_feekmg for, or clofing with Chri(\ in thofc pro– mifcs; the Promife is but the Casket, and Chnll the Jewel m It; the Promifc is but the field, and Chrifl: the Pearl hid in it, and tobe chiefly look'd at; the Promifes arc the means by which we arc affured, not tbe thmgs on which we are to·reil; 1t were folly for a man to thin~he bath an_mterell m an He~tefs Lands, becaufc by fome meaus or other he hath got rne wntmgs of her Efbtc mto h1s hands ; all know that the inte– rell of the Lands goes with her perfon~ and With relation of marriage to her, otherwife without a title to her fclf, all the wntmgs may Jufl:Jy be fetch ed out of his hands again . fo it is with the Promif es, they hang all npon Chnll, and Without him there is no inte: reil to be had in them. 2 . vVe mu!t eye the i~ward graces to which the promifes are made, not that we mull: be too much carricd·away with the fignsof <:;brill: in our hearts, and not after Chrifl: himfe!f; as plea~ures that are lawful m themfelves may be unlawfully ufed, when our thoughts and mtentiOns are to0 long; or too frequent, or too vehement in them, fo as to dead the heart either to the prefent delighting in God, or purfuing af– ter him with the joynt-ftrength of our Souls, as our only ch1efeft good; fo an immode– rate recourfe unto figns (barely confidered as fuch) is as unwarrantable, when thereby · we arc diverted, and taken offfrom a more conllant aCtual exercife of daily thoughts of Faith cowards Chrift immediately, as he is fct fotth to be our Righceoufneffe and yet the n)indes of many arc fo wholly taken up with their own hearts, that, as the Pfalmift fayes ofGod, Chrift. ts ji:ane m a!lthm tho~tgh;s: Let tliefe confider, what difhonour this will be to Chnfr, that h1s tram and favomes (our Graces) fhould have u fuller court, and more frcCJ,uent attendance for our hearts than himfelf, who is the King ot glory: Now to rechfie thts_ error, the way ISnot wholly to rejeCt all ufes of fuch Evidcn,·es, but to order them nghtly, as thus,------ r. Let not the ufe of graces go before, but follow after an addrefs of Faith renewed and acts of-Faith firft put forth upon Chrill himfelf: Thus,wherefoevr.r we would g; down into our own hearts~&take a vtew of ou_r graces,lct us be fure firft to look wholly out ofour felvcs unto Chnft, as our JufttficatiOn, and to clofe w!th hm1 1mmediatcly, as if we had no prefent or by-pall: gra~e to ev1dence _our bcmg m h1m ; and if therr ( whiles Faith is thus immedmte!y chfpmg about Chnft) we find either prefent or fore· pall graces coming in,'\s handma1ds, to attend and Witnefs to tf\c truth of this adherence untoChrift,this will derogate nothmg from Chnfts honor,_orthe DoCtrine ef Free-grace.· 2. ,Let us 111 theclofure of all~ begm afrefh to act FUlth upon Chnll IU111lediate!y, \viih redoubled ftrength ; as faith fhould g1ve a leadmg to the ufc of Groces fo the fight of our Graces fhould be as a back-door to let Faith in again, to convJrre with Chrift: Even as at the Sacrament, the elements of Bread and Wine, are but out- . ward figns to bring Chrill: ani the hear.t toge:her, an~ then FAith lets the out– ward elements go, and clofeth and treats Immediately With Chrift : So grace is an in– ward fign and whiles men n;akt; u(e ~f _it, o_n~ly as ofa b_are fign to let them come in· to Chrift, and their reJoycmg IS not m 1t ongmally, but mChrill; tht;ir confidence is not upon it; but upon Chrift; '(here is no danger at all in making fuch ufc of ligns for thus we make our Graces fubordinate and fubfervient to Faith, whileft it make~ Chrift its Alpha and Omega, The beginmng and the end of all. I know it is ftrongly objected againft Chriftians, That many forget, and feldome ufe an intire, immediate clofe with Chrift, _whileft in the mea~ time the ll~cam of their moft con~ant thoughts and deepeft i~tentiOns arc ever runnmg upon their graces, and the gracwus workings ther~of in duties towards Chnft: Others on thecontrary run all on Chnfl:, qefpifing the Graces of the Spmt,becaufe (fay they) Chrift u all mall to them; fo ·thatifwe ask fuch, Have you any Grace, change of heart &c? tufh! what do you tell them of Re· pentance Holinefs, &c? they have Chnft, and that ts fuffic1ent; they have the Cub– fiance, a~d what fhall they now do with fhadows of Ordinances, Dutios, Graces? they have all in Chrift, what fhould they look for Evidence<, from any Graces inherent in themfelves? 0 let thofe mourn over themfelves, that haYe with muck affe&ion been feeking after Chrifts benefits, peace of confcicncc, holineffe of heart and life, but have not fought firft and !aft to embrace, and have the perfon of the Lord Jefus Chrifr himfelf ; and let fuch tremble, who in advancing Chrifl: himfelf, and Free-grace, will needs abolifh and defpife thofc heavenly Graces which flow from him unto all the 1ief.to.7.'wirh Elect; The Llllr ofG•4 invrittm on the hear; of Chri{f, Heb. ro, 7• and if ever he ~~L ~
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