Perkins - BX9318 P47 1613 v3

i t.l!lll£-18. .0. Obiea.;. k Mat.16.7. !J verf.n. Sermon in the c.5Wount. and therefore \oY<:rc acccprablc:rhcy were oncly A fi·cc, m regard in the time ofoffering them;but for the manner how, and rhc places when~ they muC: be offered, both thc(e were appoimed of God. Againc, they f:.y,Phi;t~esh flc•.ve Zimri:md Cosbie wi.rh Gods approbation, though he was no MagHlr::ttc: and therefore works nor com– manded ofGod, may be acceptable vmo him. Anfiv. Though Phin('es had not any outward commandcmenr, yet hcc had that '"·hieh was anf,scroblc thereto; ro \Nit, an extraordinarie inU:inCt by the fpirir, whereby he was caricd to doe rhar fJCt;vvh!ch v\·as as much,as ifGod had giucn hi:n an cxprcffc commandcment. And fo we may f.'ly ofthe Minificric of fundric aun~icnt Prophets , who by cxrraorJinaric inilinCl: B ·were mooned thcrcunto:and vpon this ground did ;E!iahOay Baals Prophets. Thirdly, A-fm·ics faEl (fay they) ink powringa boxc of coflfJointment on the head of our SA1tio1tr Chr;jf, was agood\vorkc; and yctthcrcwas no commatldcmcnt for le in Gods word• .An[. Marics faCt was a workc of confcffion, where– by !he tcflified her faith in Chriil, and Jo was generally commanded, though ndt in particu– lar. Againe, lhce was caricd thereto by a fpc– ciall inilinct of the fpirit, for ljhe did it to burie him(35 Chrift himfelfc tcllifieth)becau(c his bu• riall W3S (o (pecdie after his death, in regard of the approaching of the Sabbaoth, that they could not embalmc him, as the manner of the Iewes was; now cueric inflinCt of Gods fptrit _ in the confcience of the doer, bath the force of C a particular commandcmcnc. Fourthly,the fpirit ofGod(faythey)moou~s cucry man to any good \Vorkc that is done;and therefore men needc not a particular comman– derncnt for cucric work; for thofc that arc cari... ed by the fpirit,cannot but doe well. AnfTrue ic is, the fpirit mooucrh men to good workcs freely,but yet this motion ofthe fpirit,is in and by the word ofGod:and atthis day, thofe in– fHncts 'Nhich arc bcftdcs the word, arc mens ownc fancies, .or illuftons of the deuill. Many other rcafons they allcadgc to this purpofc, for the iu!Hfying theirvowes ofChafiitie,ofregular obedience, pilgrimages, trencalls, and fuch Iike: butthcyareliketothefe, and notwith- D fianding them all,the truth is this: that for !lib– flancc, a good workc is fuch a one,as is ordai– ned, appoinrcd,and commanded by God.And here by the way-..Nc may obfcrue, that they are farrc decciucd, who fo much commend the .times ofPoperie for good works: for the truth is, that all their oblations to Jmagcs,to ~ona!lerics, and to Churchc5, for l\.1affes, Pardons..) and fuch like, \Vct"e no good works, bur onely 'in their owne opinion; for God commanded them not: Now it is the Lords rcueakd wilt, thar mu!1 giuc the goodnc!fe to mans workc: Mich.6.8. Hechath {hewed thee, Oman,wh4tis j good,andwhat the Lord requireth ofthee. I Next I addc: Do1Je of a regmerate prr[on, ~-- ~ ---- The Author ofa good worke, is not eucry one in the world , but chat man or WOJuan that is a member ofChrill:, borne a newe by the holy Ghoil, fo Chrill:-her< faith,Lcryourl~ht, &c; rdlraining his fpeechto the pcrfons_ot his dif.l cipleS. True it .is, tbatamong Tu*es and In– fidels, manya dUi!! man will doe workes of mcrcic, ofciuill iuH:"icc·, and.liberallric, and will abH:ainc fi;om'OucwarJ ii.nncs, and liu~ or– derly; now thcfc, 'and fuch like, thoug? in thcmfclucs they be good \·vorks, fo fane torch as they ttrc required by the Iav~'c of nature, ot commanded by Cods word; yet in an infidel, or an vnrcgcncrateperfon, they are finncs:fCn: firfi they procccde from an heart which is cor– rupt with originall finnc , :md whh vnbelccfc (for the m hrart is the fountainc ofall aCtions) and alfo rhcy arc pra6tifed by the mm:bers of the bodic, whith are weapons of vnrigh– tcoufneffc ; and therefore mufi nccdes be like vmo water fpringing from acoriupt fountaine, and running through a filthy channeli.6ccond.;. ly, thcfc \oYorkcs arc nor done for C ods gloric, and the good of men. Thirdly , they arc not done in obedience to God, according to the Rule of goodne!fc, the will and word ofGod, and t.hereforc cannot be good worl~es. And this mufl: reach cuery one that wo1ild do good, to labour for regeneration by the holy Gholl, that fo his pcrfon may be good, Qnd then !hallhis works of obedience be good in God., fight : for fuch asthe tree is, fuch w11l be the fruit: An euilltr"cannot bringforthgoodfruit, nor a good cuiU ftuire, Matth, 7· 18, Wee mull: therefore labour to bee engra!fed into Chrifl, for \Yithout him, we can doe no good thing! but bccing partakers of his grace, we lhallaGoundwith thefruits of right<oufner,whicli arc by l ffiii Chrift, vnto the praifo andglorie of God, Phii.I.J J . Thirdly, I adde : that good worl:p mujiGe. done in faith: for faith is the caufc of euery good worke, and wirhout faith it is impofllblc to doe any good V\'orke. Now,in the doing of a good worke, there is a tvvofold fai th requi– rcd:Firfr,ageneralifairh,whereby a man is fCr– fwaded chat-God requires ofhim,tht: doing of that ·workc which he takes in h~nd; :as when ::L man giucth almes hernuft: bcpcrfwadcd it js Gods will he fhould giue almes; and fo foro– ther good ~.-vorkcs : for" what{oeurr ;s not of f aitb, U Jir.ne : that is, \'Vh~tfocur proceedcth not fi·om this pcrfw2tion in the confcicncc,that it is Gods v.·il that fuch a thinp Jhould be Cone, or fhould not be done, is fume: for he th:\t doubtcth of the thing he doth, finnrth there– in, though the thing done be good in it felfc. Secondly, herein is required lufrifjing fnith . whcrby a man is pcrfvvadcd in his CO!lfcicncc, of his owne rcconc!liation with God in Chrift:ofthis it is faide,Hcb.t I .6.Withottt.f-rith tt ;. imp•JliMe to pfeafe God, This !t!(lifying faith hath adouble vfe in the caufino ofa oood workc: Fidl, it giucs the beginning to a good - workc; m Mat.ts.lJ

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