6o R.:;nedic. 1'rieour knowkdge. 1 :t Ad.IS·J• b lolO::,·S+ RemeJie. Trie thy fJ.itb. l"w~w:~.ycs. 1 e GalJ.ti. eAnExpojition of Chrifls \ M.mb.5· ---- 1.1.29,~0. hy Chrifl: now this they know as wcl1:1s the A bcfi; :md hereupon they become contemners of r'lrtc ' pr~aching- of the vvord, the ordinaric mc:1ncs ot their laluarion, as of a thing nccdc– lc!lC and fi1pcrfluous. This conceit is common among vs, and do rh much hurt to many a mans foulc. The ¥vay to cut it off is this; the vainc man that is puffed vp with this conceit, muH exa– miNe himfelfe tor~cJJing his /:.!trnvle~'!,e, whether it hefojficient toJ41uruum. And for this ende bee mull: make inquiric m himfelfc for rhcfc tV\'O things: Firft,··Nhcthcr he fees his ownc naturall blindncfft:,and vvhcthcr he be mooucd thereby to labour fat thc·knov\'lcdgc ofGod and ofhis will; where rh is is wami1~g, rhere is nothing bur a vainc conceit of kno·wledgc. Second'J, whether his knowledge be ioyneJ with con:. B ucdion of heart from finne vmo God; and with lcfol"tnation of lifa from cuill to good. This change ofhcar}o.and life gocth v-.•ith all fa– uing knowledge. Now if rhcfc be \Yaming(as vndoubreJly d1cy arc in all vaine perfons)then is their knowledge fo farrc from bceing fauing knowledge, protitablc to faluation, that it ra– ther turneth to their deeper condemnation. The fecond imagin~tion in a man, occaG.o– nincy him to Gnnc, is the perfivajion of hUflrong faith. The more ignorant fort tlut want both faith and rcpcm:mCc, \oYill thus braggc of their fhong faith; that no cuill·companie cah hurt ,them, and hcrcvpon they ra.ko·o:ccaG.on to Hue as they lift. But that this is a va:inc prcfumpti– on, mayhereby appear~;bccaufc :t truefaithpd- . rifieth the heart, and bJlrenitheneth a m:tn in C iifetfJ aUtJidJinne, yea, it mit;lftrrth f!veete com– forttoward.r thaimcof death. But vfually thcfc 1,ncn that bragge and bo:dt fo much of their faith, are corrUpt: in heart, Gnoefull in life, and fcarefull in their death;-many rimes dcfpa1ring of Gods mcrcic, as lamentable experience oft times tcachcth-. ~ :·· theway to·cut off this o<.·cdion of offence is·this; to ?tiak,s rriall in our foluer whether our fait/, h!: true mid{oH11dur not. This will appearc ('.:.\'0 waics : Firfi, by the bcginnin..,.s and degrees ofthe \Norkcs of thcfpirir, which go beforea true :md liucly faith, which be t}lrce: firft a rruc fioht of our finnes, ,·,jth an apprt– hcnfion of tl~e wrath of God ducforthcf~mc: D fc<.·ondly, a truC forrow and grccfc of heart for offendino God by thcfe ot~dinncs: and lafrly, <iil hung~incr d.lld thidling~ aftc1· the merCic and oracc ofGod in ChriH, aboue all worldly things: where thcfe things arc,thcrc isgrace; bur where rhcfc arc waming, rhere is no trq<; faith, but a vainc prcfumption. Sceondly, faith will appeare by the worke of loue : for in Jeuc v.:ill faith bring forrh all the duties of the mo– ralllaw,both ro God and man: for c fairhwor– k!thby lo11c, and lortcis tbc flilji!lingof tiJr:law, Rom. I 3. 1 o. Nov\' :,.ll fi1ch pcrfons as !land fo much vpon the ilrc11gth of their faith, fl1aJ1 [oone find,if they examine themfelues by ~he(c. t\\'o Rules, that they ~1auc nothing in thembm a vainc prcfumption, whichwill nunc to their deeper condemnation, vnldfc they repem,and get true faith. The third Im:~.gination cauftng a man w finnc, is a tho:tghr nffcc:JI'itie, whereby he puts farrc away th<: cui!I ,by; pcrfw:rding himfclfc that though God will come in iudocmcnr againfl tinne,yct it is f.1rre dtf.This wa~ the \Nic– kcdthoughtofrhclcwes, vvho f:1id, Thedvid Ezcch.u . filmsfi'e~ved to the Propheu, were of times a farl'e 2,7. off, m1dfor man)' d~in to come. This conceit is naturally bred in cuery man,and is the occafion of many foulc finncs : March. '4- 4E. Therdl Jeruant {aid i~J h:~· hrarr, my ma}Jer dorhdeferrt' hU comming, rwd the,rmpon he takp occajion to fmiuhisfei!owu, and to liue lewdly.Ifa. 28.15. The wtckJd fay, thry haue madeacoitenantwirh hrll anddcarh, t!nd though a fconrge runn~ ouer:J andpaj[c· through, ycr it )ball not come at them. And the vngodly, that walke after their ownc lufls,_tay, cW~cre_is thepromife of his comming? t 1.Pct.3-J•'f· 1 And 1s not tlus w1ckcd thought rife amongvs> for God hath now a Ion~ time c::tlltd vs to repentance by the preaching of the Gofpd, ~md becaufe it takes no place in our hcarts,hc fends vpon vs his heauie iudgemcnts, as plague, famine, rumors of\\'arre; but yet all this hauc not caufed vs to meete the Lord:gcntrally that complaint of the Prophet may be applied vnto VS:~ f No manfoith, what hm1e 1done? now the f ler.$.6. caufe hereof-~ is this wicked conceit, whereby \VC thinkc grhe cui/!Jl'a/1 not come nor haflen g Amos9.to for vs. Ip this regard we arc hkc the men ofthe oldc world, who would not bclccue Noah, though he preached vnto them both by ·wor.d and dcedc; and{o1h')' 0;mnothing tillrheflood cameandtook.$thema/laway: fo fcarefull is it, to put avvay from vs the thrcamings of Cods iudgcmcnts. And yet d1is Gone takes place not oncly in the ignorant, but many turtes in the hearts of Gods children. The way to rl·mooue this wicked conceit is, RcmcJie. to efleeme of euery prcfenr d4J, M the day of our death, or ofthe iafl mdgement, and fo actordinglJ, to prepare our {eiHestodie,andtomeere God in iudgm:(nt euer; d;!Y· This thing Mofes aimed at, when he praictl-God h to tet!Ch himaNd h Pfal.sro.u his people fo to number their d9es, that they might applie theirhearts vnto wifedome: for this perfwafion of long life, mooues many to giuc thcmfclucs to the ftnncs and vanities of this wor!Cl cxcelliuely: ·we muH thereforcfhakc off this vainepcrfwafion, and cucryday.preparc our fcllles for de:tth, :md for the dsyof iudgement; fo Jl1all we number our daies aright,and applie our hearts vmo wifedomc:for this is true wifL·dornc in man, ?·ight'J to confdrr h:5 latter cnde.,.And the more ncattr cloth this durie conccrnc vs, bccaufe ofthe .continued intcrcourfe of GOds iudgcmenrs vpon vs, in· famine, plague-, and pdlilcntc, &c. which plaindy.argues, thac'morc hc:tHic iudgcmcnts are. to cn– fue,vnlc!fe we prcucnt.tht fame by fpeedic and \ true 1
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