86 ' luket~. "· ~f l[)utit~ in (Jf5cnerai:---··c:b ap·-;s-~'}~4-S: of fin and rebeOiun lVOrkJ in.m)' he~rt-? f once thou.ght, at lcafl, my hr"a-lt.and d?foc.nV~;; good, butncwifcclnofpirltllltiiifc, Odc;<dhtarJ! Iamthcpoorcf/, vtlcjl, bafej}and blirrdcfl crMtl<re rhat ever lsvcd! If thou never fedc!r thy fclf thu•, thou never catlJd( out of thy Ditties. · · . . . . . . • 4- It is a fign thtlt a man refts mhts Dutm, tf he gam no Evangelical Righteoufnelf~ by Duties. ( 1.) if he pnze not, defire not, dcltght not m uwon wtth the Lord Jcfus Chrift. Hence a childc of God ask:es h•mfelf after Sermon, after Prayer, after Sacra– incnt What have I gained of G:hrift? Have I got more knowledge of Chrilt? more. admi;·ing of the Lord Jefus Chrifr? have my affeCtions been ruifed, my graces a<1cd my foul rcfrcfhcd with the delights of Chrifl ? .oo. the contrary, a ;:arnal heart tha~ refts in his Duties, asketh only, 'What have I d.ne? 1 thank._God (fatth the Pharifee) I am not as other mpz arc, ---I fajl tlvivd·1n> the IV<tk._ I give tithes <ft>J/ thAt I pof!effe: So I pray, and hear , and reform ·, ·and forrow for fin, therefore I think "' o rh« verily I lhaU be faved? • no fuch matter: let a man have a bucket ofGold,doth he think Chri1\itt• wouldObferve to get water, becaufe he hath a bucket? no, no, he mufr let it down into the \Vell, and the -ro•i~ draw up water with it: So muil: thou let do\Vn all thy Duties into the Lord Jefus <hat they C!uifl:, and draw life, and light, and grace from his fulneffc, otherwifc (though thy wcaldo!J'er"' Duties be golden Duties) thou lhalt perilh without Chrift. Oh that the Miniflers of ;;.:;,:~:h.,[::; Chrift wouli become fons of thunder in this matter ! many have had experience of <he mmer of Chrifls enabling, enlarging, encreafing the common gifts of his Spirit ; b11t what have rhcm be they felt of Chrifts renewing, fan£tifyin.'{, and Jualtng of their lujfs? Ob, its far more fpi•innl, are comfortable, to findc Chrifrs power melting thy heart for fin, monifying thy lults, ~lfo fp~irual quickening thee up to holinelf~, than to finde ten thoufand enlargements in holy 1n the cff~tt, whcrltec •hey performances. · leave them more hum!tlc,oac(d of thcmrelvcs, m_,rc dcpcnttingupon ChriO: ancl his grace, mo~ morrificd to the worM,. ar.d the rcmptations thcrwf! it may fall om, that a mans rcligiom Juric1 be the 1\age,upoRwhich at! a. man~ lulls {locmu– ncmty ilt,asthcPhadfccs, who ditl all thiAgs ro br f((ll ofmen. B'ot,•s, Trcarij~ of Graer:. •'"' .t S E C T. 5· Of the Vfe and Endl of Duties. A Nd canll: thou not, 0 my foul, be faved by thy Dmies? to what end lhoulde!tthou 1'1 pray,~H hcar,or farrow, or r~pcnt, or meditate, or examine, or confer? I anf<.-er, -there arc many ends and purpofes, for which Chrifl:ians may , and muf~ perform DutieJ, . 1 thef. S' 1 6, r. That herein,and hereby,they may exprelfetheir obedience tv Gods \Vill; Rtp)'« 17, 1·8. . ,ever~nore:~ pray without ceajing, in every thin~ give rhanlz!, for this is-the VJ-~tltc{G'odin · t;:hrifl JefM concerr-ingyou (faith the Apofl:lc;) <tnd this was the ground of· D:~.•·ids l?fal, '119-M· mference, thou h~<ft commanded m to .f<.:epthy Precepts qiligemlj: Andwhntthcn ? 0 that my wayes trere dire{}ed to k}epthyftatutes. ' ' 2. That God the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrifl: may be honoured by theperfor• _m,an>e ofthefc Duties : Hereill is.my Father glorified, rhal_you bcar'mHchfruit~ and :IS John IS. 8. .the Apofl:lc, Ye are achofen Gentration, aRoyal Prieflhood, an holyNation, a pcadia ~ Pet. •· 9· People, th4tye jhould]hewforth the praifes ofhi11t 1vho hath calledyo~t·ollt ofdarlt.!"ffo ima his marvclloNs light; Abrah8mbelif"Jed, P..ndga-ue'G•dglory: So we lhould pray,and me– dttate, and hear, and alllhould'tend to the glory of God indeed. Hypocritesareat . ·:~ Mat. 6. 2. s•••. other ends, bygiving (l/mes, and praying, andfafling ,,that they may have<~ioryofmen,.-· Thatt~eymay_befem ofmen,-- Tht<t they_may ap~earunto men,- But the<?hildc of C!ad a•mes at the glory ofGod. I confclfe its Gods-grace to account of mans Dxtyas hrs glory, feeing it is fo defe<1ive. · l· That Duties may be as Evitknces ofGodscverlall:ing·lovetothe•nwhoare.in ,Chrift Jefus: They.cannot favc; but they l!et the foul iit to Chrift, and follow and acc;ompany fuch a man as /hall be faved: We henr of fome tharboafl of joyes, fediRg, Sb:pb. ibid. gifts; Spirit, and Gr..ce; but ifthey wa/kjn the coilimi!Jion uf aiiy one flit, or in th£o7mJJion of Any one k..n•wn duty, or in the flovenly i!IJavourtd p'trf{lrnumce of'Dmiesr thq c.a11 ha"Jl 2 P<t. 1. i, 9, no "Jli":'""" ({")'what they pleafe) witholtt flattering ofthemfllves : If thifc thingrbein 10. JO'f' (f111'h Peter,) ~ndabound, they will mak!.you thaf yejha/1 ncvn· be barren;orimfruitfd in the k,.~~wledge ofoHr Lord Jefus Chrift; and he that lackjth<h1' rhings is blmde,-– ~ • · · · \ . ·~ ~ JrJ'lJrrifort,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=