-~;--- - -----;T:;::-h:-e-fi-=-u-re---;:;1:- .rt:-.a-:-l-of::-V-p-:ri-oflh::-t-ne-/s-. ----- Fuvot!r of God: So tl~c. outward forbearance of Sin withou~ inward Purity, c:!n ne\ er 'iommcnd us to the Dtvmc Accep~ancc. ~Rebel may be <l~n·cn from the f ronr:ers, bu lo long as he keeps rhe Royal City, he IS unli1bdued: So 1f a Lu fl: keeps l'olfciEon of the Hc~rr,. th0t_1gh the cxccuuve Powers may be retained or dtiablcJ from rh.:: . outwar~.t ACts , 1t fbll rctgns. l·. I Dtallnow prove that the keeping . a Man's fclf from his fpceial Sin, is an undeccivmg Evtdcncc of Smcenry. 1. God apptO\'CS it: I was uprig,bt hefore him. God has 1101 E.Jes of Flejh, he dDtb not fee as !11an fees. The dcepefl: Breafl: IS as. clear as Chryftal in Ius fight. He weighs tbe Sp1nts of Men, and exaCtly knows what IS true Gold, and what is counrerfeir. He is the Searcher and ] udge of our Hearts , and his approbation is rhe Ctrongeft Seal of our Upnghtncfs . As God fatd to Abrabam, Now I kno1v tbou, (earefl me? in that tbou haft not rf)itb~held thy Son, thine only Son fronz. me. So if we Sacnficc at h1s Command, the Sin that 1.s as dear to us ~s Jfaac was to lus father, the Sin of our Love and Delight, the Sin that 1s ours by Cho1ce and Cuftom, then we fl1all hear rhe bldfed Te!1imony from Heaven, that we love G<:>d m Swcent_Y ,; he Will own us as his Friends. Smcerc Chriflians can appea l to God m the Pfalmtfr s Language, and with his Affections; Lord, fe1rrcb me, and try me, and fee whether there be tiHJ way of Wickednefs in me : They are not confci?us. of any indulged courfc of Sin, which would make them fearful of his pure and p1erc1ng Eye. 2. It will appear that the keeping our fclves from our peculiar Sins, is an infa\\ible Pro?f of Uprighrnefs, by confidcri.ng in what it conlifi?. . In Scripture Uprightncfs is cqmvalent to Perfection and Integnry, and oppolire to Gmlr. Pfal. 37- 37· 1. 'Tis equivalent ~o PerfeCtion; Ma:k the perfe{l Man, an~ beholcl the Upright; far the Ent! of tbat Man zs Peace. The abfolutc Perfe~ion of ~obnefs is not attainable up~ on E.arth, none ar.e re~n' d to a h~ighr of Puriry. Without M1xt~1res and Allays: I3ur ac. cordmg to the nurigatton of the Gofpel, the Samts, whoiC Atms, Deftres, and Endca· ~~~~'fnd~l~~n~:t~f'al;;r~~~~~;· S~~~ ~~c~i~~j/~1n~~~ld~~~dw~h~~~1~Jfof,"~;~~ile ~~hl fenfe of the Gofpel , and confequcntly with Uprightnefs. This \Vill be more evi· dent, by conf,dcring, that UprightndS is equivalent wi~h Integrity. The Pfalmifl: prays, L et Integrity and Uprightnefs preferve me. Integrity unplies an uniform equal rcfj:>e:Ct to all the Divine Conunands. When Confciencc of our Duty to God, and the reverence of his Aurhoriry D1ining in his Law, inclines us to obey all his Will, we are Upright. Partial Obedience that divides the Precepts, and complies with rhofe that arc agreeing with our Carnal AffectiOns and lnterefr, and neglects the refi, is as inconfrll:ent with Sincerity as Death .and Life.. As the Soul in the 1iatural Man is a vital Princ~pl~ from whence all the AC:hons of Ltfe and Senfc proceed ; fo renewing Grace is a Pnnciple of Univerfa l Obedience. Herod did many tbing,s f)a d!y, upon tbe preaching of John tbe Bap · tifl: But he would n6t part_'Y1th Herodltls, Ius charming Lufi fhll had domuuon m.lus Heart. . The young. M~n obierv~d ot~1er Commands of the Law, but when our Savwur ~~;~~ ~se![::;;:'k~;,~o;n;~~:~~ici',g l~~;~::/'a~a;']or~".~j,;,~ic~~:C~::;f~{!so~;a:!~:'t~~ Sin , and blafted the Sincerity of his Obedience. Uprightnefs is oppofite to Guile. Our Saviour gives this Tefi:imony of Nat?anael, Bebole! an Ifraelite indeed, in wbom there is no guile ; a genuine Son of Jfrael, whofc Cha~ radcr was Sincerity. Guile impl ies a refCrved Affection for a particular Sin, t111~:cr a pretence of religious obferving the Di,·ine Law. The Scripture .fCts forrl_1 by ConJugal Love, the dearefl: refemblance of the Mutual Love berween Chnfi and hts Church. If a Wife fl10uld take another bcfides her Husband inro her Embraces, fhe is an Adulterefs, falfc ro her Husband ; and all her amiable attracti,·c Society with him, is but rhe fin.c ~~E~~ri~od1~dn~~~~~;~~na~~i~;~!;e n;;ftus f~~~~:ts 01~e~~;~~::-~i;l:~ ri~~~;:;:;n:h~,;~:~: ~~ on;.~~~l~~:1~efl~!lf~J~1~1I1~~g~i~~~ plcs of Uprighrnefs recorded in Scripture. 'Tis faid ~f Noah, be was aju./1 A1an, and perJefl in his Genera:ions: For w/J(n ~he wbole rVorlrf /a) lil wicketlnefs, .he pre.(erv'd birr:felfmt/potfed from tbeJr Pollntions :, Thts .was a nob.l c.._ T~lhmony of hts Upn.ghn:er~ m tl_1c d1ccm of God. Jqfe_ph repelld the tmpurc SohCitatJ~IlS of his MifirdS With mdtgnatl?n; H01v /ha~!!. do tlus great Uric/.:erlnefs , anrl jiJI a,~Jtl~!l r; 0 r!? .David w.hcn old, at~d lus B.loocJ. an~ Spmts fo frozen, that 1~0 ,Clo<tth<.J. could war!ll him, that a fatr young Vtrgin lywg 111 Ius Bo10m was not bl cnu01 d by hJJn,
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