Chap. VI. Of Eternal Judgment. faaor y and meritorious, that God is pleafed gracioufly to reward with tl)e Crown of Life the mean Servrces of thofe who are by a lively and purifying Faith united to him. S"ondi.J.. Sincere l)bedience, that is a uniform and intirc. rcfpea to all the Commands of God wdl alone be accepted in that day: for Ius Authonty runs through all, and bmds rhem o~ the Confcience. David had this refrimony from God htmfclf, that he n~aJ a ma~ after !Ju own bwt, t!Jdt Jt~lfilled ail hu ,.;/1. And St. 'John refers the decilion of oYr !late eo this, If o"r hearts condemn ru of any allowed Sm of om~ffion or commtlTion, much more God JVill, TVho i5 gnater than our hearts, a»d knows all t~mgs, 1_ John 3· 20, 21. But if the illuminated tender Confcience cloth not condemn u~ ofmfinc.enty, we bave confidence towardi God, that he will fparc and accept us notwithll:andmg our Frailt!Cs, and give free and lafe occefs into his Prcfcnce. The lives of many arc chequer'd wrth a ll:rangc difparity, they ~re re{hain'd from fame Sins of apparent odioufnefs, but indulgent to others; they are ll:ria in fome Duties, but loofe and flack in others, as if they hoped by \vay of commutation to be accepted of God ; to expiate their delinquencies in one kind by fupererrogating in another. Some are painted Pharifees in the Duties of the firll: Table, very exaa ~~:~;~/,o~fjl~~\ic~~~~t~~~~y~~~~t~~!'ri~yu~g~:~b~~~~~:s i~r!'i~ ~~~~a~e~i~~o~~ ral in the difcharge of their Duties to Men, and negligent of their Obligations to God. But parrial Obedience can never endure the trial of Confci:nc.:e, much lcfs of God. For what is the weak light of our Minds, to the pure Eyes of Ius Glory? It will make us liable to i_nward rebuke no_w, and to.open c~n.fufion at the lafi .. St. Pa~tfs ~ejo;cing wa~ from the tejltmonl of his Confounce, that tn Jimpltcttl. a'!d god!J Jincertty h.e had h~ co~verfatto'! in tbe world, 2 Cor. 1.1 2. And, as he expre!fes It m another place, lt was f11s dat/1 e:xercift to have a collflience 'Void of qlfence tolvards God, and toJVards men. T~lO our conquett jj[ Sin be not compleat, yet our rciOlution and endeavours mull be to rnorttfy it in evt:ry kind, Tho our Obedience has not the perft.:ftion of Degrees, we muft be equally regarding the Divine Law. If there be any fccrct-f3.vour'rl Sin, either of Omiffion or Commiffion, it will render our Petitions unacceptable at the Throne of Grace, and our Pcrfons at the Throne of Ju9gmcnt; If I regard inirpdt) inmyh:art, the Lord will not hear m; prayer, TheLaw. reqUJres the performance of our Duty wtthout abatement, or dcnounceth the Pcnalry wuhour allay or mitigation: The Gofpel has not rclax~d the ll:rianefs of the Law as 'tis the Rule of Life, but as 1t was the condmon of obrammg .Lt!e. Su~ccrc Obedience IS ~cceptcd by tha~ graci~us Covenant? where th~ Legal Perfeflton JS wantmg; but that is indifpcnf,~~~~~D~~;et~ 1!a~~·Ge~;:;:;;~~u~~;~~~J'i~f~teJf t~~~~~f~[ to~;~a';; [,~~,Cre~~' ~~i~~v~~~ lrke Drfpofition made him more capablt to conquer, than to meafure the Earth; fo that tired with the firil: l'ropofirions, he defir'd his Mall:er to make the Scheme more clear and plain, and eafy. to him. * To whom. the Mafter replied_, that the. Theorems of that Science •i Cui pr:rccP. were equally difficult to ail, and reqUtr'd the fameattenuon of Mmd ro underftand them. to~: ifh, .ia ~ ~~~a~~~?:~Cs'i~rtl~~~Ir clq~~~cd,o;:J' ~?rl:~~r5:I~i~~~~aerilli~~t~~ ~~~:~r~~1~~~u~~~~ ~~~£~r~t~ demnatlon. Sen. Ep. sl · To the fincerity of Obedience, I 0Jal! add a more rell:rained Notion of it as refpet:ling Religion. Tire Duties of Piety confill: of an outward and inward part; and the one ~~~~ili~~ '~~~~~:Y ~fbtl1~af1~;:'i~~~'~i1~~~r:e~~ic:nJi'fco~~~~ of~fJ'~l~~,~~i;~/~L~ea~~ Motive? by whic!l Men were aCle~ ; . and then he that is a Saint inwardly, in the ~'pirit, ~~~re:'~1~ h~~~ ~;.',!~~£ t~0~~i~Yft~~~~~j~~ ~~;a~e~a~~~ir~r:~~~~~.~~!:Ca:fof i:Y fo~fe~ cular Ends, IJJaJI be reproved. This will ~e a caufe of wonder in that day, that many who are hrghly ejleemed bJ Men as excellent Samts, foaU be tm ~tbommatton to God. Thar in the broad way to Hell thoufands go thither is fad beyond expreffion, but notll:rangeatall: but that 111 the Path of Heaven any fbould defcend to Hell, is all:onifbing. Tlm thofe wlrolrve Without God 111 the World, 111 the profane negle£1: of his Worfhrp in a drffolute drforderly courfe, 01ould fall under Condemnation, is believed of all: bur ;hat rhofe who have appeared zealous in Religion, fball be at !all rejeaed, is contrary to univerfal expetla tlon. And not only the grofs Hypocrite that deceives others, but be that deceive• hrmfelf by theexternal praaiceof holy Duties, without correfpondenr lively afteCl:ions;. that pra¥s With that coldnefs as rf he had no de fire to be heard, and hears with that carelef· nefs as rt he had no defire to be fanaified by the Word, and is converfant in other parrs of Drv111e Service in that flight manner, as if be had no defign to be raved, fball by a con• vmc111g upbrardmg Lrght fee Ius Wrckednefs,m drfbonounng that God whom he pretended to worfbrp, and negleaing his Soul. When the Upright as pure Gold fball be more Q_q q radiant
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