The Life of. Faith. is fully known. To leek and hope for no better than we know, and to know no more than is objeftively revealed, (while we hinder not the revelation) is the blamelels imper- fcQionof a creature, that hath limited faculties and capacities. To knowwhat's Beff, and yet to chute, and feel an inferiour i.nconfiftent Good ; and to refute and neglect the Beff,when it is difcerned ; is the courfe pf fuch as have but a fuperficial opi- nion of the good refuted, or a knowledge not wakened to fpeak fo loudly as may be effectual for choice; and whole fnfuality mafiereth their wills and reafon, and leads them backward: And thofc that know not, becaufe they would not know; or hear not, brcaufe they would not bear, are under that fame dominion of the fl.fh, which is an eutmy to all knowledge, that is an enemy to its delights and intereft. To profefs to knowgood, and yet refufe it ; and to profefs to know evil, and yet to chufe it, and this predominantly, and in the main, is the defcriptionofa felf-condemning Hypocrite : And ifmalignity and oppofition of the Truth profefd, be added to the Hypocrifse, it comes up to that Pharifaical blindnefs and obduratenels, which prepareth men for the reonedile»s fin. Confider then but of theprofeffi;n of many of the people of this Land, and compare their prae ice with it, and judge what compaflion the condition of many doth bcfpeak. Ifyou will believe them, theyprofefs that they verily believe in the invifibleGod; in a Chrift unfeen to them; in the Holy Spirit, gathering a holy Church to Chrifì, and impioying them in a communion ofSaints : that they believe a judgement to come, upon the glorious coming of the Lord ; and aneverlafting life of joy or torment thereupon. All this is in their Creed : they. would take him for adamnable Heretick that denycth it ; and p:rhaps would confcnt that he be burnt at aftake : So that you would think thefe men fhould live, as if Heaven and Hell wereopen to their fight. But O what an Hypocritical Gene- ration are the ungodly ! how their lives do give their tongues the lye ! (Remember that I apply this tono bettermen.) It is a wonder that fuchmen can believe tbemfelves, when they fay they do indeed believe the Gofpel: And thews what a mon- tter the blind deceitful heart of an impenitent Pinner is: In good ladnefs can they.think that they truly believe that God is God,
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