356 DIRECTIONS FOR GETTING AND KEEPING vice to him, and a father and - loving obedience to him, it is strange that men should suppose such a. strange opposition as -these men do. Certainly God doth not to, when' he saith; "If I be 'a father, where is'mine honor..? and if f be a master, where is my fear ?" Mal. i. 6. And Isaiah i. 3, 4. " Hear; O heavens, and give ear, O earth ; for the Lord hath spoken, I- have nourished and brought up children; and theyhave rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and 'the ass his master's crib, but Israel doth not know, my people cloth not consider. Ah, sinful nation, a 'people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children that are corrupters,' they have forsaken the. Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, they. are goneaway backward." And Jer. iii. 19. " Thou shalt call me, My father, and shalt not depart away from me." And 2 Tim. ii. 19. " The Lord knoweth who are his. And let him that narneth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." And Psalm lxvi 18. "If I 'delight in iniquity, or regard it, God will not hear my prayers," saith David himself. Doubtless Paul did not forsake Christ's righteousness by confidence in his own, when he saith, "This is our rejoicing, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation.among you ; " 2 Cor. i. 12., with many the like which.I before mentioned. Nor doth the Lord Jesus at the day of judgment turn men off from his righteousness, when he saith,, " Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful in a very little, I will make thee ruler over much ; " Luke xix. 17. Matt. xxv. 23., and calls them thereupon righteous, saying, "And the righteous shall go into life everlasting;" Matt. xxv. last. It remains now that I further acquaint you what use you should make of this observation, concerning the dependence of assurance upon actual obedience. And first, I advise you, if your soul re- main in doubts and troubles, and you cannot enjoy God in any way nf peace and comfort, nor see any clear evidence of the sin- cerity of your faith, take a serious view of your obedience, and faithfully survey your heart and life, and your daily carriage to God in both. See whether there be nothing that provokes God to anunusual jealousy; if there be, it is only the increase of soine Carnal interest in your heart, or else the willful or negligent falling into some actual sin, of commission or of omission. In the mak- ing. of this search, you have need to be exceeding cautious; for if I have any acquaintance with the mystery of this business, your peace or trouble, comfort or discomfort, will mainly depend on this. And your care must lie in this point, that you diligentlyavoid these two extremes; first, That you do not deal negligently or unfaith- fully with your own soul, as either unwilling to know the truth,
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