I GoftJ if Chri.ftiam doubting ' State IH., • · truly tende'r of offending a gracious God; endeavour.s to· walkbefore him unto aH pleafing; and is grieved a-t the heart, for what is difpleafing unto him, 1 John v. 3• For thiJ i.r: t~e love ofGod,that "11/C keep his cGmmandmentJ. Now, al– though that fenfible love cloth not always .cootinu-e with-you; yet ye have no. reafon to account it a hypocriticalfit, while– the rati'Dnal love remains with· you ; more than a faithful> and lo:viog wife needs qu~'!Hon her love to her hufband, when h.er fondnefs is abated. CAsE 5. The attainmentrof hfpocritu.andap~flatu are·. o terror: to me, and come like a jhaking florm on me, rwhen: I am about to c~nclude from the markJ oj g-race rwhich ljeem to find in myfelf, , that I an: in. tbe jhlfe o} grace•.' Anj. Thefe things !hould ·indeed fiir u-s up to a mofi: ferious ~nd j mpartial examination ofr ourfelves; bul oug.ht n.ot , to keep. us in a continued fufpenfe as to our, !late. Sirs, ye fee the optfide of hypocrites, their duties, their gifts, their tears~ 6c. bm ye fee not their infi.de ; ye do co.t difcern the ir h,earts, the bi·as of their fpirits. Upon w,hat ye fee of them ~. ye found a judgment of charity, as to their 'lla'te; and ye do we1l tO· judge char\t.ably' in fuch 'a caf.e, becauJe ye can -. not know the fecret f,prings of their, adings : But ye are.– f~ekiog~ and ought to have a Judgment of certainty, as t O; your own fiate ; and therefore 'are to look io to that part of religi;on, · which none in the world but' yonrfelves can dif· cern in, you,. and which ye· can as little fe~ in others . ·Ail! l_jypocrite's religio.n may appear far greater than that of a. 1iocere foul: but, that which makes the greateft fi-gure in ; he eyes of m;:,n, is often leafr worth before God.. I would, rather. ut.ter one ofthofe groans.tbe apoflle fpeaks of, Romb, - viii. 26. than fhed Efafl's tears, have Balaam'J prophetic fpi ~ rit, pr the j-oy oft he flony ground hearers. Thcfire. thatjhall try ev~ry m·tm's ·work, will try, not of what bulk. it is, but o.f qj)ha-t fort it ·h, I' Cor. 'iii. 13. Now, ye ' m'ly kno.w \vhat.. , - bulk of reli!;'ion· another has : aod what tho.' it be more bulky than, your ow,n ? God doth not r;eg<u,d t·hat: Why. .then.do, you. make fu.ch a maHet of it .. It is impoffibl~ for. you, without divine revelation, certai-nly toknowofwhat fort a f1 other m.a.n's religion is : but ye certa-inly knowwhat fort 'yo:ar <lWO is of, without ~xtraordinary r-evelation .; oth.e~ - - w.tfe the apofUe wo.. wd not e.1hort the famts to geve d1{r· ' genae·
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=