Brooks - BT750 .B7 1669

A choice Bed of Spices. 1.3.7 her,a. Meier, a Magi rate, a Mini/ler. Remember this for ever, every one is that really that i-ie is relatively. 'Many make a great Profeffion, and are under a great Name, and have great parts and gifts, and can difcourfe rarely well on any lubje6t, whofe houfes are not Bethels, but Bethaven:, not little Temples, but little Hells. One, writing of the 1ta. lian women, faith that they were Angels in the ftreets, Saints in the Church, and Devils in their hbufes; this is very appli- cable to many high Profeffors this day, who are very forward in the general-D It ies of Religion, and yet make little Con-. fcience of relative duties; but he whole obedience fprings from Faith, he will make Confcience of relative commands as well as of abfolute commands,: Whatever Command bath the flamp of God, the Authority of Heaven upon it, though it feem never fo. fmall, he dares not d ifobey it ; if he fees a beam of divine Majefly fitting upon the face of any Command, he will filmic to it ; you know men will not re- foie a pein'iy if the Kings (tamp be upon it, fo if the Authori- ty of God be flampt upon the leaft Command, a found Chti- &Ian will yield fu4naion to it, as well as thegreateft.Mark, if a man make noConfcience of relative Commands, though his.general converfation as a Chriflian be never fo admira,-; hie, yet he bath great caule to fufpeel himfelf and his eflate, and that his heart is not right in the fight of God. O that you would ferioully confider ! that relative and .ciOnneflicaf Graces and duties do more dertionfirate'true piety and.:.gOd linefs than publick duties, that general' . duties do; for Pri(leo Vain-glory, Self-ends, and a hundred other outward, carnal confiderations, may put a man upon the general du- iies of Religion, as you may fee.by the Scriptures in the Mar- gent, and as you may fee in the Scribes,and'Pharifes through- out the New Teflament ; but it argues both truth and arength of Grace to be diligent and conicientious in the'dif- charge of relative duties, and this is the true reafon why the Apofiles in their Epifiles, do fO frequently, fo earneftly,.and fo ftrongly, by variety of motives Treis Chriftiai:s to the performance of thofe relative duties that .lye upon their hands. B it, Thirdly, Aett-8, ar. ilL cL 1,2)3, 4)5. Hof. f.14. zecla,z 4, f)

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