322 I Car, 2. 14, 1 Jobli. fe. Job fpeaks of the hypocrite, as is evident, Ver .8.. 2, Cor.6.150 6 A Box of precious Ointment :Or, This great Doolor was fo great a Dunce, that he underftood a no more of the dorine of Regeneration, than a meer child does the darkeft precepts of Aftronomy. Look, as water can rife no higher than the fpring from whence it came, fo the natural man can rife no higher than nature. An hypocrite may know much, and pray much, and hear much, and fait much, and give much, and obey much, and all to no purpofe, becaufe he never manages any thing he does in aright man - ner; he never carries on his work from inward principles of I faith, fervency, life, love, delight, &c. Will the hypocrite delight himfelf in the Almighty ? Anf. No, he cannot de-, light himfelf in the Almighty. a. To delight in God is one of the highea acts of grace ; and how can an hypocrite put forth one of the highest aOls of grace, who bath no grace ?, An hypocrite may know much of God,and talk much of God, and make a-great profellion of God, and be verbally thank- ful to God ; but he can never love God, nor truftin God, nor delight in God, nor take up his refl in God, &c. 1. An hypocrite knows not- God, and how then can he delight in' that God whom he does.not know ? An hypocrite has no in- ward, faving, transforming, experimental, affe &ionate, pra- aical knowledge of God ; and therefore he can never take any pleafure or delight in God. 3. There is no futablenefs between` n hypocrite and God, and how-then can an hypo- crite delight himfelf in God?There is the greateft contrarie- ty imaginable 'twixt God and an hypocrite. God is lightond the hypocrite is darknefs ; God is holinefs, and he filthinefs ; i God s righteouthefs, and he unrighteoufilefs ; God is ful, nefs, and he emptinefs. Now what complacency can there be where there is filch an utter contrariety. 4: Every hypo- crites heart is full of enmity againfl God; and -how then can he delight himfelf in God? The carnal mind is enmity againfi God, for it is not imbjeEl to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. The belt part of an hypocrite is not only averfe, but utterly adverfe to God and all goodnefs. The Eagle (faith the Phi- lofopher) bath a continual enmity with the Dragon and the Serpent. And fo an hypocrites heart is fill full of enmity against the Lord; and therefore he can never delight him- felf Rom. S. 7. To delight in isChrifti- ano.ripn ropria victu,s, faith fiOrotn,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=