374 A Box of precious Ointment Or, thefe royal Forts. Give me leave to offer thefe three things briefly to your confideration. Firft, Our bell graces and performances are not corn- r menfurate and figure payment in the eyes of pure juflice ; all of them as inherent in us, and a6led by us, are but imper- feet excellencies. No man hath fo much grace and holinefs_ as is required, nor Both he fo much as he is obliged to do.: Every particular grace, though it be of an heavenly and di- vine original, yet it is like the Stars twinkling , though placed in the heavens ; fo that if God fhould enter into prA, 143. 2. judgment with the moll righteous perfon, even the righte- Job. 4.314. oufnefs that is in him, would not be fafety and defence unto Rotp.3. 2.0. him j for what a deal of pride have we mixt with a little hu- mility ? and what a deal of paffion have we mixt with a little meeknefs ? and what a deal of hypocrifie have we mixt with a little fincerity ? and what a deal of earthly-mindednefs have we mixt with a little heavenly-mindednefs ? and what a deal of unbelief have we mixt with a little faith ? 0 Sirs ! in the great bufinefs of your accefs to God, and-tf your acceptance Rctin. 3. to, to with God, andof your reconciliation to Gcd,and of your ju- ver. 17. ftification before God. 'Tis beff, fafeit and noblell, to bot- PhT1.3. 8)9110 tom your faith, ihope and expeCtation, infinitely rather upon imputed righteoufnfs than inherent righteoufnefs , upon what Chrift Ins done for 7011; than upon what he has done in you. Inherent righteoul'ilefs is flained, imperfea-, impure ; but imputed righteovfnefs is pure and perfe& ; if there were any thin, or any imperfeaion in that, it could not juflifie us, it Could not Pave us, it could not fecute, us from wrath to - come. Such evidences as aile not fetcht from any thing in us, nor from any things done-by us, but are fetcht by faith from our free juflification,and from Chrifl's full fatisfao-ticn which he hath wrought for us, will be found the aloft full; the moll fweet, the moll refrefhing, the moil comforting, and the molt fatisfying evidences. Chrift is all fair, all perfe61, all pure, and therefore let him be moil in your eye, and molt upon your hearts ; but here take heed, that you don't look upon your graces,' or your gracious evidences, as poor, low, weak, contemptible things (as too.many do) for the leaft of them
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=