A Box of precious Ointment Or, Mat. 15428. and Chap. 8 26. It is one thing to thew you the-pro- pertics of a man, nei another thing to thew you the properties of a thong man,/ Pe; 2. 3. I John 2. 1,1Z) 13)14. v. zekr3.2 2, v. The third Maxim or Confideration. ""Hirdly, confider, In propounding of evidences for MC1T tO try their fpiritual and eternal elates by, there are two fpecial Rules for ever to be minded and remembred, and thefiril is this, That he that propounds evidences of grace, which are only proper to eminent Chriflians, as be- longing to all true Chriflians ' he will certainly grieve and fad thole precious Lambs of Chrift that he would not have grieved and fadded. Look, as -there is a ftrong faith, and a weak faith, fo there are evidences that are proper to a ftrong faith, and evidences that are proper to a weak faith : Now, he that cannot find in hirrifelf the evidences of a ftrong faith, he mutt not conclude that he has no faith ; for he may have in him the evidences of a weak faith, when he- has not the evi- dences of a ftrong faith in him ; in Chrifi's school, Houfe, Church, there are feveral forts and ranks of Chriftians, as babes, children, young rnen; and old men ; 'And accordingly, Minifiers in their preaching and writing, fhould fort their evidences , that fo babes and children may not be found bleeding, grieving and weeping, when they should be found joying and rejoycing. Secondly, no man mutt make fuch characters, marks or evidences of a child of God , which may be found in an hypocrite, a Formaliii,&c. for this were to lay a fiumbling block before the blind, this were to -de- lude poor fouls, and to make them glad whom God would not have made glad ; yea , this is the high-way, the ready way, to make them miferable in both worlds. The rule or evidence that every Chriflian is to meafurehimfelf by, muff be neither too long nor too ilort, but adequate to the Mate of a Chriftian ; that is, it mutt not be To long on the one hand, as that all Chriflians cannot reach it, nor yet fo short on the other hand, as that it will not reach a true Chriftian; but the rule or evidence mull be fuch as will fait and fit eve- ry fincere believer, and none elfe Some Chriflians are apt to judge of themfelves, and to try themfelves, by fuch rules or
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