,, . ~11. '"' ·Ge(ls Omn;(tie?lty (Beloved} is ofgreat concernment; we think toput offGecl with the number of our duties, f.1 many prayers, fo many Sabbaths;- but God t:~kes none, accounts of none before he. - wcigheth them, If theJ be fuch M ceme .fi'om found11nd ~epprinciples •f grace, ifthey t4re from a re.. ~enerated nP~.ture, thet~ they are received, otherwife they are caft awa} .uempty chaff. Oh then remember there is no religious duty, rlo holy per– formance, not this thou art about in hearing of the word at this time, but God fearcheth to the bottom of it, be know. ' eth the inward .worth of it, whether it ba·ve aiLthat juyce and moifiurc of grace, whid~ ought to be in all our:auties; . and herein it is, that Gods judgement and mans is fo diffe. rent, the] judg! according to outward appearance, th~y love– and hGnour fuchfor godly men, whom it may be God ab· llorreth as unfound and · rotten hypocrites : That -which u highly tfteemed amongfl men , u an _abomination hefore God: Our Savi6ur fpeaks it in this very point, and givet~ this rea– fon, for God ftnoweth the heart, Luke 16. IS· 'And the Ape– file, Rom. z. ult. fpc2ks admirably to this, when he tels us of a circumcijitm of the heart, 'Whofe prai/e u not of mmhHt ofGod. Oh this is comfortable, when i 11 thy religious waies thy praife is of God, he approveth thee, .he liketh thee: As for the repute and efieem of men, that is a very deceitfl}ll rhing, they cannot look into the heart. · 3· , 3· God doth not only knowth~ in6de as well as the out• He knowe~ tide of our works, bu_t he k..noweth the heart, the (e~tt of all our the heart and. thou11ht1, 11nd tiJe principle ~f a ll our actions": As Jer. 17. ro. feat t>f our 6 J ,. h h h d h . ._ works· I the Lora 1 earc t e e~trt, ~rn try t ernm. Even astue Ar.. tificcr that makes aw:ttch, he kaowcth all rae pares and mo• tions of it ; this clofet of the heart, nonebath akey to un• J~k it bot God himfelf, fo that before ever any thing com– cth eo works, before ever it be in thy praCl:if~~ God feeth it in th~ womb as it were~ and conception : As if a man could tell where the arrow would hit, before it be lhot out of the . bow : This knowing of the hearts of all men is attributed to God as his property only. 1 JG,Jg. 8. 39. we reade ofEft/ha difc~vering what was in · Gehe~ies hea~f, bat this was becaufe tbe Spirit Qf God did m1nifefi it t.~ llim ; even as .one. man . . . IDlY
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