Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

SE s c r. I I. Trite Signs ofGrace. 93 bafer mettal can plead it fel f to be gold, betaufe of Tomecommon accidents there- with, and therefore their morality, intelleftual perfe6tionsarealtogether flefh- ly ; for fo its good to know that as Spirit differs from Spirit, one fpiritual man from another, as one Starre differs from another in glory , infomuch that one would wonder how the fame heavenfhould at Lail receive men fo different : fo one carnal mindiffereth from another carnal man, asmuch as a garden from a dunghill, andone would wonder that the fame bell fhould beat late the fame re- ceptacle of fo different converfations. Corruption is not only in groffe aftions, but in theminde andunderftandingofa man, yea themore glorious it appeareth tobe many times, it is the more carnal; Asyou fee theDevils arecalled uncrean fpirits, who yet arenot guilty of groffe bodily frnnes. Oh therefore that you would confider, there isan higherand more glorious way of living then that which moflattain unto : Chriflianity ftampt upon a meercivil man, defuitute of Gods Spirit, isbut like theKings Pifture upon a braffe ¡billing, as long as the materials arecounterfeit, thefuperfcriptionwill not advantage. Bapti/m, Chri- flianity, and all other glorious fuperfcriptions put upon thee abiding in a moral! eftate, is no advantage for heaven there mutt be power from Gods Spirit in thee. A fecondCorollary is, That thegracious and fantlifying Works of Gods Spi.it, Gracioz. and are only a teflimony of being inGod,net chofe commongifts ofhisSpirit, flab ,TS parts;. fanftifying abilities, of$anceand enlargements ïnDuties, no nor Prophecies and Revelations, if works of [he f achWere to be had. Thefe indeed men moil covet after, as accompanied With Spirit only' arc more applaufeand admiration; but it'sbetter to fpeak one wordwith the grace i lign of oar of Gods Spirit, thenten ihoufand with themeet gift of. his Spirit. One would being godly n< f wonder indeed, why God fhould diltribute fuch glorious gifts to thole, whom, coarmon gii[s. he doth not love toeternal life ; but his waies are alwaies juif , though fome- times unknown tous ; yea there are other workings of Gods Spirit that come nearer to fanftíflcation, and yet are not it. Such are, tome forrow about finne, fome illumination in judgement, Tome joy and delight in the Ordinances, yet thefe argueonly GodsSpirit working in us, not dwelling in us. And their opera- tions are only trament norpermanent ; and it is agood ruleof Bonaventures, Illa tarrtaum dicuntur ejfe in anima, Ionfont inea' per modum'quieru, cetera funs mages ab animâ , queen in animâ. Thofe:things are properly in the foul which are init by way ofreff,andcentre in it.Yea hence it is(which islunch to be obferved) that all thofe operations ofGods Spirit inan unregenerate man, whetherofthe.for- merr,,,,or latterfort, they are provacoatie a or ercitativeof the fleflt only in a man. Thd's fudaoby all thofegifcsof Gods Spirit to him, was made more flefhly. A temporary believer byall his faith and Joy is made more flefhly ; for hereby he groweth more confident in himfelf, leffe poor inhis Spirit, and fo leffeperceiving the needofChrift,and hisgrace,by which he is more fetled in a carnal way.There- foreobferve, whether all thyáffiflance, enlargements, tranfientmotions ofGods Spirit, have not this event in thee, to make theecarnal andcorrupt in a refined manner. Wherein CPiri= in thenextplace, Letus confider inwhat way this fpirituality is manifeffed, rualhyin enty And is manifcf ed; FirI, The nature ofthem it different fromall meet humane aftions. The a(fs of and howit is a faith, love, and other graces, are above the whole fphear and power of nature ; lgo. tannesandJambres were able to doTome wonderful) things, as well as Mafes, but r there were others again, inwhich they had no power atall. Thus thereare ma- ny humaneanions ofprudence and juftice, that make men very lovely and ad- mirablein theeyes of others ; butthen there are other aftions, fuch as theope- rationsof habitual graces, and to this they can nomore reach, then a dwarfcan touch the heavens. Hence theScripture fometimesaddeth the word Spirit,when it woulddifference grace from humaneaftions, z Cor.q.r 3. Having thefameSpi, rit offaith,Ephef6.i8. Supplication ineheSpirit. Phil.3.3.Whicb'Worfhip Godtis N 3 he

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