96 True Signs of Grace. S a c on or refraining grace for true faving grace, you take John Baptifl (as it were) forChrifl. Be therefore in the numberof fpirituall ones ; Morali Philofophy, theLectures of Socrates and other Heathens, haveput a man upon an external Reformation, but Gods word only is the infrument to convey his Spirit intoour hearts. 1444444FbFJktot` ,AGiht14lñh4,ttatttAlills SERMONXV Ilír, Love to the godly is a Sign of grace, I JOH. 3.I8. We know that we have paged from death to life, het-aide we love the Bre- thren. THeAp1 ofle johnin this Epilfle cloth much preffe the Grace and Duty of Love, as the fire that ought to be on the Altarofour hearts, for every Sa- crifice towards God or man ; not onely the Holy of Holies, and the molt inwardparts ofthe Temple werecovered with gold, but the Pavements and Our- workJ allo. Thus all our a/lions whether cowards God or manought to be done in love. At the r ash verle ofthis Chapter, he commends this duty from the Antiqui- ty of ir, it's the Commandment they heard from the beginning; which isilluftra- ted from a contrary exampleof Cain, defcribed from his original, Bewart of that wicked one; and from his aétuals, Heflew kisbrother ; and this is amplified from the impulfive caufe or motive of this his horrid wickedneffe , He flew him, be- taule his ownwork, were evil, and his brothers righteous. Semper aliena virtn s for- midolofa ell laid Tacit*,. InGen.4.we have the occafionof Gainsenvy, Godhad refpeft to Abel and not to Cain, which as moll judge, was by fome extraordinary teRimony that God gave to Abets Sacrifice, as theApofile emphatically expref- feth it with an Article Heb. ai. 4, (..47,PAt7`rk 'sa, '"'Ç&fog4,';'F, Oar , it's gene- rally judgedby fire fuddenly falling from heaven (as God did at other times) therefore the word tohave refpeFIistranflated by Theodotion, lso ens, Inflam- neavi t Deisfuper Abel ; but why AbetsSacrifice was better thenGains is alto qne- Ytioned ; Paul Heb i ',faith, Abel offeredby faith, oeAelo,aaooiat abetter Sacrifice, which lome referre tothe Quantity, as if Cain took the refufe, and Abel offered the bell. Some to the Quality, He oferedin faith, and the other not. A learn- ed man Clap. de Sacrifie. thinks that Cain offered only an Euchariflical Sacrifice of fruit ofthe ground, and fo did not beg for pardon of fin; but Abel offered an Hilaftical Sacrificeby way ofexpiation,whereby through Chrilt hepealed for pardon, and therefore was accepted, fo that he refembleth Cain to the Pharifee, that only gave thanks to God, and Abel to thePublican, who humbled himfelf, fup licatingforpardon, A_. adfoment away jetfiifiedrather then the other. Hereupon becaufe every Abelwill have a Cain(as theFathers proverbial fpeech ìs) verl t 3. be comforts the godly againft theiraffliftedcondition, It is nowon- der ifthe world hate that which is of heaven ; and ver.14. he returneth to ano- ther argument for this gracious Love, and that is from the profitable effeft, it is a fgnwe have puffed from death to life. In
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=