Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

io0 retieSigns Of Grsce. thee, but howart thou to onethat is thy neighbour of the fame profefjìon and railing? now itmay be the eminencyof his graces andworth carrieth away the efieemand repute from thee, Canft thou for all this rejoyce in his graces and abilities, praife God for him, and,fo that his glory be advanced , thou carelt not though God lay thee afide, as abroken veffel? This is a good fymptome of grace. Oh ( Beloved ) if we confider the jealoufres, heart-burnings, contenti- ons, envyings, ftrifes that areamong the godly, Doth not thisdemonftráte that they are ina great meafure carnal ? Are not moft of thefe contentions from the flefh, who (hall have molt power, whofe way (hall have moilfollowers and ad- mirers ? Whereas true love togodlineffe manifefteth it felfin this , that it rejoy- ceth in thegraces ofothers, praifeth God for them. It is an high finne to make godlineffe a fat ion,a party, as that whereby1 will have carnal advantages. The Apofle contradifteth this, when he faith, we know noman, no not Chriff himfelf after the fle.A. Byreafonof thisfelf- pleatingit is that atTaft we inclofe godlineffe, andmonopolize itto our ownfelves, that none (hall be godly but thofe in our way. Thus theDonatifls would call no men Chriftians but themfelves. Thus Tertulian, when he turned Montani.$, pretending toRevelations of the Spirit, wrote a book againll theOrthodox, which he called Adverfus Pfychicos, as if they all were but carnal, andnatural men. Thus many rigid Lutherans difpute the Queftion, Whether Calviniflsmaybe reckonedas Brethren, and they de- termine negatively., Takewe heed therefore, howwe envy the gracesof others that overtopus. Auguiline thought this to be thefinne aping the holyGhofl, orve- ry near. But it cannot be fo, becaufe we have inftances evenof fome godlymen who have been tainted this way. It is an hard thingnot to lookupon godlineffe and the truths of God,as ours, more then as Gods, which doth breed carnal and humane difpofitions inus. Know therefore thatfo farce asthou envier' and grudgeft at theexcellencyof anothersgodlineffe overtopping thee fo far, thou haft no love to the Brethren. ;;This love to Thirdly, This love to the Brethren is tnanifefled by the contrary, viz. A zeal the is againfi finners, aninopatiency andholy grief at the Wickedneffe of others. That as ma eal by the A oflle faith Cainhated Abel, becaufe his ownworks Were evil, andAbels good, zeal againit P linnets. fo a godly, Abelis grievedat the converfationof the wicked, becaufe his own are good, and the others evil. Thusa godly man is defcribed by thisCharaeter, Pfal. 15.4. In whof eyes avileperfon is contemned, but he honoureth thofe that fear the Lord. You havea notable inftance of this in Lot, 2 Pet. 2.8. where righteous Lot is faid t o vexhisfoul by hearing and Teeing the wicked Sodomites. The Greek word fignifieth to torment hisfoul, and it is ufedofthe damned in hell. There is alfo an emphafis in the phrafe, his foul, he Bothnot fay himfelf, but his foul, as ifa fword had pierced. Thus God faith, His foul /bail bave no pleafure in the backfilider, whenhe would expreffe his great abhorring of filch ah one. Fur- ther this torment is amplified in the inftrumentsby which, both infeeino and hear- ing. Lot was among the Sodomites as the Dove among Hawks, a Sheep among Wolves, a rote among thorns, abright Starre in a dark night ; and this did fo much afllift him, that Augufl. inpraf. Pfal.69 cals this a perfecution, and faith, The evil deeds ofthe Sodomites Were aperfecutionof Lot. Hereupon the fameFather proves, That theperfecution ofgodly messfouls by Wickedfcandals, is teorfe then that ofTyrants killing the bodies. And Bernard fpeaks excellently to this purpofe of theChurches bitternefie, Amaraprim fait in sect Martyrum, 'amarior pollee inconf itlss hareticorum, fed amariffimain moribus domeflicorum. Try thy love to the godly, by thygrief and trouble that cometh to thee, through the wicked neffe ofothers; for feeingby their evil deeds, God is fo much dilhonoured, how canit bebut that withDavid, Rivers of Water jl'onld runne down thy eyes, becaufe men keepnot Gods Law ? and Davidlaid, Re hated thofe Whohated GodWith a perfeli hatred,that is,a full,abfolute, irreconcilablehatred,which is to be under- flood of their' will not theirpetfons. Fourthly,

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