I TO Falfe Signs ofGrace. SECT. III. Itat*IVIWAtattlAtItttIttlt SERMON XX. gis andParts in matters of kligion, no fgn of grace. MAT. 7. 22. Many will fay unto me in that day , Lord, Lord, be. Ur Saviour in this verfe, and that going before, removeth two foundations that believers are apt to build their hopes upon, TheFirfi is a bare name, and profeffionof Chrillianity, without the real power of it, whole infufficiencie we have already difcovered. Nomen finealit d- officio, nihil cil , laid Salvian, (peaking to this purpofe, Chriftianity ina peophane life,is ornamentum in lnte,ajewel in a dunghil. The Second weakand rotten foundation is inmy Text, and that is, Gifts, and e- minent abilitiesbeflowedupon Chriltians:and thefe feem to be a very Itrong Pillar, andProp. But our Saviours afiertion about the unfoundnefsof it, is very terrible, andyet very neceffary to thefe times : wherein men are like trees that (prend out into manybranches, but have little or no root. r. In the wordsyou have the deleriptionof their confidence,inthat phrafe,Lord, Lord: which arguethnot onely vehemency, but boldnefs, and as if accuftomed fa- miliarly to call on God as theirGod. z. There is the ground of their confidence ¡ have not we Prophefed in thy name, and in thy same call out Divels,and in thy name done many wonderful works? Thole Expofitors that thinkthey lyed inPaying thus, as if no wickedmen were made par- takers of fitch wonderful giftsof the Holy GhotI as here are fpecified, attend not to otherplaces of Scripture : neither is that difpute neceffary, whether they were true miracles that they wrought? or did indeed talc out Divels ? For Peeing thefe gifts weregiven for the good ofthe Church, and not of thofe that enjoyed them , there isno ground to deny thetruth of their miracles. Only obfervehow they lay much upon this,That all theydid was in Gods name, which they thrice repeat : That is, atthe commandof God, having authority from him, and by his power adminiltred unto them. 3.This is aggravated by the number ofthofe who (hall be in this fruflrated coe- dition: Many,not One or Two, but Many(hallfay. La(tly, Here isthe time when the weaknefsofthefe foundations will be difcovered, In thatday, viz, at the gnat day ofjudgement,when all hidden things Al be difcovered : Implying, that they li ved and died with great confidence that God was theirs, but never were convia. ced oftheir deceittherein till it was too late. In the next place you haveGods an- fwer to thembeyond all their expeftation,illuftrated by thefree and open decla- rationof it. Fitt, Then daillI profefsunto them:The word hach feveral fignifications: here it denoteth a publick and lolemn declaration. Secondly, The matter declared , I never knew you. That is, approved of you, and
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