SRcT. III. Falle Signs of Grace. 111- and lovedyou : no, not all that white I gave you thofe abilities , and fpirituall Gifts. Thirdly, There is the effeét ofthis declaration: Departfromme,with thecaufe, Te Workers of inigaity : becaufe they wrought iniquity in theDivels name, as well asmiracles in Chrffts name ; therefore they muff depart. Dolt. Although Chriftians are very apt to refl oponParts, Gifts, andgreat obi- `DoEI. Ilties in Religion, asafign oftheirintere1t in Heaven , yet withoat a godly life they Giftsand parts will-prove brokenreeds. inmatters of At the dayof judgement when the fiery trial (hall be, all this painting will melt Religion, 'no away. For the opening ofthis point, let fome things be confidered by way of Ex- Ggnof Grace. plication. Fitfl , There areparts andabilitiesof two forts :'The one Humaneand Natural, .Explicatory the other Divineand Spiritual. Natural parts, are all thofe excellent abilities ac- conliderations. quired by indnttrie,and throughthedifcipline ofothers, thougheven thofe Natu- a. tal gifts come from God alfo.ln this kind the Heathens have wonderfully excelled, and manyof the Fathers converted to Cheittianity, were before their converfi'on, admirable in humanelearning, i dedit TetramTifcatorem,dedi: é5' Cypriaaum Rhetorem, He that called Peter an illiterate Fifhrrman, called Cyprian alfö a great Rhetorician. Thus TertuNfan,Origen, 4ufl,it; Hierom, and others, came into Ca. moan, the CIooreb of God, loaded with Egyptian gold, I mean filed with humane learning : fo that, coat footithatferçionbyform in thefe daies, that God never fanaifïeth humane learning, cxpungeth at onceall thofeglorious Lights out ofthe . heavenly Fiomament.It is true indeed, take theft' natural endowments in theheart, while carnal , they worka finful pride, and tumour, again(} the fimplicity ofGods waies.Hence Aaflin fpake of himfelf,Dedignatoareffe P ARV7l LOS,Ifcorned to become like a little Child, and to admire the Scriptures. Thus alto !Bradwardine, called the profoundDollor, afgaeadfssporem, even to amazement,pi'ofeffethof himfelf, That Whenbeheard Pauls Epifllesread, heWas mach dif{fleafed, becaufc Pant had not Metaphy(cum iugenium, a Metaphificalwit. -Aqd certainly whenNa- tural partscome like Hagar toquarrel with Sarah, Gods Truth, then throw bet outof dores; otherwife iffubordinated, they aregreat helps. But fecondly, there are fpiritual Gifts, fuch as theSpirit ofGoddoth more immediately work in his Church, ofwhich the Apoitle fpeakethlargely, z Cor, Ix, Now the Spirit of God is the Author of two kind ofgifts ; the one Satel ficantia , San$ifying and flying, flachas Faith, Hope, Love, Repentance : The other Miniflrantia, or Gifts of. Miniffratien, becaufe they are wholly for che fervice ofthe Church : The for- slier ..re called xá;ts, the latter Xoeisp¢c rhoughthe Scripturedoch not alwaies fully dtitioguilh Mete two words: the Sthoolmen byDivif n call the former Graces, Gr.aros nos faciontes, makingus acceptable to God; and the other Graces ; Gratis data, freely given. But chisdiftinetion is heil abfurd, becaufe coincident ; for chofe graces which(they' fay) makeus acceptable to God, are allo freely given : And fe- cùndlyitsfalfe ; for true Grace is called Grace, notbecauf : it makech Os gracious and acceptable to God,but becaufeit howeth from the grace-olGod. Now thofe gifts offervcie in the Apoflles time, were more immediately vouchfafed by the Spirit, and more univerfally, infomuch that its madeapromife ,Markt6.16.17. Even to every believer, that great figns and Wonders fhouldfollow him : Thus the Church of Corinth, I Cor. 14 by reafon of fereminent and various Gifts,feemeth tobe like the ueens daughter, aN its gold andcarious needlework In thofe latter dales God alto doth bettow upon men,not immediately, but mediately in the way ofRudyandde ofmeans, many fpiritual Gifts, fuch as thegift of Prayer , the gift ofPreaching, great afiìllance in the exercise of theft, with iolargemrnt of of- fcaions therein : and thefe are much admired as arguments of their holinefs and piety : but the Apoftle told the Corinthians, he had a more excellent way to thew them then thatOf Gifts, which was the wayof Grace. Secondly, Theendofal thofe l iritsta. abilïeiet, is toprofit the Chorekwith them, s, They
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=