S a C T. III. Falfe Signs ofGrace. 14 fay at the day of judgement , Lard, Was not Iele5led? mu not Iconverted? Did not .1 repent, believe, morrifiefin, etc ? And Chrift lay again, Depart, l knowyou not. if therefore our calling andeleaionmight be made lure by thefe gifts and a- bilities,there might be fornehope, but that cannot be; therefore how fully doch our Saviour(peak to this purpofe, when theDifciples came rejoycing to Chrift , tellinghim,That the Dive's were fn6jefl to them, andthey could workall kinde of wonders , he replyeth, Rejoycenot in this, but thatyour name, arewritten in heaven : where you prone we are to tejoyce in that which affords nogood gtound of comfort, and withal!,That if wehad the parts and abilities of men and Angels, yet if we had not our names Written in heaven, we were in a miferable condition. Oh then fay , This isbut the fruit of the Common Loveof God : the Ions of the Concubine mayhavethis, as well as theEons ofthe true wife : eAbraham gave lib- madCome gifts, but they werenot loch as Ifaak had ; therefore pray that God would give thee tokens of fach a love which is vouchfafed unto his own people in apeculiar manner. Thirdly , Thefe cannot demonflrate certainly The faith of the Ele¿I Paul calls it, our good eftate, becaufe God in the bestowing of theft gifts, doch not at all look co the goodof him that bath them, but CO the good of the Church. There is thisdifference between laving Gifts, andGifts offervice : faving Gifts , filch as Faith,Repentance,erc.are intentionally given to thegoodof him that huh them ; and although a manby thefe may edifie others, yet that is not looked at primarily; but now in thefe gifts of fervice, abilityco pray, preach, and confer or difpuce, thefe are givennot primarily for the good of him that bath them , but of the Church in general. Asa nurfe to a great mans child livethupon dainty fare , not forher own fake, but chechilds fake : Now then thou íhouldelt thus argue , Is Godmuch in alfafiing of thee in praier, in any duties with others? fay, Surely the Lorddid three offl me, not out of any relleil tome, but be had fore child ofhie there to be refreJ6ed,to be enflamed, or quickened by me : Hencefor want of a godly life , manythat have helped others to Heaven, they themfelves are thrown into Hell; they areTorches, which while they give light co others, they themlelves are con. fumed. fourthly, Thatcannot be the true andpropergoodwhich may be turned intoevil. Boutin eft, quo nemo malenei potril, Grace and godlinefa cannot healed to arse- vil end, becaufe impart of Godline[fe CO reRifie the end, the thew of Godli- neffe indeed may. But now all thefe abilities are fo indifferent in their nature , that they may be afedwell or ill : As Auftin laid ofriches , That gad loth Jame- times bellow them upon wickedmen, enfilemthey arenot goodin their own nature ; a- gainfometimeson goodmen, to declare theyare not badin theirnature. Thus it is ofall parts andabilities , they fomecimes are bellowedupongood men,fomecimes capon badmen, to teach us , That as thefubjeas are in whom thefe be, fo may they be imployed : But we cannot fay to of Grace : no wicked man bath any truelaving Grace in him : Why then do you encourage your felves with that which a yedar may have ? one roaring in hell may have ? And certainly thefe abilities and Gifts are inmore perfons made a fnare to evil, then an occafion togood. Satan is more bulk to Tempt fuck : when the Divel firft aflaulced Eve, it wasby theSerpent, as an inflrument that was more fubtile then all the beafts ofthefield; Thus afterwardshe worked, when Satan (educed others by Ter. rna,an, and Origen, he wasa Divel in the Serpent. When thy Liquor boylech, then look to take off the Stumme : and fo when thy Abilities and Enlargements areefficacious and fervent, then take heed of froth and vanity. Omani abs to Diabolus quarit, faid Auflintoa great fcholar yet unconverted to Chrift. The Apoftle in a Cor.;3,and t4, fpeaks of other carnaleffeds of fpiritual abilities, as topuffe up and inflate, to make divifionsand feverall parties in Gods Church, tobring all into confufion and diforder, thereforethefecannot be grace. Lastly, The Apoffle maketh a man that bath all thefe,abilities, yet if without Q1 grace,
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