Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

S a c T. III. Falf Signs of .draee. 121 arrived as farre as we oughtto be. .Indeed it will beeafily granted, fora man to hear, pray, or beleeve the Word òf God without Tome inward affeftions thereup- on, that hemay bejudged a dotedWithout water, 4 tree without /nit: but when thisoyl runneth from the head to the inferiour parts; then may we not fay All is well. ButBalaamt confederationof thegood ef}ateof the righteous, wrought in him affeftions tóhave fuch anend as theyhave. 2. We are prone to make thefe all in all, becaule aft/lions are fnjble and we -. 2. fiel themmoving of as : Now we are affefted and confirmed mot by things of Becaufe ofthc fenfe. The reafon whys godly man findeth it fohard to live by faith, is becaufe fen have fo muchof fenfe in us, and it is no mean work notto judge according to on of Affefti- what we feel. Therefore that man who is in a falte way¡ whether of doarine; ons. worfhip, or life, andyet lindes comfort and confolation therein, is in a Very fad and dangerous condition. The devil transforming himfelfinto an Angel of light, of joy and comfort, doth the moll incurably defhoy. It is no good Argument I have comfort in this way, therefore it is ofGod; but let it by firli difcovered to beof God, and this will breed found comfort. Lalby, Therefore are we apt to rely on this moft, becaufe this doth lookmof likegrace. Of all fallefigns thefe do come nearefl.' Temporaries are affcded.al- moil with the fame feeling as the truly godly are, infomueh that tome. have thought ( though falfly) the difference is only in degrees: fo that it is eafi r to convince men of the unfoundneffe and weakneffe of all figns rather thenof teas, although men have therefore the greater caufe to fear herein, rather then say where elfe. Therefore in the next place confider, ivby thefe afeeftions are not to be lootd upon asfilchan /lr.<thatWitl five, When the deluge ¡wall olterfow. Andfiril, Thefemotionsargue only Gods ffirit, worm in thee, not dwe!ii.ng in thee. Now chegodly they are the temples of the holy 04, and being members of Chrilk they oreanimated with the Ipirit of Chrif notonly affing but infir,nit <. The Spiritof God in a temporary is like an Angel appearing is tome ontwa:d fhapeor body; there was aneating, a drinking, but the Angel was.only a forata sating notinforming that body: therefore the bodies theyaffumed did not live, neither were they nourilhhed, or couldgrow by all the food they took, but the Spirit of God is in a godly man like the foul in the body. I do not fpeak of 'a perfonallanión, as if they made upone, as thefoul and body do one man, but of a mord union, or a union myflica/l by faith, with a confiant inhabitation. A' woman may have many expreffions of love from a man, but yet not prefently fach as give a conjugall afketion, Therefore thou cans draw comfort from . thole things only which argue the fpirits inhabitation, not the Spirits motion or operation. Secondly, A fecond ground is in the Text, Thereare better thingsin the way of Heaven then there. Now we can take comfort in nothing bue that which is the bell workfor itskinde, of Chrail: in us. There are better things then praying,. hearing; with foine affeftions; and that is a renovation of the heart, a deep radi- cation of grace in thy foul : Whereas now if we fpeak .of the fairing graces in the godly, it would be abfurd to fay we hope better things, then truly ro be- letve inChrift; really tomortifie fume. It is true, there may be a graduallbet- tering of them, bit not a ljecifrcall. Laifly, (becaufe more of this in another place) They are not things thatac-. company falvation : Ifa man bad thehighef degree of temporary faith,temporary, joy, yet no promife ofjollification or falvation is made to Eacha perfon : There are great promifes made tothe beleever, to him that rejoytech in the Word of God, but they are not tobe underiood of a temporary faith, ora temporary, joy : he thatgoeth no further then thefe, bathno promife in all the Scripture to comforthimfelf by : whereas the leaf} degreeof true faith andfncere joy, may Withall boldneffeapply thepromife: Úfez;

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