Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

g a c r . IIL Falfe Signs ofGrace. 159 Luther had no Router oppofites out ofale-houfes and brothel- houfes,then hehad ourof theMonafteries and other religious places,as they call them. And óbferve now adaies,who aremoreimplacable enemies toall godlinefs and the power ofit, then chafe that dote upon ceremonious worfhip ? who manifeft agreater enmity unto a Reformation then íuch.. Shalt thou therefore takedelight,and have hope in thyfelf and waies, when thou art io the firft rank ofthole that oppofe true pie- ty : And the reafon of this enmity is, becaufe truegodlineffe doth difcover the faIthood and hypocrifieof that painted worfhip, and brings it out of repute in the world,allwhich is a torment to their galled hearts. Howcanft thou fay thou art godly, whoabhorreft, reproacheft and perfecuteft it, where thou findeft it praelifed? 2. Here is noground ofconfidence in thefe, becaufe they are confftenr with the ordi- nary pratheeo(gre nandfnfuI1tourfrs,The Jews cried,The temple, the templeofthe Lord, when yet their lives were fraughted with murders,adulteries,andall kinde ofnotorious:Cnfultiefs.; and this is Rill tobe feen,none fo zealous for fuperilitious waits, asmen'eefcorrupt lives, and diffolute converfations; and it feemeth very a man fhould be fo, feemingly for God inworfhip, and yet fo really agaínfl him inprathce. The fiat Chapterof Ifaiab is a molt excellent remon- *rance again* fach then, lheteyournew moons, yourfecri fivesare as ifa dogs.bead were cue of: wabye, makeyoclean. Here you fee that whichGod looks at,isreal Obedience : yea God jadgeth all fuch worfhip a great difhonour to him.And in- deed is mutt needsbe fo, for fach men think God, like thernfelves, Thou thoughtft (faith God) that Iwasfàteh anone as thy ¡elf: God is indeed theGod ofAbraham, t /sacandlacob, theGod ofbelievers andofholy men, but not the Godof Cain, Lameeb, gfaffiaand yesdac: Whit blafpheasy wquld it be to entitleGod to Inch. God is Godofthe living, andnot ofthedead, in this fenfe,viz. who are dead in grole and wickedimpieties. Know therefore,that notwithflanding all thy worih.p,tby ceremonious addredfes, thou art but a"dead corpfe, whichmakes every thing un- cleanit toucheth. 3. Irawanmaynot retieertruflontbe:inflitutedssrorfhipof God, yea nor än the graces wrought by Gods Spirit into, eben mach lelfe in Worflip ofhei own. Paul who once put confidencein his Niel wayof Pharifaifm, when converted, accounteth his very geacesandhalineffe, but dung comparatively unto the righteoufnefs of Chrtff. IfehereFore the templeofthe Leed, the templeoftheLord, be not fan/ha -; sty lure enough teeflee unto, ¡hall the temple ofBaal, or the Image ofMoloch,be a City ofrefugo? Iftbe'Sacraments and Ordinances, appointed by God are not fymptomofrk.ygrace, Can thofehowings and incurvations orexternal .11lifci pline lerup by thy awn feW?' If the green tree cannotendure thefire, fha l6 the dry hay and ftubbleetwonnterwith it? If thy own graces arenot helmet flrong enough to repell Gods wrath, then thy own voluntary worfhip is but as fo many cob- webs, when afurioustempell blowethupon-them. 4. Thefi are sot robe reliedupon, Vehicbarevain andunprofitable ,andfo fru(trate ofthat end*eexpc£l. Now the Text faith, levain do theyloor!hip me; other du- tiescommandedby God, though they arenot pillars tobe leaned on, yet they are not vain... Godfaithnot to f aeabb, tofeekhisface in vain, but all this. fervice is .loft labour : Whohob required alltheft íhingsatyour hands. Nowofall things, to la- bour irt vein inreligious matters. iothefaddeftexpenceofall. After all that zeal thonart never a whit the nearer heaven, thou. art no more indeared to.God, Thy *ate is newaiesfpisittrally.advantaged : yea though it be a fruitleffe labour one way, yet it is not another way; for there is a fruitofthe,f labours, but itisbir eettlefs and wormwood, God is tonte provoked bythee. Thefefalle worfnips will be written down inthe cataloguoof thy otherfuuss; a drunkard, a fwearer, a Sabs bath breaker, and a falfe-worfhipper. Now confider thse this atgffálfe-wprfhips though it be notfo condemned by a natural confcience, yet it is far above all fins againftthe fecondTable rateros paribram ; for, a. God is laid cutely to be jealous about z, 4.

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