164 Falfe Signs ofGrace. S s c r. I ÌI. The fad ef- fefts okmin- ing in anex- cernall obedi- ence. fefan if madeunto Flvation. The heart without the mouth is not enough for falvation. The fecond fort of hypocrites difcovered by external) obedience, is profeffedly difputed againft by ?awes. There were fome who thought it enough to beleeve the dofhrineof Chrift, althoughno good works flowed from this faith : Now theA- poftle doth by many arguments demonftrate the abfurdity of fuch a conceit, and makes this faith no better then that of devils. Shew me shy faith by shy woriej : faith the Apoffle. So that iís a a vain confidence in any man to prefume of falva- tien without external!obedience, and good works iffuing from faith e for faith and holinefle is infeparable, and faith bath a twofold operation, which can be no more disjoyned then light and heat in the fire, the one relating Hs is , within, to Chrill laying hold on him, the other as Iço, without, bringing forth godly fruits toeternall life. Though thereforeyou cannot by the pretence of outward obe- dience neceffarily conclude eternall life, yet by the abfenceof them you may in. ferre eternall death. Thefe things are confrderable by way of expofrtion. In the next place, confider the fad effect upon that mans foul who deceiveth himfelf with this lign, thinking all that God requireth lyeth in Inch an outward conformity. Firll, He will never feethe neee f ty of being a new creature ; He findes no necefli- ty of change, but in the outward man only : Whereas the main and principali work of grace is that which reacheth to the heart of aman. s ça, God beginneth the work of grace firft upon the inwardprinciples and affe&iopsof the foul, r Th.. 5.23 Ipray god fnlifreyore throughout, your *hole .fÿirit;/tintand body : firft ípi- rit, then foul, then body : and thus ourSaviour pleadeth that the tree muffbe made good before the fruit can. When the Prophet intended to make the bitter waters ftveet, he threw his fait into the Spring as the fountain and caufe, which ifonce f,eetned, would make the fireama fo, it is therefore a wofull condition to live a man ignorant of the heart- change that fhouldbe in thee. Thou haft been pro- pl:ane, but now thy life is changed ; Thou didit commit fuch and fuch finncs, but now thouhaft left them, T,his is well, but if a greater change and alterati- on bath not been made in thy foul, thouart yet in a hateof fume and wrath, ch therefore look about thee,and fear left God have not wroughtTuch aglorious work within thee as is necef ary. A fecond fad confequent is the negle(f of, ,Chrift andall bis offices ; foras a man is trained up in thisexternal) obedience, and thinkcth the Law requireth no more, he Teeth no needof Chrift; He findes not the heavy and weighty cafes of the law hanging over him, but is fecure and quiet, as if all were fafe and well ; Come unto the ye that are heavy laden, and 1 will cafe you. Till a man finde a load upon his foul, he d.fireth no eafe: Ye are they that ju(lifie your felves, faith our Saviour : hence they fought to eftablifh their own righteonfnefe,. and would not fubmit to the r,ghteoufnefe of Chriiï: fo that what Atheifm cloth in refpedof God as he is go- vernour of theworld, exclude and Ihut him quite out ; the fame doth a morali tiggtteoufneffe toOrd, as he is a Mediatour, and cloathed with righteoufneffefor us; fuch being full of themfelves, theyare asif therehad been noChuff, as if he had never died for us. Thefe make Chriff in vain, his life and death in vain, and all the glorious riches ofGods wifedom and grace in the Gofpel a meet figment. Thirdly, Here is this evil) effeft alto, that purityand halinefe of heart which Cod doth cs eci lly look at, is quite laidafide ; for howcan men bewail the inwarddefile- ments and foulneffe of their heart, when they feel them not ? how can they defrre thepurifying and cleanfingof the foul, when they feeno neceffity thereof? Hence all this obedience is but a workof nature, not,of theholyGhoft, and focome far lisant of the excellent frame God requireth. In the third place let us examine the grounds, why it is no fafety to reft upon fuch outward obedience. And thefirft is, Fromchofe many caufeswhich may pranceaid eutytardright:. revolve!: 3. Rcafons of titepoint. t.
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