Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

174 Falfe Signs o fGrace. S a C r. I I I. *4414'+ ** - ***4444*44 SERMON XXX. That everypeaceable frameofheart, andpefwafi- on of Cods love, is not a five Teflimonyoffaving grace, JOHN 8. SL},. If 1fhauldhonour myfelf,my honour were nothing, it is my Father that honor- sohme,ofwhóm youfay, heir yourGod. IN'thischapter we mayobferve feveral (harp skirmifhes between Chrifl and the Pharifees: but as Satan in his confliéi was overcome by him , fo are his children in thefe hot difputes. ThePharifees in the latterend of this Chapter, charge two things efpecially upon him tomakehis dedlrineodious, the one is,That he hada Divel and to all his Dodhrine and Miracles to comeby Satanical impo- ftures : the other, That hedid allout ofvainglory, to havea multitude of DiJciples , and to beadmired by them : Our Saviour is bothdefenfive in this cattle , vindica- tinghimfelf from thofe horrid afperfions; and offenfive, retorting the fame things upon them,That they mere of their Father the Divel,becaufe he Was aman-flayer,and abode not in the truth : So faithhe, Youfreekto kill ,ne,a man, that is cruelty , who tell, you thetruth, that is ingratitude, Which he heardof God, that is impiety a and becaufe theygloried in this, That e96rahamvas theirfather, hefheweth the dif- parity between their works, and Abrahams works: becaufe alto they Paid, God mu their Father, he driver!) them altoout ofthisrefuge; for iftheyWere ofGod, they would hear and knowhis Word; Children do prefently difcern their Fathers voice. To that accufation ofvain glory, he anfwereth in my text, by (hewing the vanity ofall humaneglory : if I Ihoald lookat this, I fhould but catch at a fhadow, openmy mouth to fwallow air : it is nothing. Now ifChrill did judge all the glory which heIhould hear by his Dodìrine and miracles,nothing; how Ihould tha makeMinders afraid, who affetf honourfor Tomenew notions,excellent Sergrons, and parts ? ChoItdid notglorifie himfelf, why Ihould we then ? Yet !call they fhould thinkhimwithout glory, betelsthem, There is one that honoured him, viz. Godthe Father, by immediate teftimony fromheaven, and by many miraculous o- perations : and to humble them the more, he faith, Tie/a that boss000rerhme thou, ea he ofwhomyoufay, he ieyear Father,of whom you make your boaft and braggs, that he is yours. I fhallftand onely upon this pottage, intending to (hew thht a people may havegreat coofidence,aada bold perforationof heartthat Godis their God , and yet they beof their FathertheDivel. For whereas the fall time I told you a man might have anhiflorical, or dogmatical faith inmatters ofreligion,and yet bedeftituteof Gods Spirit in a Pavingmanner : now I (ball (hew you,he may have forcefidacial applicationof Gods favour, and confidently repofe himfelf in the bofomor arms of Chrifi,and yet Chrilt fay to fuch,Depare,I knowyau not.A ne- ce(fary fubjedh to behandled, becaufe molt people who haveno true claimor iate- rele inGod,yet it is (trange to confider what quietnefs, and peace, and boldnefs they

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