S à c III: Falfi Sign, ,ofGnice: 115 they have in their hearts , when indeed fear should compafs them round about. Dolt. Every peaceableframe ofheart,andconfident perfsnafiott ofgods love, ienet" afore teflimony thatfuch anone is in the flare ofGra'c. Patel,Rom, y. Sheweehhe was alive Without the Law, Thatis, he had great qui- etnefs andeafe of mind ; he thought himself in a lure and fafe way : but alas , this was hisignorance, hisbliodnefs . Even as a mad in a dungeon may think himfelf fafe, when there are Serpents and poyfonous creatures round about him , onelyhe Both not fee them : or as a man in a Lechargr feelsno pain, thoughhe be near the gatesof death Such is the conditionofmany perlons, they thank God they have no trouble, their foul isat much eafe and quietnefs, they doubt not of Gods fa- vour and love to them: hence in themid(t oftheir aflí Lions theywill fay, I thank my good god, when (alas ) we may layof fuch, asChrift of thefem.+,Yeufaybeis year Father, butyoahave not knoWnbim; fo they know nothing powerfully and praftically about God. To open this , Let as confider what is the nature of this fecure quiet. odic. Thenature of . Fiat , It is accompanied Withagreat deal o feafeand peace in a mansbears, fo that this falfepeace: their confciences have noterreur, no tremblings, but all is well within them. Now I. that wicked men may be in fuch a condition, is plain by that where they fay, Peace, our from ter- peace, thenAO come fudden deflrtedion : and the Pfalmrftdoth with fome kindeof emularion,dcfctibe the joyful quiet condition of many wicked men. They have, no bonds hi theirdeath : They teem to livemore cheerfully, and dye morequietly thenGodly men : fo then,all peace and quietnefsin thy confcience,is not prefently a good testimony ; for this fecurity mayarife from blindnefs,from f lf-love,from a fenfelefs cauterizedheart, as is tobe (hewed : So that this frame of Spirit is fo far from beingboafted of, that it is indeed the wofullelt and faddeft calamity thatcan be; better,to befo many Gains,fearingevery thing will damn a man, then to be one of Lachijh,fitting at eafe , and fearing nothing. Jr istrue,the Prophet faith, There is nopeace, faith my God, to the Wicked : and is therefore compared to the fea, alwaies foaming and difquieted : So that by this place , we would think it were not po(ïible for a man to bea wicked man, andhave any peace, but the Scripture fpeaks there of a true and right peace, fuch as when the Apoftle faith; Being jallified by faith we have peace with God : Infomuch that the wicked mans quietnefs Bothnot deferve the name ofPeace. There is onely a for- bearance ofwrath: and it is becaufe hisheart isrotten, that it feeleth no pain ; even asthe memberof a mans body rotten,is not fenfible ofany torment. The A- poftle freaksoffume, whohad cauterized confciences, Searedwith an hot Ilea, or cat of, as Lomeexpound it : andofothers who werepall feeling. They were fo brawny and crafted over, they had no fenfe ofany pain : Alas this cannot becalled peace. Take heedtherefore left that fecurity andquietnefs in thy heart , come not from a mere rotten, fenfelefs, (timidity in thee.Certainly this truth loth muchcon- cern us do not think to put offGodas pea, did Ifaak;do not think to (teal a blef- fing'andheaven fromGod; Secondly As there is sothing but quietnefs within, fo there areboldand confident perfwaflons about CJod,andhie love towards them. Now a mans condition cannot be They are per- more defperate then whenhe is deluded with a refolute perfwafion that God loveth fwaded ofGodg him; evertas fomemad asen havebeenperfwaded that they were great Kings and love. Emperors, and had fuchgreat Kingdomes, when at the fame time theywere under cruelbardflaip. Oh fuch amadnefs is uponmofkmen,that do not, with theDive!, lookuponall theGlory of the world, and fay falfly, allthat is hie, but upon all the Glory ofheaven, and fay prefumptuoully, all that is his : This was the Phatifees impudeocie,whowere confidently perfwadedthat God was their Father, thathe he loved them, when they were the miferable wretched Impps of Satan I This al. fowas the grandmurkofall thofcexpoftulations the Prophets had with the Yews, they
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