178 Falfe Signs of Grace: S n e r. !It (elves, and we chinkGod loves whatwe love. Thus the Pfalmift notably to the fecure wicked man , Tbouthoughtef Iwu fuch an rae .e t4,y 1f: as the Roman painterbeing in love with a woman, painted every goddefs lie the woman he lo= ved ; fo Bothevery man fecup fucha God in his thoughts and affections, whichhe would have, and is molt like himfelf : and by this means, becaufehe faith , ad is Well, he judgeth all good withinhim, therefore he luppófethGod doth fo alto. Oh then know, that felf-love and the Spirit,of Adoption,differ more then heavenand hell. Indeed ifthy affurance,if thy boldneffecome in the Spirits way, it were a comforting by it, a rejoycingby ir, then thou mighteft rejoyce and be glad in God : But when it comethfrom thy muddy and filthy hearr,all this will waft,. a way. It is God that juftifieth, and it is God chit condemneth ; it matters noc though a thoufand heartsjuftifie us, ifGod donot. Ifa malefathor becondemned, and path a pardonfrom inferior magiftrates,hejudgeth that nothing, unlefs the hi- prune üfagiftrate abfolve him. Oh, therefore judgethyfelt ; think, it may be for all my good thoughts God faithotherwife : I bleffe it may be, but God curfeth ic . may be ; and know,it cannot come from any thing but carnal Jove , ifthóu haft this boldneffe , And yet liveft in groffe fins unrepenced of , and unre formed. Secondly,Itiedecauf[Satandodo not frown upon,troubleandmóleflthem,Now 2. thatcannot be called a good quietneffe, or a goodpeace which is fo onely becaufe the Divellooks upon themas his own, and fo no wife diflurb them : our Savi- our dothabundantly confirm this, whenhe faith , That as long as the (bong man keepetb thehoofe, all things areat quiet:. Thus thofe that are under Satans Domini- on, they have jollity, fecuriry, hardneffe ofheart, that fothey may not be fenfible of their mifery, and thereby reek an efcapeout ofhis Mares. Tharaoh then ufed the Ifraelices mofe cruelly , when they began tobe weary oftheir bondage, and to reekcomfort fomewhereelfe ; fo thatthouhaft little caufe to be glad of this thy peace, for it is a peace thouart beholding to the Divel for ; ft is he that liar- dens thy heart ; it is he that makes thee delperate ; that hashputout thy righteye thatthou canfl not behold the enemythat lyeth inwait againft thee : Therefore do thou no more be fecure in this quietneffe. Thirdly, This boldconfidence Bothnot amp fromagood motive: It cometh from 3 general apprehenfroñs of Gods goodneffe and mercy, fuch asheathens have. They conceiveof God ingeneral, asone who is altogether merciful: they think he that . made them,will fave them : whereas divelsmight thus argue for hope,becaufe God made them, yet hewill not cave them. What a miferable fupport is it to have no more ground for thy falvation, then the damned fpirits in hell have ? But a true graciousconfidence is from the Covenant of Grace in Chrift ; it bath refpettì not to the nature of God abfolutely confidered, but relatively, as in Chill reconciled with us. Hence the promifeof God is mutual, I will be their god, and they /baI1 be my people : Do not thou thinkthat any natural apprehenfion about God can give, the leali hope, know this muff come wholly by revelation i fec the word of God slide,whichdoth reveal Gods good plealure tobelievers, and the way of pardon And falvation is no more poflible then that of the Divels : fothen the godly mans confidence is from Scripture revelation anddiretfioa, whereas the prefumptuous mans is from naturalfuggettion. ,f, Fourthly , Thisconfidence isdefeflive, becanfe it Both feparate and divide [hole thingswhich Godpath infeparablyjoyned together, andthat is eke means and the end. The prefumptuous mans confidence is maintained and kept up, though he go not inthe right way, yea, though hewalk ina contrary way : as chofe wicked men who though they defiled tbemfelves with abominations , laid, Ne evil [hall come nighue : and fuch as hadmadeaCovenant with Hell and death : but the godly mans faith, it cleanfeth the heart ; and hethat bath this hope,p erifiethhimfelfeven ,as God is pure. How unfufferable is it to fee a man confident of Gods love, and yet walk continuallyiothe wayes hehateth I There is nomaking our callingand e- leétion
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