S H C T. Una II. Of &egenerslien. 235 Converfation be neverfo unblameáble and pious , yet if there be not a found confltutionwithin,it will not endure ; Know.then this confideration goeth deep- er thenthe former., this happily may fhake the foundation of.all thy Hopesand Comforts thou hafthad a long while. The laft way of Mifcarriage in this new Birth, is, when it provesa Mon- a. There map . er ; For fo the Soul that fometimes bath been in great traail and trou- be m t. brought forth. ble, at laftbrings out aMonfter in head of a lovely Childe ; and as Septa/ism the Phyficianon Ariftotle obferveth, That of all Creatures, Monfters inman- kinde are the moftterrible and deformed, which he attributeth partly to Gods wrath and revenge upon men for their finnes , or to prefage fome terrible Events in theworld ; fo Monfters in Grace in this new Birth are the moft terri- ble of all, Now as in Nature, fo here inGrace, they come twoway es : rhsbappenectl Fiat, ThroughDefel1, when there is want ofdue matter ; and thus in Grace men ..From dcfe t. growmonfirous through defeh, girft, When there os surly the outward Lineaments and Shape of Chrifliáni_ As, s. Wt:cn ty, but no inward u ernaoural life at all. When men have the outward Ex- ehere's only pre on andProfeftionof Religion, but intheir lives there is nothing but nn- flianhy. ch.r- godlinelfe. Thus a man that prayeth, comet() to Church, takes upon him Chriflianity, andyet lives in prophane courfes, this man is a fpirituall Monftet, and ought tobreed horrour and terrour in all thofe that behold his wages. Or fuppofe his life be outwardlyclean, and there be no inward change ; this is a moufter through defet , Thouhalt a name that thouliveft, but thou artdead, faith Chrift to theChurch, Revel.3.I. He is a 7ew that is one inwardly, and circumeifi. on is that of the Spirit. Secondly, A Mifcarriage through defe& is, When there are Ante inward a when asé- AfeCtions and Workings of God upon the heart, ht they canoe to no Perfe- ftions on the ('lion. Such a monster was Agrippa, Thau hall aloof er waded m to be snare come co m P no perfeßion. Chráftian, Alts z6. z8.; If therefore the Lord at any timecause trouble and fear to rife in thy foul about fine, pray that thou maieft not mifcarry : Oh Lord, fay, I fear all this pain may give overagain ; we fee nothing more ordinary then fuch mifcarriages; What is become of thofe Troubles, Refolutions and throng Purpofesthat were once in thy heart? Are they not all vanished ? But this was 'touched upon before. Thirdly, A thirdMifcarriage is, Want of Perfeverance, when men for great while have gone on with much Fervency and Delight in Gods way'es ; Who feemed more Zealous then they, more Religious' then they? but afterwards prove wretchedApoftaees, and return to their old vomit again : Oh tbefe are terrible anddreadful' monlets t The Apoftle chargeth Come, That began in the Spirit, but ended in the f1eJh. Is not this to make the Poets moufter, Hu- mano capiti, &c. To adde a Serpents body to a mans head,t'cl Agodly man he grawethup further and further into a full flature. Pawl thought himfelf not tohave apprehended yet. As a man on the bottomeofan high hill, thinks if he were on the top, he were then able to touch the Heavens, but when he comes up he feeth himfelf infinite short íh11. Thus it is in the way of Grace. A natural man thtnketh, if he could doe thus and thus, he then should be compleat, but if onceGod change his heart, and lie come to fuch a ftature, he feeth fo farre into the way of Grace, and fo much more is 1h11 to be done, that he judgethhimfelf evenatthe higheft, but tobeginne tobe a Chti- fban. Or fecondly, A Moufter may be by Excefe. Now although it be true; Thata man cannot exceed inGodlineffe, and that of the Father be true, No- dar diligendi Deum eft fine modo, The meafureof loving God is without mea- lure ; yet as we fay, Superstition is an Exceffe in Worfhip, becaufe it run- . H h 2 neth
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