$ a c T . VII. The Counterfeit of rnheieñt Gi.sci. 359 notbe well, if many amongft us were thus far moralized T The anÇWet is nega= tive, Allfuch verrues, let men attain to never fo much lovelinefs and come_ linefs in them, yet are not the GraceGod requireth of thofe who wouldbe faved : Their Temperance, their Meeknefs, their Juftice, is far differentfrom that Temperance, Meeknefs and Righteoufnefs, which the fpirit of Godworks in us; therefore there are fome Divines that fay, TheScripture neverufeth ver- cue in that fenfe, as thePhilofophers do ; neither (fay they) is Grace evercal. led vertue : But Icannot fay this latter is true, forthe Scripture faith, Aver- rums woman, Prov. 3o. t o. that is, A gracious godly woman ; and theApoftle fpeakingof the chainof Graces, faith, Adde to faith, vertue ; and tovenue know- ledge,rPet.r.5.It is true,todeliverCurb matteras this,as to love a good and honeft aétion for honefties fake, feemeth to be very high, and wemay juftly queltion, whether ever any Heathenwas fo vacuous in that refpel; they were onely notions, delivered by men in Books, not realities praetifed in mens lives ; but grant all this werefo, and we have many men amongft us, who are 'admirably moralized prudence and reafon bath wonderfully civilized them, that they abhorany grofs fins, as that which is againit the nature of a man, andmakes bim become bruitifh ; butyet noneof thefe areyet ina flare of Grace. And confider well the grounds of thispoint, that at last thou mayeft be provoked to true godlinefs : Full, This civilized Vertise falls Jbart, becaufe it bathnet been built upon áfort, deep andhnmble foundation which is, the acknowledgement of our natural cor- ishrtrtsl i,obd> minion, and the horrible Rain that is now throughout the wholeman : They cry and tempt= were an ignorant of the finfulnefs ofthofe inward motions, and firft fupgelli_ educe, with onsto fin , which Paul doth fobemoan and bewail hind-elf for, as a miferable othernanrrál captive. Now if a manbuild neverfo fair an Edifice, upon a flighty and weak haiCt:nut foundation, whenany formarifeth, all will fall prefently to the ground-.All men indeed, have acknowledged vertue hard and difficult to flesh andblood; they placed it upon an high hill, to which it was hard climbing, but yet they didnot make it impoffible to flefh andblood. Someof the Heathensconceived, the feeds and foundations of vertue were in our nature, as fparks of fire are in a flint (tone, which are (tricker) out, though withan hard blow ; but man is {aid To bedead, not afeep in fin, Ephef a. and our Regeneration is called a Refur- reftion, not an awakning from evil ways. Grace is not fowed in an heart, as feed in the ground, which the earth brings forth bya natural power, and in= bred ftrength ; butas Sarah did conceive, whollyby the power of God : Thus doth the heart of a manbring forth the fruits of righteoufhefe. Here then is thecertain ground of mens tpiflakes, they lay not a fore foundation atfir(t; theythink not fin bath made fuch a deep'and inward wound upona mans foul, and therefore they leek not out for ;nth a deep and inward cure: Oh know them that although thy life be never foexternally vertuous, yet if thou haft not begunwith this principle of Debafement, all the work of grace is to begin a new in thee. Secondly, This Moral Venue is not Gudlinefe, ha-wife they erredIn the maner alfa ofobtainingin They looked upon venue, as that which wasacquired by their own induftty and cuftomary aligns they call them acquired habits, not infufed: They thought byoftenallonsofTerùperance, Meeknefs and Righter oufnefs, to get the habits of them ; but in C:hriftianity it is far otherwife, God firft makes the tree good, thenthe fruit will be good : Firft he infufeth into our foulsfupernatural principles, inabling us to walk holily, and then we walk in his Commandments; this is called, The taking away uf an heart of Roue, andgiving are heart of flab, Ezek. 32. and writing his,tare in our hearts, Jer.3r. fo that . when weare righteous, temperate, in aChriftian Way, it is not becaufe we often accuftomed our felvesto Inch allons before, but becaufe God firft fanetified ournatures thereunto; whereas all Moral Vertue is obtained by a ftudious and diligent:
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