The Counterfeit ofinherent Grace. S e c r. V II. diligent exercife of our (elves in Inch ways ; therefore they called this Art or Doctrine, Ethics, from e.3&, Cuflomr becaufe theydid fret uentlyufe them- felves to fuch maners ; And how common is this amongft us ? Have men been formerly given to fuch and fuch vicious and finful courfes ? if they recover out of thefe, they do it by an humane power,they flint themfelves in fuch and fucha maner : All this is well done, but Hill they mutt look higher, they muft ex- peét and beg forgrace, to be infufed in their hearts by Gods fpirir, not obtain- ed by their own labors : Therefore men thus moralized, and no more, are ne- verzealoufly affeEted with the Graceof God converting them ; ,they never are admiring, as you fee Tani is, fometimes to ravifhment, of the riches of Gods grace, and his unfpeakable love to them : Nor have they Inch difcovery of Grace in them, as to be often fpeaking of, and affefted with the original of it. 3- Thirdly, ThisMoralVerteriothereforeinfiff iciene,becatefeittinotguidedbyafare andJßarding rule,Which it the wordofGod: For.feeing that is t rue,whïchisaffirmed by rho in,Thatvertue is in a golden Mediocrity,moderatingagainft accefs and de- fed there mull be fome ftandard or immoveable rule to go by, that we erre netheron the right hand or the left. Now that which they prefcribed, was one - 1 the dilate and relolution of a prudent man; Smut virpradensjndicabit, As a prudent man (hall judge: But alas? no man can be a rule to a vertue, but ver- tue mu(t.regulate him : This were to have the Sun follow theClock, as they fay; therefore thefe did onely grope in the dark,'not knowing how-to order their peps ; theywere like fhips in the fea, without any Pilot. But tothat which is trulygrace and godlinefs, tie word of God is a lure rule; thatonely regu- lateth oura&ions, that informed' us how to moderateour pafions, how to bound and limitour affedlionr; as alto, what motives and attraftives fhould large our delires to what is good : Therefore the Word of God is fo often called a Light and a Lamp, Pfal.r9. and the Apoftle calls it the Rule, Gal.6.16. ac- cording to whils we waft ditch andorder our flops: That is not grace, which the thougthts of a wife man (hall determine, but what Chriff and theWord of God (hall conclude; and indeed , hence arife all miftakes about God- liners, that the .Scripture is nor made the Judge of it. That which to our apprehenfions, to our prudential thoughts, we think to be right and Reli- gious, that prefently weimbráce, and gono further: But the nature of true godlincfs, is as much above thy thoughts, and beyond thy expehlation, as any myllery of Faith. A man would as hardly believe, that Grace is fuch a fupernatural myfterious work, as the Dohrine of the Trinity, or Chrifls Incarnation - is incredible to a Natural man: Look therefore to have true Grace, a farce other thing, then thy Natural Pruednce would con- clude. Fourthly, Thu Moral Venue is not Grace, becaufe fuppofe the utmofl and hieheff which they attained in this, Was viz. To love avertuonu a/lion, for vertu(' fake., not for vainglory , or Pelf -ends, but meerly becaufe vertue is lovely, and comely, andconfonant to righr reafon: Yet becaufe they fluid in this, and did not refer all to God, placed their trufl and happinefs in this, and not in God; therefore there Verrues were indeed Vices. Hence the Apoftle, r Corinth. 6. t. calls all their Magiftrates and Governors in their Publique Courts, unjuft Do any of you go to Law before the senior/I, and not before the Saints Though they had a Civil Ju(lice, and were a terror to the wicked; yet becaufe this was not referred ro Gods glory, the Scripture calls them unjufl. But you fee, the godlywhq. have true Grace in them, and the fruits of Gods Spirit, yet reft not in this, look not to be juftified or made hap- py hereby but go out of them all CO the favor Of God through Chat: Thus Paul' accounted) he Righteoufnefs dung and drofr, in conoparifon of the Righteoufnefi by Faith, Philip. 3. 8. Paul , furnifhed with fo many gracious abilities,
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