S a c T, I. TheDocárine,Dutyandufefulneßof áff"arance. Fourthly, They haveapratlical experience offomefweetneffe and joy in the Ordi- q, nancer of God, andfome affurance ofGods favour flowing thencefrom. Thus Match. ß13. They reeeivedtheWordWitla joy ; and yohns hearers werefaid for a while tare- joyce inhis light Ezekiel was to hishearers, As a pleafant Song; And Hebr. 6. Thofe, who had not things accompanying falvation, are faid , To tafle of the Wordof God; They did cageit as fonethandid a little honey, but had not the full of it. Whereas the peopleof God are Paid to eat his flefh, and drink his bloud, yea rivers of livingwater are Paid to flow out of their belly ; and from thefe experimental tailings arife tome confidence of theircondition, which is de- clared in the foolifhvirgins, who withmuch boldnefs, andwithout any fufpi- tionof their want ofoil, Go out to meet the Bridegroom ; Now this is thought a great matter,if fo betheir hearts have been at any time fweetned and mollified in the Ordinances of God. Fifthly, They have fuchanexperimentalwoking, as that it bath influence upon ja their lives and converfations, it makesforme alteration and changethere. zPet.2.1 O. Thofe Apoflates who returned to their ownvomit, and fo never had true grace, are faid to efcape thepollutions ofthe World, through the knowledge of Chriff , and therefore theyare called Virgins, Match. 25. though fooli/b ones, becaufe they were kept fromtheprophanenefs ofothers Now, a man would think this were all inall, what would you have more ? Theft thatfiolefled no more , thofe that weredrunkare fo no more, thofe that were filthy are fono more ; but yet as the Swine are Swine for their natures, though wafhed from theirmire;thusare they unregenerate and filthyRill, though outwardly cleanfed : By thefe inftances you fee, thatevenmen who are not in the faithafter a fanflifying andPavingmanner, mayyet have many feemingworks ofgrace on their foul. But yet there is a difference many waies , I fhall but brieflyand generally The difference touch at the differences, becaufe theywill comein more properly in the coun- between the terfeits. experimental In thefirfl place, There is adifftrencein the very nature of them. That which bnowlcdge of isinthégoalydiffersfromthatinthemo Perefined hypocrite, as much as gold ChCüfounaná fromdroffe, or true pearls from counterfeits ; Hence Match. 13. the fourth tberegenerare: ground, or kindeof hearers, are only faid tohave an bonefl and good heart. So that the foil ofone grounddiffers effentiallylrom the other, and this may be abundantly cleared, in that the promifes of Jaftification and eternal life are not made to any kinde of faith that an hypocrite bath , but they are made to the faith of a odl man, though it be in the leaft degree; fothat a little infant in truegrace, may by thehand offaith receive Chrift,when a Gyant-like hypocrite, cannot take him: but more ofthis in time. A fecond difference is in clearneffe and evidence; That which they do know 2 about the thingsof God is ïn a more confufed manner, becaufe that light in them is but by wayof Haab, and a fudden enligbtning, not as permanent and abiding light in them ; a little lipor tafle of heavenly things cannot finable a manexaftly tocomprehend the excellency andworth of them. Therefore they fee thefe things, as the man not perfeetly cured of his blindenefs, Thatfaw men Walking by like trees. It is true,the holieft that are do but fee inpart ; and David prayeth, That his eyes may beópenedtofee the vtonderf oeil things inGods law. Thus Paul alloprayeth for the Ephefans, whoyet Were light in the Lord , that their eyes might be opened, and theyhave the fpirit of Wifdom and revelation: but yet is not like thepurblinde hypocrite,who dotti by a queftion rather judge of godly things, then anyway elfe. A third difference is in theoperation, for theexperience of the godly incfíneth 3s them fpintually, makes them more holy, carrretl'ithemout of themTelves,where- as all that isdone upon the unfound Chriftian ends in carnal effeets, it makes him puffedup, vainly confident inhimfelî. Thus the Pharifees, thoughthey did abound in the dutiesof theLaw, yet their greateft corruptionsdid run out there, Hence
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=