S 8 c T. I: The Daiírine,Dutyand 2ófefulnefaf ilurance. 33 ed Whatfoeverßbe haddone : So fometimes may we fay, Come andhear a Serthon thathath laid openall thevilenes and inward filthines,all the poverty andwretch- ednefs that is within me. A fecund Remedy is, Aparticular Opening andapplying of the Law in the /twit) and rigidity of ir. Matth.5. What an excellentcon r!e did our Saviour there take, tomake his hearersafraid ofthemfelves, and to fee more fins in themfelves then ever they thought of ! He makes the Law fo fpiritual, reachingfo deeply into all the motions and lullsof thefoul, that they mutt needs be as foul as Blackmoors inGods eyes, while they did admire their ownbeauty. Thou bleffefi thy flf becaufe ofthe innocency in thy outward converfation and freedom from all grofs fins,but no dunghill is fuller of SnakesandWorms then thyheart is offilthy lulls, Thus Rom.j. Paul, as good as hewas inhis own eyes, when he looked into the glaffeofGods word,his holy Law, he found fo many blots andblemifhes in him- (elf, that he had no longerlife or hopewithin him. Hence it is that men to keep themfelves from appearingfo deformed as they are, limit the fenfeofthe Law, as ifit werenot foexam as it is, like the Elephant bemudding the water, that it may not lee itsown deformity. The third Remedy is, To difcover the,fulneffe anditecefty of Chrifl. And in- deed if Chrift be fo neceffary, as theScripturefaith, and that infuch away, as that his RighteoulnelsmoPs be allinn/I; Then thereby isdemonftrated, that all which we have is nothingbut finite and weaknefs. IfChrift be commended un- tous underthe titles ofa Saviour, Phyfician, Redeemer, then certainly we are lick, in bondage andutterly undone inour own felves. Whydoll thou then (O vainman) boaft fo in thyown felf ! Why art thou fo flrongly perfwaded of thy own fufficiency ? If it be fo, What needs a Chrift ? Was not he incarnated ? Did he not fuffer in vain ? Ifa Starrewere ableto give light to the world and to di- fpel all darknefs, what need is there ofa Sunne ? If the fiream bath enough to refrefh, what ufe is thereof the Ocean ? Wouldit thou then come to be poor and miferable inthy own eyes ? Confiderin what glory, riches, fulnefs and ab- folute necellitythe Scripture lets Chriftforth, and then thou maieft quickly ab- hor thy fell. A fourthRemedy are outward andfad affliblions accompanying the Word. For when God (hall thus by his Word thunder in their ears and hearts When he thallalfo outwardly feourge and afli&, then is áman many times taken offfrom his lofty imaginations. That as we dealwith mad men, who have falfe conceits oftheir outward happinefs, throw them into Dungeons, ufe them hardly and that is theway to bring them to the knowledgeof themfelves ; thus God when hewould have a man mice} all his carnal prefumptions, abhorre all high thoughts of htmfelf, he hangs many clogs upon him, caufing many thorns to ran into his fide. Howmuch better were it formany men to bekept by Godin darknefs, and fad plungesof their own fpirit, then to befet alwaies upon the pinacle of the Temple (as it were.) Be therefore awakened out of thy fecurity , fear left thou haft lived thus many years in a meer dream of thy holinefs and intereft in Chrift. Fifthly, The examples offuch who have made great progreffe (as might be thought) in thewages ofReligion, and have had high' thoughts of themfelves, whofe ends notwithflanding havebeen very dreadful! and terrible , h, or mäj be a fpecial help to roufe no slit of falfe prefumptions. How fhould that place be likeafword in ourbowels, 14eb.6. where fomehad illumination, yea anda favoury tatting in fome degree of the goodnefsof God and his Word, yet had not things accompa- nyingSalvation ! So likewife the inftance ofthe foolifh Virgins who were fo bold and confident in theirpreparation for the Bridegroom, how wofully were theydeluded ! Now look over thefe examples, and confider again and again, left their cafes and thinebealike. Think and tremble left the time be coming when thou fhalt cry for oil, becaufe all thine is fpent, and there is none to help thee. F Our á,
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