Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

68 True Sagou afGrace. . SE C T. I I4 Sincerity an and infalliblefign ofour being in thefiateofgrace. To this purpofe Sohnalfo (peaks, infallibletigrí I yam 3.21, 22. Ifour hearts condemnus not, we have boldneff *it&God, ofgrace. For the openingof this point, let us confider how tihfafely it may bepref.' for a figninfome particulars, and then wherein the nature of it lyeth. I, Firt, ltisuuwarrantablyprefiWhen kprightnefeo urledto the exclufon of at How Sinceri- relÿett unto any reward. For thusfome do teach,Uoleffe thou loveGod for himfelf; tymay be no- fo that thou lookeft neither atheaven or hell, unit& in thy bumifiation for finne fafelÿ pref as thou art fo fine debafed as to bt willing tobe damned, thy Matt is not right. a fags by an ill HenceI have readof one who paffiona telywifhed, there were neither heaven or man it t On the right hell, that fo thepárty might knowwhether therè Was love to Geri purely, becaufe hand. ofGod. Whereupon manygodly people are muchtroubled, and thinkthe ferving of God with eye to our falvation, is nothing but unlawfullkW- love. But thepref. fing of uprightneffe to fuch a firainand meafure is unlawful! and uncomfor- table. We may eye I. Becaufe the Scripture propounds heaven and falvation as a motive to obey therecom- him, now no Scripture-motivecan draw out aoyunlawfnll sffeffion, and what pence of re- (oever Gods Word rrquireth, theSpirit of God worketh in the heart of belee- ward as a vers which could not be if this defire of falvation bea finne : therefore we teade five to Holi- e neAè. of 6W-ofes, yea,and Chrill himfelf, that they had aneye (yea, a fixed,con(}ant eye, andfirm, as theword fignifieth ) upon the reward : yet_thefecannot be denied to have upright hearts, all Amer mercedie is not amormercenariue : let not therefore the peopleof God condemn themfelves for hypocrites, becaufe of fuch affections. It is true there is in the people of God an ingenuous and fupernaturall principle, whereby they love God, and holy things, becaufe of the excellency of them : E- ven as a carnall man loveth finne, becaufe of the futeableneffe of it with his own. heart, but yet this is not exclufiveof the love of ourown happineffe : Mme make. Gods glory and our happineffe, to differ as the fupetme and fubordinate ends, fomeas coordinate ends only; but to be fore, God hach fo infallibly conjoyn- ed them together, that one cannot be without theother. a. It's uncomfortable, becaufe it putteth a man upon the fearchingand finding cut that which is impofftble, for how cant thou ever come toknow whether thou couldeftbe tomcat to love God and ferve him, if there were no heaven ? Thou main make metaphyficall abflraliions about theme things, but there can never be anyreal( feparation'of onefrom theother, and therefore it is impoffible to know what thy heart would do in fuch cafes. It is true,, Paul Rom. g. ufeth an hyper- bolicallexpeetfton, I couldwith to be an Anathemafor mybrethrens fake, that is, tobe feparated from Chrifl, and all communion with his priviledges, that fo the Jews might be raved, for the Paving of all them might teem to matemore for Gods glory then the falvationof one man ; but the Apoffle (peaks not abfolutely l alW,fl,, but I could frifb, viz. if it were pofñble, or if it were lawfull; and in this he dothdeclare the vehemency of his love toward thorn. It is therefore good bothfor Minifters and people to be wary, that t ht y lay no (sates upon others or themfelves in this point. Secondly, Thisfign ofupright refs k,ay be pre"unfafely when it io underllood of a. fiatsaperfeet uprighrnefe that bath no deceit orfalfboodatall jeyned with it : but as other graces are but inpart, we know in part, we love in part, fo we are fincere and upright in pate. David thoughnoted for fincerity, and a man after gods own heart, yet cryethout, Pfal. r 9. Who can unelerfiandhiaerror ? There is more hypo crifie, ¡elf-ends in thee, then thoudoll perceive, although there is fo much ditco- vered in thee as tomake thee humble, and to trait in Chrifl only and David,. fail- ing in finceritymade him fo cryout Pfal. T t. fortruth in the inward parra, expety not therefore to finde thy heartfreed fromall guile and carnal refpeßs throningof thee, and flirting in thee, more then from the eeliques of other finnes that 1h11 cleaveciofe to thee. This is tomanage the fign of integrity ilion the right hand. Then on theloft j Wesasay abaic this ligua bygoing coo low, and that anaybethere wares. First,

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