Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

S E C r. IL Trite Signs of Grace. h Paul expreffeth himfelf thus, wham Iferve in mySpirit : The Pharifees ( whowere fo often upbraided withtheir hypocrifie)werediligent in external obedience, when their inward vitals were wholly corrupt and rotten : Our Saviour dire&sus to pri- vate duties in a molt ferret manner, with this encouragement, He thatfeeth inferret Will reward openly tobferve then howcareful) thou art about the frame of thy heart, whether that be prepared and fitted with thegraces of Gods Spirit ; fee how thou art in thofe things which none but Godknoweth, and this will be a true touch- (tone : 5nfepb madea notable difcoveryof his integrity when he laid, how can I do this andfin again)) Cod?no fecrecyor privacycould intíce him.Therefore confider, that howfoever men know thee not,yet God knoweth thee ; walk*efaremeand be perfaa, faithGod to Abraham; eyingofGod iheweth fincerity. 6. Vprightnefs ie align whoma man doth zealouflylet againfl thofe fins thathemofl 6 inclineth to, either through outward or inward temptations, and hateth fin mote in And when a himfelf, andin thofe that are nearelt to him ; as a manhateth a toad moll in his man zealoufly own bolome. David profefiedhekept himfelf from lidi0iquiry: Hypocrifie hath tets himfelf a- commonly Come Dalilah, Lome wolf or other in its breaft, to whole fheal ( as it fs he s mot! were ) all other fins mull make their (heaves tobow. This is thegood oldmarkthat inclined unto; godly Divines informer ages didfo mach prefe, and you (hallfee when all falfe do- etrines andcorrupt notions goout in a ttink, Inch truthsas ehefe will be precious with the godly ; Our Saviour innothing moredifcovered the hypocrifieof the Pha- rifees, then that they were not fenfible of their own finfulnefe,theyjudged others, butundeehood not hownoifome they themfelves were : Ton arethey which juflifie your felves, but What is highly efieemedbefore men, is abomination before ggod; fee therefore how lothfome and abominable thy ownCrones; thy familyCannesare unto thee. 7. Vprightnefe iefeen in taking chafe waits and tiling chore meant only Codbath 7. appointedfor the obtainingof lawfullends : Many times lawfull means arenet fovi- Andin taking fibly advantagious, as flats and carnali projeéts are, we fee how 7acob got the ehofe waits blaring by fraud ;Davidoftenbecame guilty of that deceitfulnefsand guil, which andnfing thole he fomuch in his Pfalmscomplaineth of in others, and fofarce as they engaged means only P ; Y which God in unlawful) waits, fo farce hypocrifie ailed in them; They did not truft inGod, appoints. neither' beleevein himfor theaccomplifhment of his own promife. But this is a groffe milake of hells and'bloud, for God; means onlybrings about Gods ends in a mercy. When by unlawful) or unwarrantable waits we get any thing, it is as the Eagle got a coal from theCarr"afire, Ile careieth it to her nefl, andfetteth etti on fire, Jonah 3. They thatPeek to lying vanities forfake theirown mercy. Hence it is that fo many promifes aremade to the upright man, efpecially in the Proverbs, that his in- tegrity (hallpreferve him, hecaufe in outward probabilities he is molt likely to be undone. 8, Vprightnes /opennot only when wehave re.fÿeEl to allGods Commandments,but g. when wehaveit in that due order andreileEl, as godcommasdeth. The duties of the Uprightncfs is fir(} table before the fecond, theCommandements of greater duties above thofe feen when we of lefíe duties : As in faith there are fundamentals abfolutely neceffary to falvati refpebt all on, andpricer or circa fundamentals, fo in obedience there is that which is wholly Gans nens in neceffary for every one to have, and thofe thingswhich in fome refpeft come only that due order tobe fo. The Pharifees hypocrihie was made manifeli its that they eythedmint and ashecom- cnmmin, but neglected righteoufneffeand judgement. Many times it fads out, that moods. wheremenare diligent where theyought not tobe, there they arenegligent where they fhould not be. As MelanElhen fharply reproved the Italians, YoehuhDeism veeltraefe inpane, quandononcreditis cameffe in coedit; Ye Italians will beleeve God to be in the bread,when ye doRot beleeve there is a God inheaven. Therefore ob- ferve the graduali difference Godappointed concerning duties. Ufe, To ds7'tover thepaucity ofthofe that are intheflate ofgrace. Ifuprightneffa Vfe and fincerity thus in all our ends and means be an infeparable fignof grace, may wenot cry out with tue Pfalmift, helpLordfor else upright man is perifliedone of the earth

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