546 r everyes of we ?hat eppofe rigólresufrrefe. that never was in the world before, that we react of : We never read in all the book of God that godly men fu &tired in a cent }ant way, but only that particular ac ; And therefore that perfecWiion is the forefl. If you Will fay, how may we di cover men, that they do op,- pote righteoufiieiie, though they do not know it themfelves. Fitt #,Ile tell you that the Scripture is plaine that menmayop- póte rignreoufneffe, and godly men ; and yet they may thinke that they do God good fervice. In r5 fob. z. Chrif foretells concerning his Difciples, they muff make account to futfer fuck things from men, that fha1i thirrkthat they d9 God good fr vice that hills them. But you will fay, how may it be di!cove- red ? I would diCcaver it firff by this When men {halt oppofe that that comes under the name of righteoufneffe, before they have examined ir, and come to underffand ir, there is a kind of flaew of righteoufneffe in it, and aifoon as ever there appears a thew of it, before they have examin'd the thing, whether it be reali or no, they fly out upon it, and againff it : Truly here's a dangerous liigne that the heart is againff righteoufneffe : As I would inflance in this fimilitude;Suppofe a man fees the broad feale, and without any more adoe, before he bath examined whether ir be it yea or no,be takes and Damps it under his feet, . will not this man be charged for felony, if not treafon? -- It- may be he will fay, I knew not what it was, I but it will be anfvered,you should have examined whether it was it or no: And fo certainly when any thing comes under the name of righ- teoufneffe, and hath a thew of religion in it, it's true it may be it is not right, but how ever, Day till you examine it : for the thing that a man oono es, that bath but a pretence of righteouf- nefle in it,a man had need be very lure that it is, but a pretence and that it is not righreoufneffe, a man muff take heed when he is to do a thing that he knowes wha he doth,if I were to doe an adfion, if it had an kind of dotbrfulhieife in ir, I ana bound in confcience to e,.amine Dri`f l y before I do it ; But if I come to make ano -her man fuffer for not doing fuck a thing, or for do- ing itI had need be very lure then indeed. Obferve this rule in
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