t ,.g Qucfion.r,andCafes ofConfcience Chap. 14 Lure, and fcorning of things below : we thould not take care for corn, and wine, and oile, whenGod lifts up the 1i6ht of his countenanceupon us : when e are in our Fathers houfe, and the fatted Calfe is Hain, we s thould riot fill feed uponhusks : whenwe are clothed with the Sun, we f ould trample the Moon under our feet : and let others fcramble for the world, who have nothing III.] else to live on. Thirdly, Times of affurance £houldbe times of, more watchfulneffe, and ac- curari walking with God. To fin againf revealed love is ákilling aggrava- tion. To fin arainll li_hr is too much, but to fin againf love is a great deal more : This aggravated Solomon Idolatry, a Kings I I. 9. that he turned from theGod of ifrael that had appeared to his twice. To provoke God in'a wilder- neff:, is not fo much as CO provoke him in a Paradife. Take heed therefore of turning the grace of God into wantonnefle : but if God give thee a fenfe ofhis love,, walk more fledfatily and accurately.before him. IV. Fourthly, Times of afurance thouldbe times of inviting and encouraging o- thers in the wayes of grace, as David did. Pfal. 34. g. O tafle andfee howgraci- ottó GodM. Men look upon Religion as a rigid and auflerethin that comes to rob them oftheir joy : but thou canf'td1 themof the fweetneffe that is in the wayes of grace : thou canli affure them thatall the wayes of wifdome arc plea- fantneffc : Thou canf thew thorn the goodly fruits of (anon, that were cutdown at the brookEfheo1. Thou canf affure them that there is no fuch joy tobe found in the wayes of fin : that fpiritual joy is the mol clarified joy : that its folid joy, and lotting joy. All the creatures make but a blaze : but the leaf fpark of this is immortal. V. Fifthly, Times of affurance fhould betimes of Poring up comforts againf times of fcarciry : Nov treafure up beams, heap up light, fore up hidden Man- : though kept, it will not breed wormes : toting upof former evidences is a goodproviíon againf acloudy day. V I, Sixthly,. Times ofafàrance thould be;timesof breathing after full pofleffion. The efpoufed foul thould long after the Nuptials : for the full confummation of irs joy : Say, Is there fuch fweernefle inone chiller of Canaan, what (hall therebe in the full Vintage? Is there filch glory in one beam of Gods face, what (hall there be in an eternalSunfhine ? ref. Who are the great cncmie, to this do??rine of Affnrance ? 4nfw. Principally, the 'Papi itsand Arminians. uel. Upon 1V hat account do theyfa oppofe it ? Anfw. Firf, thePapifs lay toomuch flreffe upon good works : New affu- rance is too goodliea ftruelure CO be built upon fuch a foundation : they part flakes between grace andmerit, and foleave the foul in a tottering condition. For they that would build their hopes upon their own good meanings, andtheir own good wifhes, and good refolutions, and good works, when they have done all, they have built but the houfe of theSpider. But if menwould but look to the ebbings and flowingsof their own fpirits, to the waxinas and wainin s of their own performances, furely rhey would acknowledge that they cannot fetch aPlerophory out of there.- Affurance cannot be founded on abubble Itmutt be built upon the free love of God in Chrift ; upon his royal word and oath upon the witneffe ofthe Holy Ghol, and feale ofGod himfelf, or it can never be lied. Hence dying Bellarmine was forced to acknowledge that the ncarefl way to Affurance was only to refl upon the free grace of God to Chrifl. II. Secondly, they takeaway the clafpingand clofingpower of faith it felf : by which it thould fweetly' and ftrongly embraceits ownobje& ; they wouldhave the foul dwell in generals, they refolve all the fweetneffe of the Gofpel either into this univerfal, whofoover believeifhallbePaved, or intothis conditional, If those
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=