2.14. The fixth Sign PART M. Proportion to the Diftance there is between God and the Creature : TheGreatnefs of the Objeit, and the Meannefs and Inferiority of the Subjea, aggravates it. But 'tis the reverie with Regard to the Worthinefs of the Refpec`t of the Creature to God ; 'tis worthlefr, and not worthy, in Proportion to the Meannefs of the Subjea. . So much the greater the Diftance between God and the Creature, fo much the lefs is the Creature's Refpea worthy of God's Notice or Regard. The great Degree of Superiority, increafes the Obligation on the Inferiour to regard the Superiour ; and fo makes the Want of Regard more hateful : But the great Degree of Inferiority dimini- fhes the Worth of the Regard of the Inferiour ; becaufe the more he is inferiour, the lets is he worthy of Notice, the lets he is, the lefs is what he can offer worth ; for he can offer no more than himfelf, in offering his belt Refpe ; and therefore as he is little, and little worth, fo is his Refpea little worth. And the more a Perfon has of true Grace and fpiritual Light, the more will it appear thus to him ; the more will he appear to himfelf infinitely deformed by Rea- fon of Sin, and the lefs will the Goodnefs that is in his Grace, or good Experience, appear in Proportion to it. For indeed it is no- thing to it : It is leis than a Drop to the Ocean : For finite bears no Proportion at all to that which is infinite. But the more a Perfon has of fpiritual Light, the more do Things appear to him, in this Refpea, as they are indeed. Hence it moft demonftrably appears, that true Grace is of that Nature, that the more a Perfon has of it, with remaining Corruption, the leis does his Goodnefs and Holinefs appear, in Proportion to his Deformity ; and not only to his paft .Deformity, but to his prefent Deformity, in the Sin that now ap- nears in his Heart, and in the abominable Defeats of his higheft and `''; ft .e.f eaIions, and brighteft Experiences. ii Nature of many high religious Affe6ions, and great Difco- verie: l(as they are called) in many Perfons that I have been ac- quainted with, i; to hide and cover over the Corruption of their Hearts, and to make it feem to them as if all their Sin was gone, and to leave them without Complaints of any hateful Evil left in them ; ;tho' it may be they cry out much of their paft Unworthìnefs) a fure and certain Evidence that their Difcoveries (as they call them) are Darknefs and not Light. 'Tis Darknefs that hides Men's Pollution and Deformity .; but Light let into the Heart difcovers it, fearches it out in its fecret Corners, and makes it plainly to appear ; efpe- dally that penetrating, all - fearching Light of God's Holinefs and riory. 'Tis true that laving Difcoveries may for the prefent hide Corruption in one Senfe ; they reftrain the pofitive Exercifes of it, fuch as Malice, Envy, Coveteoufnefs, Lafcivioufnefs, Murmuring, &c. but they bring Corruption to Light, in that which is privative, that there is no more Love, no more Humilty, no more Thank- fu'nefs,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=