PART III. Ofgracious Acaons. i s s fulnefs. Which Defeas appear moft hateful, in the Eyes of thofe who have the moft eminent Exercifes of Grace ; and are very bur- denfome, and caufe the Saints to cry out oftheirLeannefs, and odious Pride and Ingratitude. And whatever pofitive Exercifes of Corrup- tion, at any Time arife, and mingle themfelves with eminent acinae of Grace, Grace will exceedingly magnify the View of them, and render their Appearance far more heinous and horrible. The more eminent Saints are, and the more they have of the Light of Heaven in their Souls, the more do they appear to themfelves, as the moft eminent Saints in this World do, to: the Saints and Angels in Heaven. How can we rationally fuppofe the moft eminent Saint on Earth appear to them, if beheld any otherwife, than covered over with the Righteoufnefs of Chrift, and their Deformities fwallowcd up and hid in the Corufcation of the Beams of his abundant Glory and Love ? How can we fuppofe our molt ardent Love and Praifeee: appear to them, that do behold the Beauty and Glory of God with- out a Veil ? How does our higheft Thankfulnefs for the dying Love. of Chrift appear to them, who fee Chrift as he is, who know as they are known, and fee the Glory of the Perfon of him that died, and the Wonders of his dying Love, without any Cloud or Dark- nefs ? And how do they'look on the deepeft Reverence and Humi- lity, with which Worms of the Duft on Earth approach that infi- nite Majelty, which they behold ? Do they appear great to them, or fo much as worthy of the Name of Reverence and Humility, in thofe that they fee to be at fuch an infinite Diftance from that great and holy God, in whofe glorious Prefence they are ? The Reafon why the higheft Attainments of the Saints 'on Earth appear fo mean to them, isbecaufe they dwell in the Light of God's Glory, and fee God as he is. And it is in this Refpea with the Saints on Earth, as it is with the Saints in Heaven, in Proportion as they are more emi- nent in Grace. I would not be underftood that the Saints on Earth have, in all Refpeas, the worft Opinion of themfelves, when they have molt of the Exercife of Grace. In many Refpedts 'tis otherwife. With Refpeat to the pofitive Exercifes of Corruption, they may appear to themfelves freeft and belt when Grace is molt in Exercife, and worft when the Aétings of Grace are loweff. And when they compare themfelves with themfelves, at different Times, they may know, when Grace is in lively Exercife, that 'tis better with them than it was before, (tho' before, in the Time of it, they did not fee fo much Badnefs as they fee now) ; and when afterwards they fink again in the Frame of their Minds, they may know that they fink, and have a new Argument of their great remaining Corruption, and a rational Convi6tion of a greater Vilenefs than they favi before ; and may have more of a Senfe of Guilt, and a kind of legal Senfe of their Sinfulnefs,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=