Edwards - BX7230 .E4 1746

PART III. of gracious 4Jff-c`lions. 225 down high Leeks. And Pfal. Tor . 5. Him that hath em high Look, and a proud Heart, will I not fuffeer. a Cor. r a. 4. Charity vaunteth not it filf ; doth not behave it felf unfeemly. There is a certain amiable Modefty and Fear that belongs to a chriftian Behaviour among Men, arifing from Humility that theScripture often fpeaks of ; i Pet.3. r r. Be ready to give an Anfwer to every Man that afketh you, - with _Meck- nefs and Fear. Rom. 1.3. 7. Fear, to whom Fear. 2 Cur. 7, t a. he remembreth the Obedience ofyou all, hewwith Fear and `Drem tiling ye received him. Eph. 6, 5. Servants be obedient to them whit/.. are your Metfters according to the Flefh, with Fear and Trembling, i Pet. 2. a. Servants he fubjeR to your Mailers, with all Fear. a Pet. 3. 2. While they behold your chafte Converfation, coupled with Fear. a Tim. 2. 9. That Women adorn themfelves in mod0 yip parel, with Shamefacednefs and Sobriety. In this Refpebr a Chriftian like a little Child ; a little Child is modeft before Men, and his Heart is apt to be poffeffed with Fear and Awe amongft them. The fame Spirit will difpofe a Chriftian to honour all. Men. a Pet. 2. 17. Honour all Men. A humble Chriftian is not only difpofed to honour the Saints in his Behaviour ; but others allo, in all thofe Ways that don't imply a vifible Approbation of their Sins. Thus Abraham, the great Pattern of Believers, honoured the Children of Heth. Gen, 23. II, 12. Abrahamflood up, and bowed himfelf to the People of the Land. This was a remarkable Inftance of a humble Behaviour to- wards them that were out of Chrift, and that Abraham knew to be accurfed ; and therefore would by no Means fuffer his Servant to take a Wife to his Son, from among them ; and Efau's Wives, be- ing of thefe Children of Beth, were a Griefof Mind to Ifaac and Re-. becca. So Paul honoured Ffus, Ads. 26. 25. I am not mad, moll noble tins. Not only will Chriftian Hr-rmility difpofe Perfons to ho- nour thofe wicked Men that are out of the vifible Church, but alfo falle Brethren and Perfecutors. As .7acob, when he was in an excel- lent Frame, having juft been wrefiling all Night with God, and re- ceived the Bleffing, honoured Efau, his falle and perfecuting Brother ; Gen. 33. 14, 15. Jacob bowed himfelf to the Ground feven Times, un- til he came near his Brother Efau. So he called him Lord ; and com- manded all his Family to honour him in like Manner. Thus I have endeavoured to defcribe the Heart and Behaviour of one that is governed by a truly gracious Humility, as exact ly agrea- ble to the Scriptures, as I am able. Now it is out of fuch a Heart as this, that all truly holy AfFe&}ions do flow. Chriftian Affections are like Mary's precious Ointment, that fhe poured on Chrift's Head, that filled the whole Houfe with a fweet Odour. That was poured out of an Alabafler-Box ; fo graci- ous Aftedtions flow out to Chrift out of a pure Heart. That was poured out of a broken _Box ; 'till the Box was broken the Ointment could

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