PART M. ofgracious AP- lions. 245 ungodly Men, turning the Grace of God into Lafcivioufnefs, Jude 4. Thefe are they that truft in their being righteous ; and becaufe God has promifed that the Righteous (hallPurely live, or certainly be faved, are therefore embolden'd to commit Iniquity, whom God threatens in Ezek. 33. 13. When I'hallfay to the Righteous, that he 'hall furely live ; if he trufl to his own Righteoufnefs, and commit Iniquity ; all his Righteoufnefs 'hall not be remembred ; but for his iniquity that he bath committed, he (hall diefor it. Gracious Affeaions are of a quite contrary Tendency ; they turn a Heart of Stone more and more into a Heart of Meth. An holy Love and Hope are Principles that are vaftly more efficacious upon the Heart, to make it tender, and to fill it with a Dread of Sin, of whatever might difpleafe and offend God, and to engage it to Watch - fulnefs and Care and Strianefs, than a flavifhFear of Hell. Gracious. Affections, as was obferved before, flow out of a contrite Heart, or ( as the Word fignif)s) a bruifed Heart, bruifed and broken with godly Sorrow ; which makes the Heart tender, as bruifed Flefh is ten- der, and eafily hurt. Godly Sorrow has much greater Influence to make the Heart tender, than meer legal Sorrow from felfifh Prin ciples. The Tendernefs of the Heart of a true Chriffian, is elegantly figni - Pied by our Saviour, in his comparing fuck a one to a little Child, The Flefh ofa little Child is very tender : fo is the Heart of one that is new-born. This is reprefented in what we are told of Naaman's Cure of his Leprofy, by his waffling in :Jordan, by the Direction of the Prophet; which was undoubtedly a Type of the renewing of the Soul, by.wafhing in the Laver of Regeneration. 'We are told, 2 Kings 5. 14. That he went down, anddipped himfelf(even Times in Jordan, according to the Saying of the Man of God ; and his Flefh came again, like unto the Flefh of a little Child. Not only is the Flefh of a -< little Child tender, but his Mind is tender. A little Child has his Heart eafily moved, wrought upon and bowed : So is a Chriftian in fpiritual Things. A little Child is apt to be affeaed with Sympathy, to weep with them that weep, and can't well bear to fee others in Diftrefs : So it is with a Chriftian ; fohn 11..35. Rom. 12. 15. i Cor. 12. 26. A little Child is eafily won by Kindnefs : So is a Chriftian. A little Child is eafily affeaed with Grief at temporal Evils, and has bis Heart melted, and he falls aweeping : Thus tender is the Heart of a Chriftian, with Regard to the Evil of Sin. A little Child is eafily affrighted at the Appearance of outward Evils, or any thing that threatens it's Hurt : So is a Chriftian apt to be alarmed at the Appearance of moral Evil, and any thing that threatens the Hurt . of the Soul. A little Child, when it meets Enemies, or fierce $eaffs, is not apt to truft it's own Strength, but flies to it's Parents for Re- fuge : So Saint is not Pelf-confident in engaging; fpiritual Enemies, R 3 but
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