Edwards - BX7230 .E4 1746

PART III, of gracious i!, f f 41ions, 2,87 As this Fruit of chriftian Practice is evermore found in trueSaints, according as they have Opportunity and Trial, fo it is found in them only ; none but true Chriftians do live fuch an obedient Life, fo uni- verfally devoted to their Duty, and given up to the Bufinefs of a Chriftian, as has been explain'd. All unfanCtified Men are Worker; of Iniquity : They are of their Father the Devil, and the Lugs of their ather they will do. There is no Hypocrite that will go thro' with the Bufinefs of Religion, and both begin and finifh theTower : They will not endure the Trials God is wont to bring on the Profefl'ors of Religion, but will turn afide to their crooked Ways : They will not be thoroughly faithful to Chrift in their Practice, and follow him whitherfoever he goes. Whatever Lengths they may go in Religion in fome Inliances, and tho' they may appear exceeding ftrict, and mightily engaged in the Service of God for a Seafon ; yet they are Servants to Sin ; the Chains of their old Tafk-mafters are not bro- ken : Their Lofts yet havea reigning Power in their Hearts ; and therefore to thefe Maflers they will bow down again. 1- Dan. r 2.10. Many f " No unregenerate Man, tho' he go never fo far, let him do " never fo much, but he lives in fome one Sin orother, fecret " or open, little or great. 7udas went far, but he was cove- " tous : Herod went far, but he loved his Herodias. Every 44 Dog bath his Kennel ; every Swine bath his Swill ; and every " wicked Man his Luft." Shepard's Sincere Convert, tit E- dition, p. 96. " There is never an unfound Heart in the. World, -but as they fay 64 of Witches, they have fome Familiar that fucks them, fo Sé they have fome Luft that is beloved of them, fome Beloved sc there is, they have given a Promife to never to forfake." Shepard's Parable, Part I. p. 15. 84 No Man that is married to the Law, but his Fig-leaves cover " fome Nakednefs. All his Duties ever brood fome Luft. " There is fame one Sin or other the Man lives in; which ei- " ther the Lord difcovers, and he will not part with, as the " young Man ; or elle is fo fpiritual, he cannot fee all his Life- St Time. Read through the ftricteft of all, and fee this, Mat. '". 23. Painted Sepulchres. Paul that was blamelefs, yet ( Eph. "' 2. 3. Tit. 3. 3. ) ferved divers Lujis and Pleafures. And the Reafon is, the Law is not the Miniftration of the Spirit, « 2 Cor. 3. 8, 9. which breaks off from every Sin. There it is no Law that can give Life, Gal. 3. 21. and hence ma- " nyMen have ftrongRefolutions, and break all again. Hence " Men fin and forrow, and pray again, and then go with more 46 Eafe

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