PART III, ofgracious 4fee5 ions. o, fore him. And the Apoftle Paul, in Het): 6. fpeaks of the Work, andLabour of Love, of the chriftian Hebrews, as that which both gave him a Perfwafion that they had fomething above the higheft common Illuminations, and alfo -as that Evidence which tended to give them the higheft Affurance of Hope concerning themfelves ; Ver. 9. &c. But Beloved, we are perfwaded better Things of you, and Things that ac- ompany Salvation, tho' we thus (peak. For God is not unrighteous, to forget your Work, and Labour of Love, which ye have !hewed towards his Name ; in that ye have minfired to his Saints, and do miner. And we del re that every one o fyou doPhew the fame Diligence, to thefull Aju- rance of Hope, unto the End. So the Apoftle direEls the Galatians to examine their Behaviour or Praélice, that they might have Rejoicing in themfelves in their own happy State ; Gal. 6. 4. Let every Man prove his own Work ; fofall he have Rejoicing in himfelf, and not in a- nother. And the Pfalinifl Pays, Pfal. r t 9. 6. Then (hall I not be a- Jhamed, when I have RefpeR to all thy Commandments. i. e. Then (hall I be bold and Allred and ftedfaft in my Hope. And in that of our Saviour, Matth. 7. 19, 20. Every Tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit is hewn down andcall into the Fire : Il herefore by their Fruits ye fhall know them. Tho' Chrift gives this firflly, as a Rule by which we fhould judge of others, yet in the Words that next follow he plainly (hews, that he intends it alto as a Rule by which we fhould judge aurfelves ; Not every one that faith unto me Lord,Lord,'hall enter into the Kingdomof Heaven, but he that DOTH THE WILL of my Fa- ther which is in Heaven. Many will fay unto me in that Day, Lord, Lord, ED' c.----and then Iwill profefs unto them, I never knew you ; depart from me YE THAT WORK INIQUITY. Therefore whofoever heareth thefe Sayings ofmine, and DOTH them, 1 will liken him to a wife Man, which built his upon a Rock. And every one that heareth thefe Sayings of mine and DOTH THEM NOT, !hall be liken'd unto a foolifh Man , which built his Houle upon the Sand. I (hall have Occafion to mention other Texts that (hew the fame Thing, hereafter. But for the greater Clearnefs in this Matter, I would Firíl, Shew how chriflianPra6tice, doing good Works, or keeping Chrifl's Com- mandments, is to be taken, when the Scripture reprefents it as a lure Sign to our own Confciences, that we are real Chriftians. And Se- condly, will prove that this is the Chief of all Evidences that Men can have of their own fincere Godlinefs. Firfl, I would (hew how chriftianPraetice,or keepingChrift'sComr. mandments, is to be taken, when the Scripture reprefents it as a fure Evidence to our own Confciences, that we are fincere Chriftians. And here I would obferve, that we can't reafonably fuppofe that when the Scripture in this Cafe fpeaks of good Works, good Fruit, and keeping Chriff's Commandments that it has Refpe6} meerly to X what
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