312 1'he twelfth Sign PART III, " with an Expe latiòn Of reaping Life everlafting hereafter, if you 66 don't low to the Spirit here ; 'tis in vain to think that God will " be made a Fool of by you, that he will be fham'd and baffled with " Shadows inftead of Subftance, and with vain Pretences, inflead of "' that good Fruit which he experts, when the Contrary to what you c' pretend, appears plainly in your Life, before his Face." In this Manner theWord mock is fometrmes ufed in Scripture. Thus Delilah fays to Sampfon, Behold, thou ha/I mocked me, and told me Lies, Judg. 16. i o, 13. i. e. '' Thou haft baffled me, as tho' you would make " a Fool of me, as if I might be eafily turned off with any vain Pre- ' tence, inflead of the Truth." So it is Paid that Lot, when he told his Sons in Law that God would deflroy that Place, he feem'd as one that mocked to his Sons in Law, Gen. 19. 14. i. e. He feem'd as one that would make a Game of them, as tho' they were fuch cre- dulous Fools as to regard fuch Bugbears. But the great Judge, whole Eyes -are as a Flame of Fire, will not be mocked or baffled with any Pretences, without a holy Life. If in his Name Men have prophecy'd and wrought Miracles, and have had Faith, fo that they could remove Mountains, and call out Devils, and however high their religious Affections have been, however greatRefemblancesthey have had of Grace, and tho' their hiding Place has been fo dark and deep, that no humanSkill nor Search could find them out; yet if they are Workers or PraRicers of Iniquity, they can't hide their Hypocrify from their Judge ; Job 34. 22. There is no Darknefs, nor Shadow of Death, where the WORKERS OF IN 1 O JI TY may hide themfelves. Would a wife Prince fuffer himfelf to be fool'd and baffled by a Sub- jea, who fhould pretend that he was a loyal Subject, and fhould tell f his Prince that he had an entire AffeCtion to him, and that at inch and fuch a Time he had Experience of it, and felt his Affections firongly working towards him, and fhould come expec`Iing to be accepted and rewarded by his Prince, as one of his belt Friends on that Account, tho' he lived in Rebellion againff him, following fome Pretender to his Crown, and fromTime to Time ítirring up Sedition againft him? Or would a Mafter fuller himfelf to be fham'd and gull'd by a Ser- vant, that fhould pretend to great Experiences of Love and Honour towards him in his Heart, and a great Senfe of his Worthinefs and Kindnefs to him, when at the fame Time he refufed to obey him, and he could get no Service done by him ? Argument I1. As Reafon Thews that thofe Things which occur in the.Courfe of Life, that put it to the Proof whether Men will prefer God to other Things in Practice, are the proper Trial of the Up- cightnefs and Sincerity of their Hearts ; fo the fame are reprefented aS the proper Trial of the Sincerity of Profeflors; in the Scripture. There we find that fuch Things are called by that very Name, Trials, or
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