Featly et. Al. - BV4275 T47 1672

TheCronra of ighteoufnef . 609 eninium virlutis, a certain kind of Vermilion, wherewith Satan paints over the¡ )udide of Vices and makes them thew like Vertues, and but by an Eye and an Heart m exercifed in piety hardly di(cernable each from the other ; thus flattery mHcb. 5.14. fometimes carries the flile of affability ; CovetouGicfs of Frugality ; Rathnefs oft Fortitude ; a Divellilh Matthiavelihne , of a lawful policy ; excels and ryot, of good fellow thin ; and under this t$iflake ofjudgment, that is taker: for zeal, which is nothing but an impetuous if licadinefs, or a fiery kind of vehemency, nt Tim, IA- çhat inflcad of heating the houfe, is apt to burn is ; Thus in Ala oil, prehunptiou paffeth often for Faith, this being, the o guile of. our hearts, andSacan comply: o ter. ti. 9. ng with it, ( who can transform himfclf into an p Angel of Light ) and fiat a fair z Co" u. ; glofs upon naughty wares, making the tinfcl ofHypocrifae to pals for the Silver of P z ór.uiq (incerity,wc mull not too much relyupon ouryownJudgments in this matter, but 9 v`ov. 3s bring things to the r beam of the SanEluary, and there s prove and weigh them; r r ThcfS.xt. the Word of God ever giveth a right Judgment,and the fearching:hereinto,Joh.5.j9. t and examining ofthefe matters, hereby requiring great deliberátion,this makes the t Aa 17.11. affctrance difficult, when the Evidence isperplexed, andnotprefen ly cleared. Secondly, its hard, in regard, oftheplenty ofLufts, and of the tt works of;tht'" Gal' 5. 19. Reif), which toomuch over-grow, and abound in every mans Hearts but .graccs are but rare, andcome up thin, rnuchchaffandhttle folic/ grain ; ourgratesare,lil{e -. rideons Army, but a handful in comparifon, but our fins ate like <ldidianctfs, iv w fudg, 7z,. Innumerable as Gralhoppers; Hipps and Hawes (faith one) grów iii everyhedg, when choycer fruits arc hut in fome few Gardens ; and every foyle almoll yields Hone, and rubbilli, but Gold and precious Hones are fcttnd in very few places ; now Saint Peter, who exhortstogive diligence to make Ele tionfore, exhortsalfo, i a Pee. 1. 5, 6. to add to Faith, Verrue ; to VerrueKnowlcdge,r;c. a largeenume- i ration,induftion of graces is required to clear up this aflivance, and certainly that is, a matter of no cafe. Thirdly, (that I may haflen) this isdifficult, in regard of the great progrefs, that an Hypocrite, or a Cafl-away, may make in the wayes ofChriflianity, and yet ne- ver attain to this alitrance; He may have bomé degrees ofIllumination, Lieb. á.4. much like a Corufcation, that a fudden flaila of Lighting maketh in the Ayre ; He may havegood wishesas Balaton, Numbersz3. to. A fight of fin as Cain had, Gen. 4.13. Confefs fin as Judas did, Alat.z7.4. have zeal as 7ehu had, z Kings 1o.1 6. in thefe, and in likeother gifts may a very Caff-away make a great progre(s; But no child ofGod can have any real comfort in any thing, wherein he cannot fay, he (yet) therein gone beyond a Caff away; andyet, but in theground,or ruleor cud ofdoing, thefe thingsare hardly difcernable eachfrom other ; All which,andmuch more that Might beadded to the fame purpofe, Blew, though not theutter impofFi- bility, yet furely the very great difficultyof attaining unto the aflurance,that a man can fay, atSt: Pauldothhere, in a particular application unto his foul, Chrifl loved [ me ] and gave himfelf for [me,] and henceforth is laidup for x [me]. on Crownof- x Gal. z. 2o. Rigbteoitfnefi. There yet remains btu one Pearl more in the Cabbinet ofthisText, which I Thall only offer to your fhort notice,and fo conclude ; it is that duegttalificationwhich rendersother Chtiflians,as well as it didSr. Paul, capable of the Crown ofRighteouf- ,nefs ; they muff be fuch, as who do love the Lord Chrifl'sfecond appearing in the day of Judgement: And, indeed, it is the property ofnone but Saints, to love it, ;and longfor it. Sec Phil, r, 2,3; Rev. Z2.20. ameneven fo comeLordJefus. Some cautions, notwithflanding, muff be here remembred, fith it's poilible that timesmay fall out, when we tremble at the thought, or mention ofit; as when con. fcienceis wounded afrefhwith lone grofs aft of fin o this madeDavidafraid,yea,to' roar out,and to make a noyfethrough thedifquietnefsof hisfpirit, Pfalg8.8. ?fat; 55. z. and, under that flare of foul; to beg earnefflyto be fpared, that he mightre- cover flrength (in Gods favour) before he went hence, andwas no more, Pfah39, t3.- or clfe,when the Lord fhall,for divers ends and reafons,furcharge the foul and con. fcience with the fins ofyouth,for which,perhaps,menhave not,as became them,been fufliciently humbled ; thus, dealt he even with hisfervant ,fob,writingbitterthings - againfl him, Job 1 ;. z6. fee alfo Job 16. 4. But,

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