Gurnall - BV4500 .G87 1655

1 2Q That ye may be able tofland do 1 God Coffers fometimes the infirmities of his people to be known by the wicked, (who are ready to check and frump them for them) for this end, to humble his people, how much more low fhouid thefe accufations ofSatan, which are in a great part too true, lay us before God? Thirdly, ()Verve the fallacy of Satans argument, which dif- covered, will help thee to anfwer his cavil : the fallacy is double. Fiat, he will perfwade thee that thyduty and thy felf are by- pocritical, proud, formal, &c. becaufe fomething of thefe fins are to be found in thy duty: Now, Chriftian, learn to diRin- guifh between pride in a duty, and a proud duty, hypocrifie in a perfon and an hypocrite, wine in a man and a man in wine. The belt of Saints have the flirrings of fuch corruptions in them and in their fervices; thefe birds will light on an 4hraioanos facri- fice, but comfort thy felfwith this, that if thou findeft a party within thy bofome pleading for God, and entering its proteft a- gainft thefe, thou and thy fervices are Evangelically perfe6t. God beholds thefe as the weakneffes of thy fickly Rate here be. low, and pities thee, as thou wouldeft do thy lame childe ; how odious is he to us that mocks one for natural defects, a blear eye, or a ftammering tongue ? fuch are thefe in thy new nature. Oblervable is that in Chriffs prayer againft Satan, Zech. 3. 3. he Lord faid :ono Satan,The Lordrebuke thee, is not this et brand pluck't out of the fire? As if Chrift had laid, Lord,wilt thou fuf- fer this envious fpirit to twit thy poor childe with, and charge him for thefe infirmities that cleave to his imperfett flare ? he is but new pluck's out of the fire. Nowonder there are fome fparks unquencht, fome corruption unmortified, fome diforders unreformed in his place and calling, and what Chrift did for 70- Ariab, he cloth unceffantly for all his Saints, apologizing for their infirmities with hisFather. Secondly, his other fallacy is in arguing from the fin that is in 2. our duties, to the non-acceptance of them. Will God, faith he, thinlat thou,take Inch broken groates at thy hand ? Is he not a holy God ? Now here, (Chriftian) learn to diftinguifh and anfwer Satan. There is a double acceptance.There is an accept- ance ofa thing by way of payment of a debt, and there is an acceptance of a thing offered as a tokenof love, and teitimony of

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