.../MOCCIE.aprevn... 29 Againfifpiritual wickedneffe. ly from Chrift, 0 how much better were it if thou wouldeft fay with 'David: Though my houfe, my heart, be not fo with God, yet he hath made with me a Covenant ordered in all things and fore ; and this is all mydefire, all my confidence ; Chrift I op- pole to all my fins, Chrift to all wants, he is my all in all, and all above all. Indeed all thofe complaints of our wants and weak- neffes, fo far as they withdraw our hearts from relying chear- fully on Chrift, they arc but the language of pride hankering af- ter the Covenant of works. 0 'cis hard to forget our mother- tongue, which is fo natural to us, labour therefore to be fenfible of it, how grievous it is to the Spirit of Chrift. What would a husband fay, if his wife in ftead of expreffing her love to him, and delight in him, fhould day and night do nothing but weep and cry to think of her former husband that is dead ? The Law (as a Covenant) and Chrift are compared to two husbands,Ram. . 4. Ye are become dead to the L, w by the body or Chrifi, that ye 1b)uldbe married to another, even to him who is railed from the dead. Now thy forrow for the defect of thy own righte- oufneffe, when it hinders thy rcjoycing inChrift, is but a whi- ning after thy other husband, and this Chriftcannot but take 1 unkindely, that thou art not as well pleafed to lie in the borome of Chrift, and have thy happineffe from him as with your old. husband the Law. 2, Secondly, a fell applaudingpride, when the heart is fecretly lift up, fo as to promife it Pelf acceptation at Gods hands, for a- nyduty or act of obedience it perforrnes , and cloth not when molt affifttd go out ofhis own aftings, to lay the weight of his expectation entirely upon Chrift ; every fuch glance of the fouler eye is adulterous, yea, idolatrous. If thy heart, Chriai- an, at any time be fecretlyenticed, (as 701, faith ofanother kinde of idolatry) or thy mouth doth kiffe thy hand, that is, dote fo farre on thy own duties or righteoufneffe, as to give them this inward worfhip of thy confidence and truft, this is a great iniquity indeed; for in this thou denieft the God that is above, who bath determined thy faith to another object. Thou co. melt to open heaven-gate with the old key, when God hath fee on a new lock. Doeft thou not acknowledge that thy&ft ena trance into thy juftified Bate was of pure mercy ? thou wen jet- flified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in 7e1us
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