Agaiefpiritualwickdneffe. aril?, Rom. 7. 24. And whom art thou beholden to, now thou art reconciled for thy further acceptance in every duty or holy action ? to thy duty, thyobedience, thy- felf, or Chrift ? The fame Apoftle will tell you, Rom. S. 2. By whom we have accefe by faith into this grace Wherein we Band. If Chrift should not lead thee in and all thou doeft, thou art lure to finde the door flint upon thee : there is no more place for defert now thou art gracious, then when thou wert graceleffe, Rom'. 17. The righteourneIre of god is revealed from faith tofaith, for the japhall live.by fail h. We are not only made alive by Chrift, but we live by Chrift ; faith fucks incontinual pardoning, affift- ing, comfortingmercy from him, as the lungs fuck in the aire. Heaven-way is paved with grace andmercy to the end. Be exhorted above all, to watch againft this play of Satan, Vfe. beware thou refteft not in thy own righteoufnefie ; thou ftand. eft under a tottering wall, the very cracks thou feeft in thy gra- ces and duties, when belt bid thee (land off, except thou wouldeft have Chem fall on thy head ; the greateft ftep to hea- ven, is out of our own doors, over ournn threfhold. It bath colt many a man his life when his houfeAon fire, a grippleneffe to fave fome of the ftufte, which venturing among the flames to preferve, they haveperifbed themfelves ; more have loft their foules by thinking to carry fomeof their own ftuffe with them to heaven. Such agood work or duty, while they, like lingring Lot,have been loath to leave in point ofconfidence, have them- felVes perifh't. Q Sirs,come out, come out, leave what is your own in the fire, flie toChrift naked, he bath cloathing foryou, better thenyour- own poor, to Chrift, and he hath gold, not like thine,which will confume and be found drolly in the fire,but fuch as bath in the fiery trial paft in Gods righteous judgment for pureand full weight; youcannot be found in two places at once;, choofe whethr youwill be found in your own righteoulneffe,or inChrifls. Thole who have had more to thew then thy kik, have thrown away all, and gone a begging to thrift. Reade Pauli Inventory, Phil. 3. what he had, what he did, yet all droffe and Joffe : give himChrift, and take the reft who will. So 7o6, as holy a man as trod onearth, (God himfelf being wit- neffe) yet faith ; Though I Were?erica, Jet would I not knowmy Job 9> 24.. own fersleJ Wesilddelpile my life. He had acknowledged his im- perfation, 295
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