Hieron - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.H54 S4 1624

The Vfcouerie of Hypocrifie. o fore let mentake heedhow they traduceor concealer that, for which they haue fo thong a witneffe in their owne hearts, that it isGods Word. Ifit were deui- fedby thewit ofman , it would bee pleating to the nature ofman, it would lute with the reafon anddilpofrionof man,and itwould finde ageneral approbation among men : but now, üeing men thenifelues doe finde it tobe alwaies cutting and crofsingmans reafon, paring and pruningof teens aloft pleatngdeuices,and cutting them fhort ofchat which they molt affc&,as namely,the libertyand fway of their owne hearts, and for the fharpecffethereof, procuringto it felfe many e- nemies, how can it be à.hureane dcuice ? How milt it not needesbee theCacted Wordof themott High ? There is thevfe. An other thing in the axe, is (as 1 haue laid) that as itcuts, fo it framethand Doa. aè fafnioneth the hearersto a place in the fpirituall building in Gods Church. By nature we arenopart of Gods Church, we are fhangers from God, and enemies auto himk, we haueno aptncffr in vs ve oany good, wee are euenreprobate (as kitom.s.ro; the Scripture faith) veto entry good worber. And as acrooked andknobby tree 1 Te.e.iu. muff firft be hewedand fquared,and cut againand againe beforeit can fort with the settof thebuilding: fo muff weealfo be euen calf as it werein a new mould, and transformed into a new fhape, beforeweecan havea place in Gods fpirituall Houle ; thereis a great deale ofcrookednefreandcorruptionmutt be pared from vs, wemuff pale ender the workemans toole, before wee can bee an habitation of God by his Ririe, Now themeanes to framevs tobecome fit for theLords buil- ding, is the públike minifeeryofh is Word ; by it theLord dothlop off thefuper- fluìryofcurcorruption, thereby he doth fmooth vsand make vsplaine,and corn- padand ioyne vs in, as it were by certaine mortelles and ioynts, with the reft of thatholy frame, that being once faftcoupled vireo it, het may preferue vs euer vnto himfelfe. Tomake this good, wee may confider of the laying olthe Apo file, Hee bathgiuengifts (faith flee) untomoo, and ordained [wee tobee Paflees, and fame Preachers,for the work!: of theA?ániflery,and for the edáficationor( boáldingup) ofthe body ofChrií m, .Therefore wee finde in Scripture, that as theChurch of mrph.g,B; Godwasneuer delicateof this workeman(hip : fo likewiíe thofe,whom hisplea- fure was to bring intothe fociety ofhis chbles, they were framed thereby, and firft felt thepower and edge oftheWord,before they were linked together with Gods people. That glorious Temple at?crufalem,fiatbudded bySalomon, was elfe bat a typeand figure ofGods Church, which though it make no Viewto the eye (being, as the Ptalmefpcaketh k, allglorioreswiehin,) yet (as the Prophet nPfal.pq.r;; Baggy fore-told °,) it faire exceedcs the glory of that building. Now as the o Hag,mta. whole malre it felfe was a reprefentationof theChurch, fo what wasmeant by that multitude ofworkemen which Salomon had inthe mountaines, asfourefcore thoufand Mafoos and Carpenters, which hewed timber and tones for thebuil- ding, but that plenty offpirituall labourers, whomGod hath and doth, and to the worlds end willemploy in the ere&ing of his Church? So that as then, no Stone, orpeece ofwoodwas put into that lately houle,which wasnot fielt fqua- redand hewedby the workemen in themountaine : foneither that any (I fpeake ofan ordinarycourfe) bet placed in thefpirituall Temple, which isChrifts bo- die, who bathnot by theaxe oftheWord, been firit framedand fafhioned there- unto. Theefe hereof is to let all defpifers fee the danger ofcontempt, and what Y'hry ¡a; enemies theyare to theirownegood, which are enemies to the preaching and applyingofGodsWord. For this is a fine thing (except thoucan$ thew met Come Charter ofpriuiledge by which thou art exempted) that if thou heel not wrought epos, and (as it were) hewed and fquated by the miniffery.ofthe Word ; thoucanft nothaue any place in Gods Church. Well thou maieft:tee anhypobriticall member ofa vifible Church here on earth, inwhich there are (as

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