Hopkins - HP BR75 .H65 1710

True Happinefs. muft arcribure it whcl!y eo the Superrogarion of his free Boumy ; for with. out this, all our Services were due ro him before. Thus our S~ovi~ur tells us Luke. 17. Doth tbe Mafter thank the Servant becauj"e he did the rhi11gs tbtlt1J.Jtrur;mm:;ntlat him? 9, JO. I ti"O'JIJ not. So w~.e,JJife ye, when pm jhall havr dam all rbo[t rhingJ thr.t are C6m~ mmulul y011, [ay, (not in a complemental. way, but with Truth and Sincerity) we 11re unprofitable Servants, ?!le have but done that ?uhich 71)(11 utr Dnty to do. And r.herefore cerrainly, if we cannot deferve Thanks, much lefS can we dcferve fo ample a Reward as EtertMl Life: And therefore thofc that chink to purchafc Heaven and Eternal Li{e by doing that which is not commanded, nof their Dury, .wi ll find a fearful DiGt~pointmem of their prefumptuous Hopes, when they /hall hear that f:.HI Grcenng, U'bo bath rcrtui,.ul tbrje rhi11gs ilt .rom· hands? This Rigbt then of :Merit and Purchafe is excluded, and no Man can h:Jve a Right to Heaven upon rhe Account of the Worch :md V:llue of his Works. A thmfe!d There is therefore a Threefold Right which they that do the Comnumrlmmrs 1 Right tiJ God, have to Heaven, and Eternal HappinefS. Heaven. l. They httve a Right of Evidtnce. 1 · 2. Thq have a Right of Inheritance. 3 • ,;. Thq kt.'Ue a Right of ,PrtJmifo. . . 1. I. Obedtcnce to Gods Commandments g1ves us ·a Rrg6t of E'Vidmce to A R:ight iJf Eternal Li fe. He is judged to have rhe beft Rig!Hto an Efiare, who can proE·VIdroce. duce rhe bell Evidence for it. Now the beft Evidence chat can be lhewn for 1-I.e.lven is our unfeigned Obtdience: All other thing~ that Men may rely upon ro jufl:ifie their Title, will prove but forged Deeds, to which only rhe Spirit of Prefumpcion or Embufiafm hath fee his Seal, and not the Spirit of God; ar:d therefore we find how miferably the Confidence of rhofe Wretches were difM.a. 1· mounced, and cheir Hopes frufirated, who came with Lord, Lord, Ha'Ue m not prophtjied in thy Name, and i11 thy Name caft out Devils, a1ul in th] N~<me ht.'1.1t done mrmy 1vonderfi1l!Vorks? All th i ~ may be, and yet be no good Title, rio good Evidence for Heaven; for if thofe who caH out Devils, have not ca!t our their Lufis; ifchof~whorophtfie in his Name, bycheirSinsdifl10nour and bbtpheme that Name; tf chofC who are Workers of Mincles, are yet Workers of ln· iquity, he profeffeth againil them, that he knows them not; and comm;~nds Mat. 7 . them to deptm from him for ever, tll TfTorl:.ers of Iniquity; wheteas on the con- :z, z3. trary, we find a joyful and Bleffed Sentence pronounced upon othc~s, ilCcm·ding eo the Evidence brought in for rhem by ~;heir good Works; fa our Mat. ::!). Lord himfelf tells us, Come ye Bleffed of my Father, inherit the Kingthm prtpnrtd (u Jo. you; for 1 ?Vas hungrr, and ye gu.ve me Meflt; for 1 was rhirjly, and ye g(ive m! D1ink; a Stranger, 11nd ye took me in; naked, and ;e clonrbul me ; jick and j, Prifon, and ye vifrted me. This Panicle [ FOI'] is not a Note of G.wfalit; or Meri t, bur only of E.-.1idmce ; for as _Evediences prove our Right tO our Poffeffi:ms, fo Jikewife our Obulience and good Works do cffetl:ually prove the Right which we have to Eternal Life, through Chrifi's Purchate, and God's free Donation; and therefore the Evidence being clear, .rhe Smrmu mufi in Equity proceed accordingly. God, as a jufi and righteous Judge, inflates them in rhe Poffeffio~ of the Kingdom of Heaven, becaufe they vifrred, and refttvtd,and chtrijbed h1s Son in his Members: Not that their Love to him, or their Charity to them, purchaf~d any fuch Rit_ht; but only proves and evinceth it: le is not the CaufC of their juitifica[ion; but a Reafon why God declares them juHified; as che Deeds which I produce are the Reafon why an Eftace is a~ judged mine, .though the Caufe of my Title to it be either my own PUI·chafe, or another's Gifc. As therefore chofCare faid to have no Right nor Title to what they pretend, who can Jhew no Ev i~ence for it; fo cho{C who obry nor· rhe holy Will and Commands of God, have no Right to the Trte of Lifr, becaufe they ha:e no Evidence tO fhew, nor no Plea to u{ge for it, but wil1 certainly be cafi tn their Suic. -:. 2. Thofe that do God's Commandments have a Right of Htitj1,ip, and b:- A Ritht ofheritance unto Etern.al Life; for chey are born of God, and therefore Heaven IS HtirJbip. theirPanimony,theirPaternalEftare,forfoare the Words of the Apofile, Ev_aJ ! John 2 • oneth..:t dotb Right<Jou.fou{s,is bomofGod: And if they are born ofGod,rhen,acco~~u_Jg - 9 eo che Apotlles Argumentation, If Children, rbe1J Heirs, Heirs of God, and }omt ~7~m. 8. Heirs ')J.)ith Chrifl,who .:S rlu llrir of all ~hing1. The Trial of thy Legicimacion, \:~:~;

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