46 S E R M n S upo!;c the, S.E 4. Building upon falfe Evidences or upe Tandy foundations. A formal PrQfeffor may go very far towards Salvation. vremporarles may have awakening Grace, much trouble about their Condition ; as Ahab and 7udas: So many are full of .doubts and flinging fears, and make their cafe knoxn, would fain be eared of their fmart They may have enlightning Grace, Heb: 6. 7. more than many true Cbriflians have ; Rom. 2. 18. have an approbation of the things that are excrltnt, being yffrudíed out of the Law 2 Tim. z. 5. having a form of.God/inefs: Grammatically ,and Logically have a clearer underflandinw of the fence, of words, the contexture and dependance of Truths ; be able to defend any facred.Verity, and exprefs their minds about it ; yea fome fenfè of t.,hrifl, and Heaven, and Glory : yea, they may have affe&ing grace, be Wonderfully taken with the glad tydings of the Golpel ; may have fome tafle, of the Crapes of the good Land, may defire to die the death of the Righteous, Numb. 2 ;. ro. dehre the bread of ,lest, job. 6.34. they may delight in holy things, Ifá. 58. z. as H<rnd braid the Word which oha preached gladly :.and Mark 6. 20. the ftony gro and heard the Word with joy. But, they have not renewing Grace, heart - transforming Grace, fin - mortifying Grace, nor world -conquering Grace ; yet fomething like itick they May have, fomething like transforming giace ; a Change wrought in them, though not fùch as pats Grace in Sovereignty and Dominion : A, to Sin- mortitying grace, there are fame ConfliEts with fin, and they may facri- fice fòme of their +éalc.= L,,fh, yet the Flelh is not.crucifyed : As to Worldcon- quering grace, they may profefs long, hold out againff a Perfecution : 1 Cor. a 3. r. If I hbóald give my body to be burnt, and have not Charity, it profateth not. Compare alas 19. 33. with z Tim. 2. 1 o. and 2 Tim. 4. 14. Yea they may keep fome Pro fef ion. till death, have a good eleein among the People of God ; and yet the Heart never be throughly filbdued to God. a VS E. Oh then, let as net be high - minded, but fear, Rom. 11. zo. And let all this that bath been fpoken, tend to weaken the fecurtty of the Flefh, but not the Joy of Faith > Let it batter down all your falfe confidence, and carnal fecurity, by which you are apt to deceive your own Souls, and make you build more furely for Heaven. Confider,, (1.) ,rod. may fee that which your felves or men do not : For he feeth not as man feeth. Others look upon appearance, you your felves, may be blinded with your own felt love, but God knoweth all things, feeth all things ; therefore, though thou haft a Name, yet perhaps art dead, Rev. 3. t. And though we know nothing by our felves, yet we are not thereby juflifed, 2 Cor. 4.4. (2.) How dreadful it is to know our Errour by the Event, rather than by a Search ! The foolifh Virgins Paid to the wife, Give us of your Oyl, for our Lamps are gone out. They began to fee their defea, when it was too late. The foolifh Builder, that built his Houle upon the fand, his Building made as fair a Phew as any ; but it fell, and great wrs. _the fall of it. So is the Hope of the Hypocrite when God cometh to take away his Sòul : then they will fee and bewail their deceits of Heart, but have no time to remedy them: "Many think they have Godlinefs enough while they live, but when they come to die, they will find it little enough, and all their falfe hopes will leave them afhamed. ( 3.) hire have need, again and again to bring the grounds of our Confidence into the fight and view of Confcience, that we may be Pure they will hold weight : Pfal. 44. 18. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our flips declined thy way. z Cor. t. Ia.. This is our re oicing, the teflimony of our Conference. At leafl, when you fur ekt your felves, how do you make a fhift to quiet your Confciences ? Is it upon folid grounds, and fuck as will bear weight in the day of Chrifl ? Many are flrongly conceited of themfelves, when there is little ground for it. Luke 13. 24. Many fhatl Peek to enter, 'but fhall not be able. Rev. 3..17. 7host thotróhtefl that thou wert rich, and increafed with goods, when thou art poor, and wretched, and blind, end naked: In a poor cafe to meet the Bridegroom, but they thought themfelves in a happy Con- dition. z VS E, To excite you to this Duty : Take there Confederations. Firft, 7 cur Cure is not fully wrought, you are not yet brought home to God. a Pet. 3. 18. Chrifl a/fo fujyrrcd for (in, the jug for the tsnjufl, that he might bring us to God. Secondly,
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