Ver.26. the 17th Chapter of St. r OH N. 385 will be glad in the Lord. We Ihould oftner find fweetnefs; if we did oftner meditate of God. It is fweet thus to inlarge our Thoughts upon the Promifes and Comforts of the Gofpel. 2. To apply it. When God's Name is proclaimed and made known to. thee, urge thy own Soul with it. Rom. 8. 31. What .fhaf we fay to these things? Job 5: 27. Lo this, we have fearched it, fo it is, hear it, and know thou it for thy good. This is Chrilts Aim, that Knowledg Ihould beget Love in them. Knowledg without Application cloth no good. We muft.take out our Share. The Riches of God's Goodness are laid open to us for this End and Purpose, that we may feel what is expreffed. We have known and believed the Love that God hash to us, r John 4. 16. It is no prefumption, it is the great End why the Gofpel was written. Wicked Men are too forward and prefumptuous of God's Love 5 they continue their ungodly Courfes, do thofe things which offend him, and yet are perfwaded that God loveth them. God's Children pray againft their Sins, and fight againft their Sins, and yet after all cannot be perfwadeóofit. There is a fear of Prefumption, and a fear of Security. (r.) A fear of Presumption, as Lome fay, I am not worthy .5 it is as if you should Cay, I am too poor to ask, or receive an Alms) too filthy to be washed : fay not fo, for this is the way to make you worthy. (2.> Of Security 5 this is to fay, If I take the Phyfick, I (hall be trick ; whereas it is not by ap- plying Chrift that we are 'endangered, but by an infenfiblenefsof our Mifery. If thou feeleft thy Mifery, there is no danger of Security 5 it is not every thing will fatisfy a fenfible Sinner, not every flight Comfort. Üfe 2. Examination; Whether you have gotten benefit by the Gofpel ? Is God's Love in you ? Have you any Fruits or Feeling of his Love ? Can you fay God loveth you ? All God's Children cannot feel his Love 5 but have you the Fruits of his Love ? The Feeling of his Love is to be improved immediately to Thankfulnefs, and the Fruits of his Love are to be improved by Spiritual Difcourfe to Confidence. The present Ar- gument will afford us ground of fearch and enquiry. t. Things without us are excluded, they can be no Evidence or Argument of God's Love. It is Love in them. It is the common Error of the World to be led with falfe Evidences. Many think God loveth them, becaufe he fpareth them, and followeih them with long-fuffering and patience, and maketh them thrive in the World, mid blesfeth them with the increafe and fatnefs of an outward Portion. Ay, but Love, and Hatred cannot be known by the things that are without us; it muff be fomething within us muff dilcover it. EccIeC 9. 2. Allthings come alike to all. Some are fatted to Deftruhlion, and condemned to worldly Felicity, God will give them eaough. Jer.17.13. All that forfake thee, (hall be ashamed ; and they that depart from me, shall be written in the Earth, be- caufe they have forfa/ten the Lord, the Fountain of Living Waters. Worldly Happinefs may be God's Curse; they (hall be written in the Earth, they (ball have Happiness here, that have none hereafter. On the other hand, there are Come whole Names are written in Heaven 5 and tho they have little of outward011omforts, yet that is matter of Joy, Luke q. 20. Ijather rejoice, becaufe your Names are written in Heaven. We mull have a better Evidence than things without us, before we can fee our Names in thofe eternal Records, and be affured that God loves us. When God only gives things without you, it is a fign you are only hired Servants. You have your Reward, and are fafisfied,and when you die, your best Days are at an end; there is no Inheritance kept for you : as ,Abraham gave Ifhmael, and the rest of the Sons of the Concubines, Gifts and Portions, but he referved the Inheritance for Ifaac. This is fo far from an Evidence of Love, that it is rather a fign of Hatred, if your Hearts are herewith fatisfied. Nay, as it ex eludes and cuts off all outward things, fo it cuts off all outward Profefüon, as Bap- tism, and Hearing of the Word. For where the Heart is not wa(hed, Baptifm is but the Monument of your unfaithfulness and breach of Vows. And fo -for Hearing of the Word, it is but likeVriah's Letters 5 he thought they contained Matter of Prefer- ment, but when opened, they contained Matter of Danger, for he was to be let in the Fore -front of the Battei to be deflroyed. So when you think to come to God with thefe pleating Excufes, it is Matter of Condemnation, becaufe you have heard fo much, and profited nothing. Here is no Evidence without you of the Love of God. 2. Things within are excluded. There are Come Moral Inclinations, meet. Inftina's of Nature, which God bath left in Men out oft his cdmmon bounty and pity to Hu- mane Society, Rom. 2. 14, 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law, do by Nature the Things contained in the Law, thefe having not the Law, are a Lam unto themfelves. Cc cc c. Which
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