Ser SERMONS upon n.4.1.. Which Phew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts. Thefe Moral Inclinations, by which we avoid grofs Sins, are not an Evidence of God's Love. Again; there are Gifts for the ufe of the Body : Hypocrites may have a great flare in them ; Ichitophel and Saul had excellent Gifts : but this is not an Evidence of God's Love. How did God love Chrift ? Herein was a great Evidence of God's Love to Chrift ; he loved him, and gave the Spirit to himwithout meafure, John 3. 33> 34. So we know his Love by his Spirit, that he hath given to us to wtnefs our Juftifcation, and to work our Sanctification. The Gift of the Spirit we may know by his Witnefs, and by his Work. r. His Witnefs; Haft thou a full Teflimony of thy Adoption ? Rom.B. 16. The Spi- rit it felf beareth Witnefs with our Spirits that we are the Children of God. It is fuel] a cer- tainty as arifeth from GofpelGrounds; working Joy and Peace, flirting up to Thank - fulnefs and Love to God, which you have in God's way, by praying, reading, hearing, meditating. I confers, there is fomething lower, that may be called the Witnefs of the , Spirit : There are Exprefftons and Impreffrons ; Have you not fome fecret Impretlions of Confidence and Liberty in Prayer, and Refolutions to wait upon God ? Doth he not Ihr you up to cry, Abbe Father, put you upon often calling upon God, and wait- ing upon God ? There is fomething in your Heart that carries you to God. Thefe Im- preffions are a kind of Witnefs and Teftimony of the Spirit, tho you have not thofe a &ual Teftimonies of God's Favour. 2. His Work. Have you the Work of the Spirit ? what is that ? The Work of the Spirit is to fanetify and cleanfe. Ephef. 5.25, 26. Chrift loved the Church, and gave himfelf for it, that he might fantlify and cleanfe it. It is the greateft fign of God's Anger and Wrath that can be, to live and die under the Power of Sin, not to be fan &ified, not to be cleanfed, not to be waffled from Sin. And therefore are you fan&ified, clean - fed, and wafhed ? Rev. t. 5. To him that loved us, and wafhed us from our Sins in his Blood. Is theretany care of Obedience furred up in your Hearts ? The Spirit will caufe us to grow in Obedience. John 14.23. If a Man love me, he will keep my Words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 3. There is one thing more in the Expreffion, [that the Love wherewith thou haft loved me, may be in them] and that is, If God love thee, thou canft not but love him again. 1 John 4.16. For we have known, and believed the Love that God bath to us. God is Love, and he that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. If thou loveft God, his People, his Ordinances, and delighteft in Communion with him, his Love is in thee. Thefe are the Fruits and Effe &s of it. ZJf 3. To prefs us to labour after the Senfe of his Love. We should go to Hea- ven as comfortably and as richly as we can, not only creep thither, but labour after an abundant Entrance, 2 Pet. 1. 12. Tho it is not always our Sin to want it, yet it is our Duty to ftrive after this Senfe of God's Love in us. The Senfe of God's Love, it is the Flame of Faith. Gal. 2.20. Dive, yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me; and the Life which I live in the Flefh, I live by the Faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himfelf for me. It is the ground of our Love to him again. s John 4. 19. We love him, becaufe he firfl loved us. The more full and dire& the Beams are call upon any fo- lid Body, .the stronger the Reflexion. It is the Life of Joy, that which inlargeth our Hearts in Thankfulnefs. It is our Stay in Affii &ions, and our Strengthin Duties, efpe- cially in Prayer. How can we call God Father, unlefs in Cuftom and Hypocrify, ex- cept we have fomé fenfe of our Adoption ? Therefore labour after the Senfe of his Love, that it may be in you. SERM.
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