ON THE--GLORY OF CHRIST. 1st. Thät no duties of mortification be prescribed limo them who are ofThe second sort, is this dirce- *unto this end, as a means of recovery from spiritual de- cays, but what for matter and manner are of divine in- 5titution and command. All others are laid under a severe interdict, under what pretence snever they may heused; Ioho ha/h required these things at gtour hands? 'Want hereof is that whereby a pretended design to ad- vance religion in the papacy, bath ruined it. They have under the name and pretence of the means of mor- tification, or the duties of it, - invented and enjoined, like the pharisees, a number of works, ways, duties, called, whioh God never appointed, nor approved, mor will accept, nor shall they ever do good unto the'' souls of men. Such are the confessions, disciplines, pilgrimages, fastings, abstinence, framed prayers to be, 'repeated in stated canonical hours, in such length and cumber. In thebodily labour ofthesethings,they exer- eise themselves to no spiritual advantage. But it is natural to all men to divert to such reliefs -in this case. Those who are thoroughly convinced of spiritual decays, are therewithal pressed with a sense of xhe gúiltof sin; for it is sin which bath brought them into that condition. Hereon in the first place they set Their contrivance atwork, .how they may -atone divine displeasure, and obtain acceptance with God; and if.. ;hey are not under-the actual conduct of evangelical light, two things immediately otfér themselves unto -them. First. Some extraordinary course in duties, which God bath not commanded. This is the way which they betake themselves unto in the papacy, and which guilt, in the darkness of corrupted nature velte ineptly calls for. Secondly. An extraordinary multi plication of such duties, as for the substance of them -are required of us. An instance of both kinds we have, Micah-vi.-6, 7. And by this means they hope for -a -restitution into their former condition. And whereas spiritual decays -areof two sorts;. first, from the power and effect of convictions only, which are multiplied -among temporary believers; andsecondly, fromd;grees in the power and effects of saving grace. Those -whose -decays are of the first sort, are - -never to be diverted from attempting their relief by such means; and when -they find them fail, for the most part they cease con- -tending, and abandon themselves to the power of their :lusts; for they have no evangelical light to guide them 5m another course. -C Lion given, in an endeavour for a recovery from back- sliding, and thriving ingrace, by a redoubling attend- once unto the duties of mortification,- and new obedi- ence. Let care be taken that as unto the matter of them they be ofdivine appointment, and as to the man- ner of their performance, that it be .regulated by the rules of scripture. Such are constant-reading and hear- ing the word, prayer with fervency -therein, a diligent watch against all temptations and occasions of sin; es- pecially an endeavour by an holy earnestness, and ve- hement rebukes, of the entrance of any other frame, to keep the mind spiritually and heavenly in its thoughts and affections. 2dly. -Let them take heed, that they attempt not these things in their own strength. When men have strong convictions, that such-and such things are their own duty, they are apt to actaas if they were to bedone in-their own strength. They must do them, they will do them, that is, as unto the outward work, and there- fore,.theythink they can do them, that is, -in a due manner. The holy Ghost bath -for ever rejected this confidence, none shall prosper in it, 2 Cor. iii. 5. chap. ix. 8. But hereby many deceive themselves, labouring in the.6re, while all they do, cloth immediately perish; they have -been negligent and'.careless, whereby things are-come to an ill posture with them, and that peace which they had is impaired::. but now they will pray, and read, and fast, and be liberal to the poor, and live in -abstinence frosts sin. All these things they suppose they can do of themselves, because they can and ought to perform the-outward works, wherein the duties in- tended do consist. .Hereby Christ is left out of the whole design, who, when .all is done, is the. Lord that healeth us, Pied..xv. 2tì. .And there is another evil herein; for whatever men do in their own natural abi- lides, - there is a secret reserve of some ..kind ofmerit in it. Those who plead for those things, do aver there can be no merit in any thing, but what proceeds from our own free will; and what isso done, bath some kind of merit inseparably accompanying of it; and this is enough to render all endeavours of this kind not only useless and fruitless, but utterly ryjeeted. Faith most engage .the assistance of Christ and his grace, in and unto these duties; or, however they may be multiplied, they will not be effectual unto our healing and reco- .bh
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