C.X.g: tq. DoetofSis Perfev-its ufefulr3etTe topromóteGofpell Obedience, 24.2 ten fhould ) fpend the flower and heft of theit Affe&ions, upon, and about themfelves and their own Wifdome, in and for their prefervation ; That doubtlefle will takeup their hearts and thoughts ; fo that there will be very little roome left for the entertainement of the Lord Jefus Chrif, with any regard or refpe&on this account. If that then maypaffe, whichwas former- ly laid down; namely that theDo&rines and things , which are Apt and fit- ted to the ingenerating, quickning, increafing, and buildingup of Faith and' Love towards God, and our Lord JefusChrift, are the moft eminent Gofpell motives to fpirituall acceptable Obedience, ( as it is an unqueftionable Truthandcertainty) doubtleffe that Do&rine which reprefents the Father &Sonne, fo rich inmercy, fo loving & lovely to the foule, as'that doth, which we infift upon , mullneeds have amolt effeetuall influence into that Obedi- ence. ' IS. IS, 4. TheDo&rine infifted on, hath an effe&úall influence into the Obedi- ence of theSaints, upon the account ofgiving it its proper place, andPetting it aright upon its bafis, carrying it on in due order ; It neither puts upon it the fetters oftheLaw, nor turnes it bofefrom the Holy and righteous Rule ofit; Let men be as induftrious ascan beimagined, in the performanceofall commanded duties, yet ifthey doe it on legali motives, and for legal! ends, all their performances are vitiated, andall their duties rejeEted; This the A- poftic afferts againft theJewes, Roar:9.31. They foughtforrighteoufneffe, but as it wereby theworltes oftheLaw, and therefore he tells them Chap. ro. 3. That being ignorant of Gods Righteouf'sseffé, and going about to eftablifh their own Righteoufneffe, theydidnotfubmit to the RighteoufneffeofGod; And thePapifts, will one day find a fire proceeding out oftheir Do&rineofmerits, confusning all their goodWorker, ashay andHubble. Thereare alto manyother waies and principles, whereby Obedience is vitiated , and rendred an abomination in- ftead ofSacrifice, wherein our Do&rine is no (barer; But this I muff not enter into, becaufe it would lead me into other Controverfies, which with thisI {hall not intermixe. 4, 5. It naturally and fweetly rnixeth with all the Ordinances ofChrift, in- flituted for theend under Confideration. In particular, with that great Or. dinance The iiniliryof the Gofpell, in reference to the great frnit and effe& ofit mentioned. Eph.4. r 2,r 3. The perfetlingof the Saints, the edifyingofthe Body ofChrift, tillwe all come in the unity ofthe Faith, andof the knowledgeof theSonne ofGod, unto a perfeil man, unto the meafure of theftatareoftheful- nef ofChrift That which the Lord Jefus aimed at, and intended principally, ingiving PaFiore andTeachersto his Church,was that they mightcarry on the worke oftheMiniftry, for the Perfetlingofthe Saints, and their filling upthe meafure alottedunto them; And this they do by revealing the whole Coun- cell ofGod unto them, keeping back nothing that's profitable for them as was the pra&iceof Paul Act.2o.27. Of this Councell or Will ofGod, as by them managed,there are two parts. r. ThedifcoveryofGod to them, and his Will,as to the (lateand Con- dition whereto he calls them, and which he requires them to come upun- to: And this confifts indo&rines, revealing God and his Will; which contain Rules, and Precepts for men towalkeby, and yeild Obedience unto. 2. Thatwhich is fuited to the carrying on ofmen in the fiate and Con- dition, whereuntothey arecalled, according to the mind ofGod, as alfo to prevaile with them, towhom the Worddoth come, to enter into the (fateof Obedience, and walking with God: and this is ufually branched into three generall heads ofPromifes, 5xhortations, and Threatnings; The management of thefearight with power andefficacy, with Evidence and denzonftrationof the
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