V e;r. 4. Différent Effëas of Vnbelief and fealoIsfe. 301 (hew the foul, how the Glory of Chritt contîtleth principally in this, that he being fo excellent and glorious, is pleated to love us with love unexpreffible who are vile and tinful, ueffion- áxgs about the lose of Chrift, and thole attended with much anxiety and trouble of mind, will arifc. Now this frame may fometimes be taken for a queflioning of the promifes of God, and that tobe a defeä in faith which is an excel?of love ; or at moti fuch an irregular adting of it, as the Lord Chri(t will be very tender towards, and which is confi(tent with peace and a due fenfe of the forgivenefs of fins. Mi(take not then thefe one for another, left much caufeleß unquietneß enfue in the judgement which you are to make of y out felves. But you will fay how (hall we ditlingui(hbetween thefe two, fo as not caufelefly to be difquieted and perplexed ? I anfwer briefly, r. unbeliefworking in and by the queflioning of the promifes Diffèrent ofGod,is a weakning,difheartning,difpiriting thing It takes otf Effe&s of the edge of the foul from fpiritual duties and weakens it both ndTéaf as unto delight and ilrength. The more any one quell-ions the loufie. promifes of God, the Ids life, power, joy and delight in obedi- ence he hath. For faith is the fprin.g and root of all other Graces; and accordjng as that thriveth or goeth backwards fo do they all. Meh think fometimes, that their uncertainty of the love of God and of acceptance with him by the for- givenefs of fin,dothput them upon the performance of many duties, and they can have no tell or peace in the omiffion of them. It may be it is fo ; Yea this is the fiate and Condition with many. But what are thefe duties ? and bow are they performed ? And what is their acceptance with God ? The duties themfelves are legal, which denomination arifeth not from the Nature, Subtlance or Matter of them, for they may be the fame that are required and injoyned in the Gofpel, but from theprinciple fromwhence they proceed, and the End to which they are ufed. Now thefe in this cafe are both legal, their principle is legal fear, and their end is legal ItighteoufnefI the whole attendance unto them aPeeking of rigbteoufneff as it were4y the works of the Law : and how are they performed ? 9 2 Plainly,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=