rvf 7'reatife ofCa!lings. 779 mull needs come tothis ac~ount,not one!hall A befreed. And we maynot thinke,rhat Chrift will eithernot know, orremembcr our parti– cular olfences• Wevfc to make faire weather 1 with men, and to keepe,clofe ourdoings from thccyes of the world 1 butthe Lord will clef– cry our moG fccret finnes: in him is no want <Jf knowlcdgeordifcerning: hecan lindeout .Ad.m, though ~e be in the thicket of para– dife, and def"y him in the middeft ofhis 6g- B leaues. At thts great day ofaccount, euery fi:– cret thing fhall be made manifefr. Whatfhall we then dol Somedo pleade,that they arc no great!inners,they arc no whore-mongers,"" ·adultercrs,nor blafphemers,nor theeues : and therefore they hope ro make anaccount good enough. But(alas) this is a fond anda poore cxcnfe; for the wages ofrhe lea!t lin,is death. C And he that breaketh the law but once, and that in thought onely, is gniltie of eternall condemnation : and therefore it will oot goe for paiment to fay,weare not great lirmers,as other men be. Whatthen fhallwe faylthat we haue walked in ourcalli•gs , and alwaies had a good meaning, and did no man hurq and thereforo we hope that God wil be mercifull? Thisindeedc isthe common excufc , butit is D not tufficient paiment with God 1 for as l•hn I laith,M.rtth+IO. The axeis l•idtotheroote o~ thetree; and hefaith not further, that cuer tree fhall frand, which bringeth not forth bad fruit; but,eN<rJ tree th4tbringtth1Wt[Drthgood ff~it,fo•Ubt cHtdmnt, AJrdc4ftintothefirt. Jn a word,lctvsdcuife whatwecan,icwilnoc feruc rhe turne. Wilt thou make vp thyreckoning withalmes-docds, ·and good wotkes, accor– ding to the opinion ofmany, that Iooke to be faued by their workcs Ibut theyare nocurrant paiment in this accollnt; becaufe one breach ofthe law,marrcs all thegood works we doe. And he that will be iu{lified by workcs, is bound to fulfill the whole law, in the rigour thereof, Befidethis, the bcfr workes wedoe, are inthcmfelues defiled in the light ofGod. What then fhall we doe I fhall we vndergoe the curfe of the law? Some of a defperate minde fay, ifthe worfr come, there is bur oue out ofthe way: but far be it from vs, thusto thinkcor fpeake: forthe curfe ofthe law and the wrath ofGod , is moft horrible and ;ter– nall, without refr or cafe. All the fire in the world,is butice,in regard ofthat fpiritual and eternal! lire ofhell, Thus then, hauingtumcd our felues eucry way, and finding no helpe in any thing, we mull flie Vnt0 our furety, Chrifr Iefus, who wascontent toftand in our roome vpon the Croffe, and there eo !bed his blood for the redemption ofour finnes. Thus in thislife, whiletheday ofgrace re• mainerh, arc we to make afore-hand recko– ningwi;h our ~luts,inour owneperfons, ne– uer refttng, ttllwe haue affuranccin our con– fcienccs,that the bookes in heauoo are cancel– led, and that God is content to account of Chrifr hisfatisfac!lion, as a paiment forour finnes. And this being done, we !ball beable to make a good account before the Lord at thelafr day ofiudgemcnt. ' Fl:J(JS.
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