126 Ufe 4· Sign I. The ~parable of the Thirdly,In regard of the cries of the very GofFel it felf ~g~inH thcm.Oh that the precious (.,ofpel of God comi11g with fo much Pe.Kc, Love,Grace, rr:ercy, l11ou'!d win tb.cm to be Hypocrites,bur never robe Friends. Hdoved as there is VC11oeance of rhe Law, and of the Terr:ple, fo there i> vengc:111Ce of rhe Gofrel when rhe foul {hall be drawn before the Tribunal of Chrilt, and !hall Hand there quakino, all lins fer in order before you, and your mouth !hall be I! opt. W!m fay ym~ rh~n for your life? Oh <;;race and mercy Lord; Oh now iliall the Goffel come forth and (ly, all rhis I did, I lpake, I !hove, I comforted , I terrified, and yet he hath oppoled the Lord, and me, be bath mlde a cover for all thefe evils , and therefore .L~rd let him 1;ever be cocnfone.d more,Joh~ 3 .19. Oh Chritl bar~ heavy things agam!hhefe Tunes, thar take hgbt ofthe Gofpd ro fee ro commit their fin by ! And therefore la~1enr your prefenr ethres you that know _your felve; naught,never yetdmvn to Chnll, never yet humbled at thefeetofChntl, and look up ro the Lord whJr-ever mifery beinfiiets, not ro fuffer rhee robe deceived here; not only ro have fuch a Faith !s may catch hold on ChriH, bur he on thee, and come unto rhe light ro manifeH rhe hidden enmity there. Never was yec man deceiv!ld, bm he dm w.1s willing robe deceived, that would not ufe rhe me.1ns, and fearch. SECT. IV. ALL you therefore rim live under the light of the Gofpel , confider if' it cloth not nearly concern you to fearch and try your felves whether you, or fomeof you may not be Evangelical Hypocrites; the time is coming that you l11a!l Hand before the Tribunal of God, wherein the hidden things of darkne!fe ihall be brought forth to light,Qnd it will be tiJo !are to know your fe!ve~ rben:Oh therefore fearch now. No mans mifery will befog re~tas this, if your heart be foundfalfe. I iliall fre-1k in a manner but genero~lly now. I. Thofe rhat do believe, and yet fail in refpeel: of the efficiem caufe of Faith, it never had the right maker, never came out of the right iliop, nor mint , it was never a Faith of Gods making, but afairh ofyour own making, fo that it's a bafe baHard Faith, rh1t though it be born in the Houfe, ir. iliall never po!feffe the iohericance, becaufe it was never begonen of rhe right Fatber,the Lord never wrought it, but the:nfelves , for many aman is convinced by rbe Law, and fpirir of bondage char he mull d;e, and that he is amoHgrievous!inner, and tharwhlln hehath done all be is unprofitable, bur yc:r he uu!ls ro ChriH, and Gods mercy, and fo believes, he finds nogre.1r difticulty in this, nor no great need of rbe.Aimigbry power of the Lord w work this, and all men living iliallnever make him think but thu he doth bemily and truly beleeve: bur ask him , have you no doubt of your ellare? md of Chrill:s nor taking hold of you when you rake bold of him? Y es,but fceing he hub been troubled about his clhre, and repenred of his fin (in his faihion) and reformed himfelf and Family , and loves the befi things, he believes without queftion, ~nd fo mifapplies promifes to himfelf, never feeling a need of the revelation and do111rion of Jefus tO him by the Father; and rhus the Lord finds this mm a Chrifl,and this man finds rhe Lord a Faith, and rhe Lord Jefus redeems rhis man by price, and this man redeems himfelfby pow<!r,and fo the Father iliall have fome Gbry for providing a Saviour, Chrifi iliall have fome Glory for paying a price, and the Spirit of ChriH which osly can draw to ChriH, ilialllofe his Glory, an1 fo rhis man may r~keic to ~1imfelf. And is this good think you? Col. 2. 12. Rifen with Chrift through Faith offhe operation of God, I Per. I. 3· The j11me power that raifrd Chrijl from the de.~d, muft raijt you to ·a lively hope. Mat.2 2. r, z, 3. One man came from his hedP.es and High-wayes to rhe FeaH of the Pro- ! mife,a nd Ordinances oft he Gofpcl,nll rbe Lord faw htm wirhout Chritl; bur John 6. 64, 6 5. ttnlejfc the Fathff reveals Chrifts fnce , cbe Fa(her perMades thee of Chrill$
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=