The '1-' arable of the M.u.9.z8,z9. J:'lay, be it unto thee tU th&u wilt, Mat ,I 5 .28, If in thefe inferiour things, much more in greater. Chrilt is now gone, and 1\·e hJve no imme.- diare fpeech with him, but in his Word, and he is free to fpeak to his people ac-- cording as he plea(eth, and wl\en they need. And therefore lee me enueat Bre• thren w be wary in their fpeeches in da.lhing all promifes in pieces. Wh"t Chrillian heart can (ee Gods Truth mangled , without being angry and mournin? for the hardne!fe of m.ens beans? The Lo r<;l hath fpoken pf!ace to fonie ;ens hems thug, · he that is !oH /hall be found, He that believes in me jha/1 never hunger, and heth~t.comet _to me Jhall never thirf!; and feeing this, _rhey conclude, rhe lords Sptrtt helpmg them ( for fomnme they cannot do tt) pe.Ke. For the Major is the Word, the Minor Experience, and rheConclufion the lords Spirits work quickningyour fpirits to it. Now fay fome, h:>w do you know this? Thus you may be millaken, for many have been deceived rhus. Gram that, And lhall a chtld ll0t take bread when 'tis given llim, rhough dogs fnatch at it? What ihould one do then ? Bring their work to the light, to the trial! of the Word, which you know cloth but t\YO things. I. Shews what God is. And 2, 'Vhat man is, and fo difcovers and defcribes all hypocrilie ofmen, and all grace ofmen, now if it will not bearthetrial of the Word, convince rhem they have gone on in acoven:mt of works indeed: But if it will, hold there, take heed then of falfe wimeife againH the Truth of God ; fo that do not condemn the work of (;briH in any man, where 'tis of the right !tamp, and hath CbriHs Image u~;on it, and fo pluck men from their claim to Chri!ts love revealed in his promtfe. Bt!t lem1 to difference it once, and then I am perfw~ded the fad differences that begin to appelt, would foon be ended among all d~em that loverhe Trnth in Chrift Jefus, 2 Per.r ·4· whqeby aregiven to m that have precious Faith, ~>:cee_dinggreat andpreciout promifes, The Lord gives little to his people, Oh but he gtves them rich promifes ! Bonds, and Bills, and wtitings to i1•ew for rich G~act~, and riches of Glory, and riches of peace. Oh but thefe promifes Hypocntes may have: they may be !oH:, and hunger and thirH, and believe. Wh:tt a~ thofe do that have theirimerell: in thefe promifes? Why are they called precMu PrQmifes? Precious prumifes are not common things. Preciom promifes are not theponim1 of a bare world. Precious thing~ God never gives ro dogs, and believe me, you m~y come to know the price of them in the times of your horrour on death-bed, that account them co:nmon no1v. Oh but many re!ton promifes without Chrill J That's all one, the f~itbful by them come to parrake of theDivineNature, of Chrilt, of his Spirit, ofDivine Confolations, Peace, Gt.K(?, and this is not building on awork, or refling on a barepromife, ·when it carries you to Chrill and die everlaHino embracings of him. Its no marcer whar promife Pives peace, fo long as it lanJs us in Chri!t And therefore a man 1 may know his bleifed eHare by awork, only let me put in three Camioru. I. Take heed you do not in your j11dgmentor in yourpraEtife go about to move the lord to love you by your work, rhough it be of his makin~. For all wo:ks are fruits, no caufes of the lords love, for this is Popery indeed, and 'tis Hypocrilie, Ifa. 58.3 ,4. why have we.fafted, and prayed, and delighted ro draw nMr smto God? &c. but look upoR the work and promife, and be the more vile in thine • own eye>, that t~e Lord ihoold pro.mife, or do_ any thinj; f~r thee. So thar.when you feel any favmg work., go not to God Wtth expectanon of any good m the narr:eof that work, but in rh~ name efthat free Grace and Fairhfulne!fe ofGod, which hath moved him to make fuch precious prornifes to fuch as thofe are that have it. Haf/notfaidSolomonfhall reign? I Kings I,'q. So here. z. Take heed you do nor lit down contented with rho work, and quiet your felvcs vvith thar, never looking to behold his face that gave ir, that wrought ir. . T~e p•or bli11d mlll1, John 9• had a mighty cure upon him, and fome feed_of Faun,
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