I 1 I ! I 144 llfq. OfE;~.·hart. Ob jest. .Anfw. SECT. VI. / TO rhe people ofGod, in whofn rhe Lord hath maded1is grearchange, and made a dllference between you and all rhe world. Take heed of denyin<> your work, and rhis real apparent expreflion of rhe Lords love. How many doub t':: ing drooping Spirits are rhcte, that though others may fee, and though rhemfelv es have felt the feniible expreflion of tbe Lords love, yet oft come to this condulio n, or fear that the Lord did never yet good umo me? And difpute againll it, an d thihk that this an hypocrite may have, Ifa·49·14· There are two waies I\ hereby I Grace \s defpifed. r. By making common Grace fpecial. 2. By making fpecial Grace co'Umon. The EleEI: are apr co do fo before rhey ·are called, as PAul thought his innocent Godline!le gain ; they are apt to do the I latter when once in Chritt.All rl;is we may have,and yet to Hell.Oh take heed of defpifing this kindne!fe which the Lord Jefus bath nor fhewn co the greateH Poten - tates of the world. , Yea, ifl did bur know it; bur I am put ro fuchfears anddoubvs abourir, r har ,I 'knolv nor whar eo make on'r• ) r. Do nor think rhat rhou art under the power of thy fin, when rhou arr at war ! with rhy fin and it with thee. For rhe Lord many times clears up his love ro th e foul, and 'ris berrer rhanlife eo him, bur rhen winds arife, and Horms come, an d !fin and Saran atfaulrs, and no1v he cries our, he Feri01erh, and rhar he was ne ver redeemed by Chri!l, nqr never fa~v C~ills love. Should his foul be thus enfnared, rhus a!faulted, and no llrength agam!l1r, and therefore being under the rower of ir, hence he never had pardon ; rh~y cannot overcome their corruptions, thouoh rhey flrive againfl diem, hence think they are under the'power of rh~m, and th~n fay, where is Chri!ts Spirit? &c. Anfw. When Rebek_ah had Twins, fo that fhe was trou~led, fhe wen~ r.o ~he I:ord, who cold her, the e/d(T fha!l ferve the JOHn!,": So there lS Fleili ~nd Sptnt 111 Samts, and thefo two art contrarl, fo that yoll camM do the things y~u would; and fomcimes cannot will , yet fomrhing oppofetb this. Well, know ir, that the elder and flronger ,fl,all ferve rhe younger, it fhallb e Lord. Aman rhar is ar war with another, hath received 'power againfi him, bu r YiEI:ory is norgorren prefently, fo 'tis here: Judgment fh~<ll come to viCfor7. Though thou arr bruifcd and canfl not raife up rhy [elf; now there is no fear of breaking, ifGod will not do th.1r, none 01all do ir, and therefore thou 01alt get via ory . Onlyknowfortheprefenr thou hall power. Thougoeflro all Ordinances, an d when no bdp rhere, raifeil: rhe power of Heaven. Oh LoJd awake! AwaJ:.! Oh 'I Arm af the Lord! ifd. 51 ·9· z• .bo nor thinkrhar rhe being ofGrace is loll, when 'ris hid, by rhe ce!fation of it f•x a rime fro:n act:. For 'tis hard tO know whether Grace ba there, when aa:s are nor feen or felr; now fomrimes 'tis fo: The hearrgrowes carele!fe an d negligenr, ceaferhfrom aEting, quencherh the flame of the Spirit. Hence eo me fears, was rliere ·eve·r Grace here? The Sluggards Garden grows full of Nettle s, ~nd he faith, was the reever good feed fown here? Anfw. Confider 'ris in this ' cafe, as 'ris in fin. Though the aEI: of fin ceafeth, yet there is a benr ofhem fu ll toward it ; and a canul heart will rei:urn ro his old Byas aRd benr again : So thoug h the act of Grace ceafeth, yer rhere is an inner man, a gracious bent and frame pur upon the will, rhat rhouoh for a rime it ceafeth acling, yet ir will rerum t o j its old bent a<>ain, ro irs oWl~ nature, which is called the 'fml af G•d, I John 3 ·9· i From which~ man can never fall. For in fleep rhere is ce!farion from aEI:s, yet the frame re<nains Hill. In the old Law, if any unclean thing fell on a Pitcher, ir w~s accounred unclean, bur if iR a Spring, no:, becaufe ir w~ld workir ouragam; fo here: There is a Spring ofGrace, wh1ch ffi<lY be mudd1ed and !lopt up, ' .. ~
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