The 'Parable of the removed , the Spirit of the Lord would return again. 5. Tb,1t hereby a man may have his fins withoHt trouble, for a !l'lan harh bin troubled, and cannot get power, now he hears there is no fuch power ro be exfCeted , he looks to CmriH, and if power come, well, if not, faith he, 'tis not my fault. ' Thirdly, Thofc thlt deny the cvide>1c~ ofir,the evil of which apprehenGon, I conceive robe no le(~ then raking away that which is the chief, if not only difference between hyFocrites al'ld Samts in virgin Churches, for fo 'ris made here. A man faith I h:wc Chri(t, and fo ha\'e not rrey: I ask, where is rhe Spirit? You h.we the Deed , where is rhe Seal? You have rhe Te(hror, where is rhe Executor, the S_pirir in yoa? Yes, I h~ve it, ir h.1th wime!fe_d Chri!l: is mine. A1f 111 • I~ hath WitnePed, but wh.1t h;ah 1~ wrorght? . _wr.ere IS t.he fOWer of his death, ktllmg tby lulls; Where IS the hfe ofrhe Sptm of Jefus m )Oll? Where is tf.e 0~!~ in :-our Yc!Td? Tru~y _I look for t~e Bridegroom , bur I reg:trd P.Ot th;rt, netrher are otters to regard It m way ofevtdence. Then I fay the chief evide1=1ce is de!troyed in rl~c <._ hurcbes. I baYe known m.my th.lt ha\'e bad .1ffurances, yet r~cver f<nv rhem prove right, till it wirne!fed this ~vas here. What ihould be the caulcs of r~i,, and t~at men ihould make bluHers in rhe Churches, becaufe of this, as thoL-gh It w,1s bmld1ng on wo:ks? In feveral men rhey are feveral. I. An aprnefs in !T'ens nearts tO outrun the Truth, and to f~ll from or.eexrre.:n: ro;rnothcr. M•ny n~en there be that fall filorr of Cbrifl, and the Grace of God in and from him: and from their loo[e propbane life, fall ro duties, and imime Cods ~ople, and then when tbey lm·e got credit with good people rbey Judge welt of them : and having made their peJcc rereby , with con~ lcience , •1nd not with God the Judge; never look after rbe faving kn.::>wledge of, <lnd fellow !hip wirb, and !if<: from the T.ord Jefus. Now, becaufe men rdl: on tbis, rhefe duties are no evidence; hencenoneareat all. The Corinrhi~tns firfl mourned nvrfor the incelluous perfon; and when caft out,w.mred fity towards him. Calvin preached againH Holidaies, hence inrrencl:ed upon the Lords day. So.ne of rbe feparation fee many Churches where they have come corrupf, hence make them all no Churches. A man is apt to think, becaufe I ha\'e refled on my felf, and found tbofe Ggnes which now are not found, hence all others do fo too. And I be!eeve divers Books have occafioned it, which givelignes rbat will not bold without a fuller explication of them. z. The apoHacy of eminent Profeffors, who have bin deceived in their evidencing rbus: And truly it would make one rhink the boneHy of rhe World is b~t 11 f,lt1<ion, and no evidence of any good efhre; bene~ men (ay you have JOY , fo had the flony ground; you are .blame\e(~ and ftnC[, fo was Paul a Ph1rifee; and S.mn herei:Jy !hake~ many a foul: hence the Apo!He comes in, Heb. 6. 9· :111d f; e1k~ of better things, and Ehings tb~t accompany Salvation, and thefc (hou!d )'Oufo!low. H7m~new and Philetusfell ·botb, z Tim. 2, r8, 19, zo, 2 I. Ye: ~:urge your felv.:s,nnd you Gull be veffels of honour for rhe Maflers ufc. 3· Corm· t experience, it may be a m~n walks fo loony without fear, or life, or I eve, tbn the Lord leJve~ hi:n, and he can fee no clear rbrough-wort, fornetimcs hatb pang•, and rhen hore', forr.erirr,cqead, then do11bts ; hence being vext here, .md finding no rcJcc:: ; if be find it any or her way rh.m this, rbere he refts. As 'tis o~1[crved 1\ itb man, clolths bide their J.hame : but when de1d; their face is <11 o covered, all their glory beiug then gone: fo _forr.e Glory of God ~pL'Clres here,, bHt when Chri!\ians arc de.1d, they cover this,I'Ic look no more tO It, ntl tre gloryofir i~ now i'-One,and here lies a deceit to love Cbri(i: (or freeing me fro:n this w~y of eviden~;ing. 4· A he~rt that nC!verfelr the bitrernel's and bond~~e of6n as rbe greate!l: evil. Tal·e a ma~ full o£ fc.1rs of wr.n b;oh now a{furancc is his chiefeft good,and be will Kcou.ur it io ; but if ever God did load the Soul wirh Cm, C. c~nrrn, you will accounr of
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