Shepard - BT378 T4 S44 1660

ten Virgin~ Op~ne4 ~nd Applied. of deliveranc~ fro:n thishighly;naya promife he will do it is fweet:but robe feeiino thofe fine1'1'S of fin crack; oh its the joy of Heaven that now lils chat hem! Thg gre:lre[l: evil in Gods eyes is fin; the ~~~.1telt good we have is redemption from it by a miohry hand :now notfo much as ro accoumofrhis highly,this is h~rd.Thus I have left0rhefe rhings to be thought of, I cannot avoid ir, it lies in my texr; and the rather, becau~ of rhat Scriptur-e abufed, if ""l fay, loe here is Chrift, ~r there beli1!11e it not. i.e. by fignes : or in a wilderne{fe, ;. e. in a forrowful elbte, or j; the privy chambers in frames of hem, believe it not neither. Take heed )'OU do nor wreH Scripture> thus; l'ts faid, Efau hautl ]~t&ob forthebleffing, Gen. 27. 41. This Spirit of Grace is the b!dling which Saints account _as rhe eyidence of the dew~lllove ; ro feparare fwm Churche~, from Meffengers of God , for clli< will yield you forrowenough one day. I tell you, yo.u lhall not be foundfightm · Againft men, bKt againft God, and the Spirit of his Grace, and rhe Life of him who hve; in Heave11 for u~. Take heed you forget noc oyl in your Veffels. Fourthly, Thore that acknowledge in their judgltmen-~ all thefc: things,bur deny it in their live~, regard not the !raving this principleofLife,andh~vepeace in this, from a.double ground. I. By a fruidef~ Fajrh which hlng~ on Chri!l; but never receives nor brings in thi~ principle, ~s thofe, 'fohn z. 24, 25. and hence though rhey receive none, yet they hang on hiru. And fo their Faith like a hucl<et without a bmrom,draws up no1bing. 2, A form ofgodlinefs before meA. If a man ih?u.ld ~either fpe .1k well, nor pray, &c. He: would n;1ve no love, no refpeC\:, no rec~1vtng mto Church; but he cannot do it with life, and hence a forru contents him, and there reHs. So that now if G:lnfcience trouble>, and fays , tho(e dutic:s are done with no life of Chrit:t, and Spirit; he an!ivers, yet I goe to Chrill : If this be all, why do you pot caH off yo\U' form ? Oh then I iliould have no love from men : oh'this life of Ch6A: is l'lOt prized, till with thefe Virgins they feel thewanrof ir, and 'ris too lare, know this will be your woe at laA:.Loo.k upon thy deld Soul,all thy glory i> gone,and wait upon the Word that the Lord may make thee live. Could you know this Well of water and ask he would give it you. Oh beg for it then as for your life. Only fir{t feek it in Chri!l, and fo from ChriJl. SECT. II li. t8i VVE live in a Country whicla harh goodly trappings, ricn hangings, glor~- Uft .f. ou.s Profel'!ion, burning Lamps : and hence many thin~ vhemteives OfTrpi/1. rich, whel'l indeed poor; mmy look to meet the Bridegro::>rn, wh<:n indeed they {hall be 01ut out fro'!l rhe fellowlhip of the Bridegroom. How lhall.I know that? That all my farrows, prayers, reformation, profellion, is but apaint, an apfel~.mce, a f,lfhion , a Church-cr3fr, which will !land me inn:> f!ead when the Lord lhall appear, who lh~ll judge the fecrecs of all hems, by the Word you hear · r.his d~ y. Try it therefore by this Rule,dorh ir come fro:n a principle of life or no? Your L11np burns, but look whgt is in your veffel that feeds this flame.That as our Divines fpe.1k, howrhe Difciples could do greater works than Chrill, arid others wrought Miracles belides Cbrifl : how then do they prove that he.is Chrif! ? •Tis an(wered, in all his mir~culous works _we are to confider not only q11id fo•it, ;. e. what he did, but qua virtute fecit, from what power he did it. The ApofUes and others wrought Miracles, but it was .rlt'mJ virtute: Cl1~ifi did the;n, but i~ was propriJ '!!irtuu. So mariy ari uRfound heart_ be may do grearc::r wotks then Samts, and his l.amp burn brightec. Therefore il\ ~his. i:_:if<; ;ye are not eo loo~ fo much to what 1s done, as from whAt f>?Wl!r and pnnctplett ts doRe: for therem the bell (hypocrite ever faile;. We !hall ever'obferve-in f6:rle beafls there are ~~mbr~ r~- ' A a 3 t••nH

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