Opened and Applied. · confid~nce in any holinefs, and hyp?c.rilie, a1;1d_fo rher fhall be h_oly, I, a-4-3 ,4. <·Howinany men !lumble by optmons, dtvdions,crc.(the fnms ofa 'orrupr 1 head, and tireams of a dunghil.hearr) that had rather live in forrows among e1 nemies, then divilions among friends! Ob the fpirirof people, 'as foonas any I newC.rlf is made, fall down and worfhip ic, and break the anrient Land-marks 1 which the Word harh fer,· and lheR-make pro;;no!lications of all ill . w~ather, eo 1 ari fe from o?poling their opinion; never !ball our glo7 be recovered tiH chefe !· evils are con>effed ·and lamented, and the fm of the heart, \vhich b:gat the!Il. I 40 I have wondred why fo few be converced(rhough bleffed be God,fome the 1 Lord doth pick out,a few Servants,Children and Natives) is it not b~caufe either 1 1 1 1 this exemplaryholinef<,which is ourglory,is no·,or not fo tbining,but ou r lamps , are dim?Mini!krspreach,and hearers are troubled,but they then look upon fcanl dais and offences fromothers, and fo arebeaten offagain, Z.uho8o2.o,2I , ~ 2,23. · Oh therefore preferve tt. I 50 Howwill all the world ahhorthe way~w~ walk in, if we mif,a ry? 6 0 God will have holy Churches, he is refining the whole world nowfor • rhat eQd, and will do fo more and more, and go on. 0 I . . I ! ____________________ _ __ _ ~ E C T. IX. : Q!!eiloHO'v fha/1 we pre{erve it? Anfw.I . Take heed of harboring an ill opinion of holinefs , for then if your judgemenrs di{like ir, your tongues and your lives !hall difgrace it : Take heed of imagining that_Fir!l, there is'no orace in Saints, only immediate 0 aCl:ingsof the Spirit; this is no fpirit of holinefs, no more than in Bu dams Afs, 1 through which God fpake to him. · .... \'. . . 1 I Secondy, Thanhefe graces are w ly common; who wtll feek inuch after , that, o!' e(kem tpat which is but common? this is to defpife the Spii it;''to conI temn the blood of the Covenant, whereby ihe Churcl\ i~o fanCl:ified. ~ · · thirdly,That grace is fo dark and obfcure a thing always as-no·evidente.can be had by it, though it be peculiar grace: this is a higli degree of difErace to .die Spirit ofGrace ; tf one fhould fay here is a man, but be,lieves no t his tet1irtJony, 'tis doubtful and very que!lionable what ever he faith, it is a ditbonor. tO< him, tak-! heed of this : When rh ~ Spirit of Holinefs comes to us in formit t comes thus, 1\ith linle peace; bunvhen in power,with much aflurance,I Thcjf. ·,1 I.5. It isa fad thing, if that which was the complaint of theProphet, tball be tire'complaint of the Spirit,Who /·Ill h believ ed our report,.md to whom is I hrart'n of the L ord revta!rd! z. :rake heed ofdecaying in a fpirit of bouncy anG! love, and in largenefs of heart to all the peo?le of God, nay, to all men, ,o far as you hav~ time and flre~gch; lee a man be never fo great a Prince, if b.: once lofe his bouncy, he lofeth his glo'ry ; fo here I fa. sS. s. Give bread to r/;e hungry, then (hall thy tight 6rralz. o'tt of obfcuritJ : M·· ny complain rhar 'N.pw-England 1 i bath fo little love, Non-member.s not vilited, not regarded (though many , times unju!lly ) Oh they tboughrro fee fo rr:uch love, and care, and pity; but here they may live and never be fpoken · to, n~ver vitired; Oh take heed i of this; Nothi ng·beautifies a Chrirlian in rhe eyesof m hers mat<; than much 1 love, ( hypocri lie is naught ) Oh excel here ; vi1it poor families , fit one 1 h~lf hour and fpeak to difcoura:;ed hems, fl1ew kindnefs to !hangers; luch you were ; Ile \\ arrant God wi!I b!efs you, this was rbe gbry of Chri!l, full of grace and truth. . . . . ·, 1 3· Be ve ry carefUl' in receiving in o( M~mb~rs into Churches;· one ill I mm \ I I I I I f.
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