/ Opened and Applied. 79 all is fpem. The Scripture is pregnant every where for this. But let us look and fee the caufes of this. F1rll, ~ometime it isbecJufe they know not what that meafure is which dorh accompany la]varion; but t~ey fer up an imaginarion of rheir own heads, which is a fa lie image of Savmg-grace, and when they have that, now rhey think ;:ll is we!~, and they go nofu rcher. y,,~r;.z.I I,Iz . People rhatknow nor theLord,nor rhc po .' er of his grace,wi/1 fct up othergods,andferv e them,and there re(!; unci! iris with them,as it was with thofe,,\ hen the a»ger f the Lord >Vt<X<th l:or,and fpoilers come,now_rhey cry umo the I:ord; What is rhe reaf':m why many a man falls t'horr of rhe nghreoufnefs wh1ch 1s of God, vs:t.. of F.urh? Becau!e he fers up in hish"ad a righreoufm:fs of his own; and if I get that, then I hope rhe Lo rd will accept me, and forgive me; and hence 'Pvm.g.3J,32. why did theymifs of ir ? Becaufe they fought ic by a righteoufnefs whid1 is of cheir own ; fo why do many mils of Faith? becaufe they think it is an affurance ; or when a man rells upon Chri{t, no_t confidering the need of an Almi,;bty p01ver; and he 1~ce the Apo!lle prays f~r r~1s1 Ephrf . I.I 9· So f~r Repenrance, why do men fall there of tt ? they rhmk tt ts when Gods anger 1s fxpre!t, the foul then comes ro feek the Lord, and /indes fome comfort Pf11!. 78. c.Marth. ~. and fo runs away with ir : So for Holinefs, they chink it is to be like others; and rhen well, they think thefe are rhe men chat Jhalllive, and are happy; and look as ir is like it was ac B abe!, when head and tongues were confounded, one calls for a Brick, . the other brings him a Trowel, Hammer or Tile, becaufe he d1d buc ima5ine what he fpake, and fo underllood not his Janouage. So 'ris here ; men read and bear God fpeak, and Minilters call for Faith, and knowledge of God ; bur earthly minds cannot underlland heavenly language ; and hence they imagine chat is Fairh and Repentance which indeed is noc, and fo mifs of that which indeed elfe would continue; and rhis is the mifery of many rhoufands tb~t in feeing fee nor: The e~perience of the work of grace, makes men favlngly to know what Grace IS' r•hn 5· n. :;8. Now men gracelefs never felt it in the life and power of it, and therefore cannot tell ir. Secondly, From the nature of Common-grace; the nature of which is as the Apolllefpeaks of Jifelels knowledge, r Cor. 8.l. t a pt4f "P; it never leaves the foul more fenfible of his vilenefs, as Saving-grace cloth, E:t.rk.. I6.ult. ana fo makes a man never reil in feeking aft er the Lord; but makes tee foul feel himfelffull, and hence rhe flomack is gone from feeking after more, as Rev. 3.1 7· She thought Jhe was rich ,& c. The Spirit of Grace which is but common, that heals a vile, pro~d heart, it eaferh him, ic c:; uiets him, in healing fome fin, whi.:b Ii.:s fore on the confciencc ; it heals and qniers the man, fo he is well, ' needs no repenrance; but tb ~ Spirit of life indeed dell royerh the man, and nays corruption, andhence he refills..; and nowfaith the foul, I never felt my heart fo vile as now; and hence, fa ith Paul, Sin revi v ed, and led me capttve, Oh wr tched man! as it iswith aPrince, if any grea[ ones come and ferve him, helikes rhem, this gives him re il: , fe td<:s himin his Th ron~ ; butif any one come to re1:sn over him, now be gathers all his flrength t9-'o;o-pofe: So Common grace it eve r comes as a fervanr to corrupt; and hen't-.:: rake a man of bell wir apd pares, he turns them againi1 the Lord , and makes them ferve himfelf. . Thi rdly, From an apprebeniion of this difficulty, and an unwillingnefs m rhehearr ro break tborow rhe difficulty of feeking after the Lord ; many a 1 man fees ( as 'D ives in hell, r.Al r,,h, m af~r off) Grace, and God, and Chrill afar off; bur there is agreat gulf between them and Grace; now robe watching, falling, feeking the [ord diligently; rofollew the Lord: bard, PfAl. 63. to keeptbebearr lamenting rillr\;Je I.ord comes, chisis hard, asHeb;ri;
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