Imatges de pàgina
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the reft, and maketh a defective veffel: Or when one part of the feal is filled up before, it maketh a defective impreffion on the wax. Therefore the duties of inward felf-denial, humility, mortification, and beavenlinefs, are almoft left out in the Religion of the most,

17. Temptations are ever more ftrong and violent againft fome duties, than against others, and to fome fins, than to others.

18. Moft men have a memory, which more cafily retaineth fome things than others: especially those that are best underflood, and which moft affect them. And grace cannot live upon forgotten truths,

19. There is no man but in his Calling, hath more frequent occafion for fome 'graces and duties, and ufeth them more, and hath more occafions to interrupt and divert his mind from others.

20. The very temperature of the body inclineth fome all to fears and grief, and others to love and contented nefs of mind: and it vehemently inclineth fome to paffion, fome to their appatite, fome to pride, and fome to idleness, and fome to luft; when others are far lefs inclined to any of them: And many other providential accidents, do give men more helps to one duty, than to another, and putteth many upon the tryals, which others are never put upon: And all this fet together is the reafon that few Chriftians are entire or compleat, or escape the fin and mifery of deformity; or ever ufe Gods graces and their duties, in the order and harmony as they ought.

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IV. I fhall be brief alfe in telling you what Inferences to raife from hence for your inftruction.

1. You may learn hence how to answer the queffion, whether all Gods Graces live and grow in an equal proportion in all true Believers. I need to give you no further proof of the negative, than I have laid down before: I once thought otherwife and was wont to fay, as it is commonly faid, that in the babit they are proportionable, but not in the ad. But this was becaufe I underfood not the difference between the particular habits, and the first radical power, inclination or

habit (which I name that the Reader may chule his title,that we may not quarrel about meer words.) The firft Principle of Holiness in us, is called in Scripture, The Spirit of Christ or of God: In the unity of this are three effential principles, Life, Light and Love, which are the immediate effects of the heavenly or divine influx upon the three natural faculties of the foul, to rectifie them, vix. on the Vital Power, the Intellect and the Will: And are called the Spirit, as the Sunshine in the room is called, the Sun: Now as the Sunshine on the earth and plants, is all one in it felf as emitted from the Sun, Light, Heat and Moving force concurring, and yet is not equally ef fective, because of the difference of Recipients; and yet every vegetative receiveth a real effect of the Heat and Motion at the leaft, and fenfitives alfo of the Light, but fo that one may (by incapacity) have lefs of the best,and another lefs of the motion, and another lefs of the Lgbt; fo I conceive that Wisdom, Love and Life(or Power) are given by the Spirit to every Christian: But fo that in the very firft Principle or effect of the Spirit, one may have more Light, another more Love, and another more Life: Bus this it accidental from fome obftruction in the Receiver; otherwife the Spirir would be equally a Spirit of Power (or Life) and of Love, and of aïfound mind (or Light.)

But befides this New Moral Power, or Inclination, or Univerfal Radical Habit, there are abundance of particular Habits of Grace and Duty, much more properly called Habits, and lefs properly called the Vital or Potential Principles of the New Creature: There is a particular Habit of Humility, and another of Peaceableness, of Gentleness, of Patience, of Love to one another, of Love to the Word of God; and many habits of Love to several truths and duties: a habit of defire, yea maxy, as there are many different objects defired; there is a habit of praying, of meditating, of thanksgiving, of mercy, of chastity, of temperance, of diligence, &c. The acts would not vary as they do, if there were not a variety and difpofition in thefe Habits; which appear to us only in their ads. We must go againft Scripture, reafon, and the manifold hourly experience of our felves, and all the Chriftians in the world, if we will fay. that all these graces and duties are equal in the Habit in every Christian, How impotent are fome in bridling a paffion, or

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bridling the tongue, or in controlling pride and self-esteem, or or in denying the particular defires of their fenfe, who yet are ready at many other duties, and eminent in them. Great knowledge is too oft with too little charity or zeal; and great zeal and diligence often with as little knowledge. And fo in many other inftances.

So that if the Potentiality of the radical graces of Life, Light and Love, be or were equal, yet certainly proper and particu lar habits are not.

But here note further, 1. That no grace is strong where the radical graces, Faith and Love are weak: As no part of the body is ftrong, where the Brain and Heart are weak; (yea or the naturals, the ftomach and liver.)

2. The ftrength of Faith and Love is the principal means of Atrengthening all other graces; and of right performing all other duties.

3. Yet are they not alone a fufficient means, but other inferiour graces and duties may be weak and neglected, where Faith and Love are ftrong; through particular obftructing caufes. As lome branches of the tree may perifh when the root is found; or fome members may have an Atrophie, though the brain and heart be not difeafed.

4. That the three Principles, Life, Light and Love, do moft rarely keep any disproportion; and would never be difproportionable at all, if fome things did not hinder the adings of one more than the other, or turn away the foul from the influences and impreffions of the Spirit more as to one than to the reft.

2. Hence you may learn, That the Image of God is much clearlier and perfe&lier imprinted in the holy Scriptures, than in any of our hearts. And that our Religion objectively confidered,

much more perfe&, than fubje&ively in us. In Scripture, and in the true doctrinal method our Religion is entive, perfed and compleat. But in it, it is confufed, lame and lamentably imperfect. The Scaries that here fay, None of the Spirits works are imperfect, are not to be regarded: For fo they may as well fay, that there are none infants, diseased lame, distracted, poor, or monsters in the world; becaufe none of Gods works are imperfect. All that is in God is God, and therefore per

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fect, and all that is done by God is perfect as to bis ends, and as it is a part in the frame of his own means to that end which man understandeth not: But many things are imperfect in the receiving fubject. If not, why should any man ever seek to be wifer or better than he was in his infancy, or at the worst.

3. Therefore we here fee that the Spirit in the Scripture is the Rule by which we must try the Spirit in our felves, or any ether. The Fanaticks or Enthufiafts, who rail against us, for trying the Spirit by the Scriptures, when as the Spirit was the Author of the Scriptures, do but rave in the dark, and know not what they fay. For the Effence of the Spirit is every where; and it is the effects of the Spirit in both which we muft compare: The Spirit is never contrary to it felf: And feeing it is the Sunshine which we here call the Sun, the queftion is but, where it shineth molt? whether in the Scripture, or in our hearts? The Spirit in the Apostles indited the Scriptures, to be the Rule of our faith and life unto the end: The Spirit in us doth teach and help us to understand and to obey thofe Scriptures. Was not the Spirit in a greater measure in the Apostles, than in us? Did it not work more compleatly, and unto more infallibility in their writing the Scriptures,than it doth in our Understanding, and obeying them? Is not the feal perfect, when the impreffion is oft imperfect Doth not: the Mafter write his Copy more perfe&ly, than his Scholars imitation is, though he teach him, yea, and hold his hand? He that knoweth not the Religious diftractions of this age, will blame me for troubling the Reader with the confutation of fuch dreams: Bat fo will not they that have seen and tafted their off. Ats.

4. Hence we may learn that be that would know what the Chriftian Religion is indeed (to the honour of God, or their own juft information) must rather look into the Scripture to know it, than into Believers. For though in Believers it ba more difcernable in the kind (as mens lives are more confpicuous than Laws and Precepts, and the impress than the feal, &c.) yet it is in the Laws or Scriptures more compleat and perfect, when in the best of Chriftians (much more in the most) it is broken, maimed and confufcd.

5. This telleth us the reafon why it is unfafe to make any

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men (Popes, or Councils, or the holieft Paftors, or Arictest people) the Rule either of our faith or lives. Because they are all imperfect and discordant, when the Scripture is concordant and compleat. He that is led by them, may erre, when as the Scripture hath no errour. And yet it is certain, that even the imperfet knowledge and grace of faithful Paftors and companions, is of great ufe to those that are more imperfect than they, to teach them the Scriptures, which are more perfect than they all.

6. Hence we see why it is, that Religion bringeth fo much trouble, and fo little comfort to the most, or too many that are in part Religious. Because it is lame and confused in them. Is it any wonder that a displaced bone is painful? or that a difordered body is fick, and hath no great pleasure in life? or that a difordered or maimed watch or clock, doth not go right? O what a life of pleasure should we live, if we were but fuch as the Scripture doth require! and the Religion in our hearts and lives were fully agreeable with the Religion defcribed in the Word of God.

7. And hence we see why moft true Chriftians are fo que rulous, and have alwaies fomewhat to complain of and lament; which the fenflefs, or felf-juftifying hypocrites overlook in themselves. No wonder if fuch difeafed fouls complain.

8. And hence we fee why there is fuch diverfity and divifions among Believers, and such abundance of Seats and Partics, and Contentions, and fo little Unity, Peace and Concord. And why all attempts for Unity take fo little in the Church. Because they have all fuch weakness,and diftempers, and lameness, and confufedness, and great difproportions in their Religion. Do you wonder why he liveth not in peace, and concord, and quietnefs with others, who hath no better agreement in himself? and no more compofedness and true peace rt home? Mens grace and parts are much unequal.

9. And hence we fee why there are fo many feandals among Chriftians, to the great difhonour of truc Chriftianity, and the great hinderance of the converfion of the Infidel, Heathen and ungodly world: What wonder if some disorder, falfhood, and confufion appear without, in words and deeds, when there is fo much ever dwelling in the mind?

10. Lastly,

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