holy but a part of the Devils Kingdom is slily admitted standers by seeing divided Sects and different Opinions in Religion yea each party entitling its Tenent and Practice to the Scripture the Truth the Spirit the Glory of God conclude in this dust they cannot see their way to Heaven In this season Satan the Arch Heretick Divider Deceaver and Libertine plies his Market to perswade to dissolute life some he tempts to be of any Religion some none to be stark Atheists and debauched prophane ones and many in the true Religion to be cold and formal much heat and strength being spent upon the out-side that should have been bestowed upon the in-side the vitals of Christianity In the Pro and Con Disputes about out-works the inward Guards have been neglected Sound Christians holy walking is not so lively and wicked Libertines sit down contented and resolved to allow and follow the pretended felicities of their unmortified Lusts Satan through Church contentions tempts to believe that Religion is a bottomless Pit not to be sounded a meer fancy And while men of piety and learning cannot agree there is in some a pleasing agreement about Whoredom Drunkenness railing at all Ministers contempt of Ordinances yea the bloody subtile Jesuit and his blinded Popish Votaries stand behinde the Curtain and cry Hereticks Schismaticks Libertines Among Protestants no Ministery no Ordinances no Church no Salvation Happy had it been in our sinning days if Unity Truth and Peace had prevented this great temptation Put though the healing of our deplorable diseased Zion be rather to be wished then to be hoped for yet two sorts of abusers of Gods grace discontented Protestants and seducing Papists that warm their hands by our fires will not finde the least real Sanctuary for their injurious reflexions upon the Gospel of grace in past and present Divisions and Contentions I shall apply my self to both the parties that it is to be feared are glad to see the offensive dishonors to the grace of God yea are much injurious to it themselves 1. To discontented exceptious Protestants O you Sons and Daughters of Belial Ignorant Prophane Irreligious Have you reason about differences of Religion to grow secure wantons to Sleep Drink Game Swear away your time prophane the Sabbath keep the worship of God out of your Families and the fear of God our of your hearts to live a bruitish sensual voluptuous life to resent the thoughts of Heaven and Hell as idle Fables to live as if there should be no resurrection of the Body and Judgement to come to mis-spend your precious hours in carnal visits no way relating to Gods glory and your everlasting salvation to neglect provisions for Eternity to be as great strangers to the beneficial practical thoughts of Religion as if you were born and brought up among Heathens Did the Corinthians make this use of their Divisions and Erronious Opinions to justifie and support a Godless Graceless conversation Can you prove that every different Opinion in Religion is a different Religion May not you finde in unhappily divided Christians among us an Harmony of Religion in the vitals essentials thereof referring to the life of Christ and the power of godliness May not dissenting ones tune in a thousand places of sacred Scripture which teach soundness in the Faith necessary renewing grace and godly life Will not common acknowledged Principles of Believing Repenting Obeying Persevering arraign and condemn your loosness If you Object Some Sects are Heretical and Blasphemous deny Christ the Scripture the Resurrection Let these Apostates that hold not the head Col. 2. 19. Jesus Christ un-christian'd and become Heathens themselves answer if they can for themselves These Renegado's sad Revolters from Christs colours to the Devils Camp have a worse Judgement on them then Prisons and flaming Stakes They have denyed the Lord whom they professedly owned to be their Redeemer and in the Judgement of the Apostle Peter have brought upon themselves swift destruction These do not onely bring themselves into the Order of Heathens but are worse then they for they have cut themselves off from the way of salvation there is not another Christ to be their Mediator and there remains no more sacrifice for sin Do you that declaim against the errors of the time know any such Carnal mirth becomes not such a notice you should go into your Chambers and bitterly mourn over their Apostacy They are the black marks of Spiritual Judgement are fittest Objects for Christian compassion I beseech you after you are somewhat off the hears of pursuing in an Hellish Chase your ungodly Lusts after your fiery tongues scorching the precious name of sound Christians with the hot charge of Hypocrites Hereticks Persons unfit to live in the common Air In cool blood and serious earnest consider whether Contentions and Divisions about Truth in Religion will be a Cloak broad enough to cover your excess of Riot contempt of the Laws Requiries and Gospel-duties your Heathenish and worse then Heathenish practical Atheism whereby you live in your Families without Prayer to God Hath natural Religion taught Pagans Devotion to their apprehended Deities The Mariners in the tempest called upon their gods Jonah 1. 5. yea probably at other times also Can your Chambring and wantonness your Oathes and Scoffs at the shining presidents of practical Piety your desperate security in sin without the least remorse of conscience and least hearkning to the motions of the Spirit now and then shaking you by the conscience if it be not cauterized and dead your Graceless devouring the Creatures without serious thoughts of your deep Engagement to your abused Benefactor The blessed God your dreadful carelesness of your own souls not much mattering whether they be saved or damned your casting off the thoughts of Gods strict recording of your thoughts words and actions in the Book of his Remembrance your dissolute ill good-fellowship your treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath your slight thoughts of the last Judgement Will this and other sad Bills of Indictment be answered and crossed out by Christians dis-agreements in controversal Points If you shall be so blinde and bold as to conclude in your Death-bed and in the accounting Day different Judgements about Religion will Apologize for your Libertinism Will not the Judge of all the world convince and condemn you out of the Ten Commandments the rules of the Gospel the Wisdom and Piety of standing Saints in evil tempting times whose soundness in the Faith Lamps burning Loyns girt Garments kept clean upright Conversation have been an Antidote against publick Infection Will not God finde plentiful matter of your damnation from your own sins Yea further which is a sad Quaere should not you who sport in sin and scoff at holiness and holy Ones live without God and Christ in the World rather make another construction of Errors Janglings and intemperate heats about Religion What if God suffer these scandals and stumbling-blocks to ruine us for our
leaves to cover her uncleannesse Prov. 7. 14. Prayers in the morning and evening cold and barren cannot palliate the licentious wickednesse that is between them They may now quiet and stop the mouth of Conscience they cannot in the other world It is the high dishonour of the meanes of grace when they are but names not powers when in attendances on them there is but the colour not the heat of Christianity A painted gilded Christian abuseth the Ordinances when he is dead under them hath no life nor heat by them he borrows from them a Sheeps-skin when he is but a goat when it is seen that heavenly meanes mend not hellish hearts and lives the seeming is Saint-like but the conversation Devillish This undoes two soules at once The sin shrowding pretender to Religion and the prophane blasphemer of the means of Grace Both of them perish as mock-gods the one because hee hath hypocritically used the meanes the other because he hath blasphemously railed at the means 6. When they are used in vain when there is no health by 6 When the meanes are used in vain Gods physick no conversion and reformation by Gods Word In the course of the Ministry there is cunning and labouring in vain The heavenly frequent fiegers of the Ordinances are raised from the Devils garrisons re infecta Sathans strong holds are kept undemolished 2 Cor. The reall kingdome of Sathan is in the appearing kingdom of Christ Under Gospel-ordinances men are worse and worse this is a prophane disparagement to the Ordinances of Christ an unpleasing spectacle to the holy God and his Angels the Spirits grief aggravation of sin and treasuring up of wrath 7. When they are totally neglected Not onely one but all 7 When the meanes are totally neglected the means of life and salvation are carelesly slighted unworthily vilified as if God Christ the Spirit Grace Heaven Hell were not worth the thinking of such contempt is cast on the golden cisterns of Grace There are too many who proclaime their opposition to the God of Heaven and the method of salvation who are so far from the power that they abhorre the very form of godlynesse so little care for service to Christ that they detest the badges of his government These constantly prophane the Sabboth are never found on their knees seeking God hear no Sermons from year to year care not for Sacraments have no good family education are hardened by their afflictions deride holy examples these are in Sathans full possession take the liberty of the times to be ignorant and as to the Ordinances of Christ quiet and resolved Libertines Be you intreated that have seen the power and beauty and glory of God in his Sanctuary and that have had the waters of life running into your thirsty soules through the precious pipes of divine Ordinances that really value them above the world stir up those compassionate bowels that the divine nature hath begotten in you and if your counsels to Christianize these Heathens will not prevaile pray and weep them into possibilities of salvation by attendance on the means of grace Secondly The Evil of abusing the means of Grace laid to heart might be some remedy to sin 1. This is a wrong to God that appointed them Man cannot bear the violation of his houshold orders and will God bear it if so the Laws of his family should be contemned 2. They wrong the Spirit that acts in them either by turning their backs upon him when he usually affords his presence in Gods wayes or by resisting his gracious impulses his sweet whispers his terrible representations of an accursed lost sinner out of Christ Acts 7. 51. Either they will not hear his inspeakings or disregard them both despise the Spirit of Grace 3. They please the Devil who hath either way gracelesse soules in his possession either by not using the means at all or in vain Such abusers of saving means are an unpleasing spectacle to the holy Angels enemies to God grieve the Spirit and are the Devils triumph Consider Thirdly What are those means of grace that are turned into wantonnesse They are 1. The holy Scriptures In them alone eternal life is to be 1 The holy Scriptures are turned into Wantonness found Joh. 5. 39. They are stiled the word of Grace Act. 20. 32. Their abuse is in their disuse when either they that may have Bibles have none or if they have them they suffer them to contract dust on their shelves laying them by as useless are seldome or never read or in their ill use when they are read without reverence diligence observance or any resolves or good desires and affections to follow the teachings of the Spirit without understanding esteem remembrance laying up and laying out these heavenly treasures in righteousnesse and holynesse Again in their ill use when they are wrested to errours heresies looseness covetousness unrighteousness When Scripture is urged against Scripture and the inspirations of the Holy Ghost are urged against themselves Such scripture deprayers are their own destroyers 2 Pet. 3. 16. 2 The Ministry of the Gospel is when the Call Person and Messages of Ministers are abused 2. The Ministry of the Gospel is an abused means when both their person calls and messages are uniustly despised are accounted as offscouring are disenabled from doing good to scoffing and malicious persons who either will not hear them or with scornfull prejudices amounting to no lesse wickedness in interpretation than despising the Lord Jesus and calling upon insolent contemners irremediless wrath 3 Sermons are means abused Vacuitatem timoris Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sequitur nausea verbi divini contemptus lacrarum concionum Qurt sunt qui sacras conciones absque secaritatis soporc attente intelligenter fructuose audjunt Ah quam fastidiose etiam optimae conciones capiuntur 3. Sermons are abused means and they never are so but when they are the sad fruits and products of hearts void of Gods fear and without repentance No wonder if the divine word be loathed and holy Sermons be contemned when fearless shameless and faithless hearts have slight thoughts of them and care little for them as if they were but scare-crows for children very fables when sound heavenly messages are either not heard at all or not attentively not reverently not understandingly not wisely not fervently not frequently not perseveringly not fruitfully not resigningly giving up the judgement to be captivated to the obedience of faith the heart and life to the power of godlyness but are heard with a contrary corrupt frame of heart then is a means of grace abused 4. Sacraments are abused means when the supernatural grace 4 Sacraments are meanes abused they signifie is not sought for regarded nor obtained Their holy eternall obligations to sound faith and heavenly conversation who considers As the Jews prophaned their Sacraments loose Christians doe theirs Those rested on the Circumcision of the flesh and the
implantation in Jesus Christ Iohn 15. 5. Can God be honored in his Sons honor John 5. 23. and magnified in the glorifying of his name 2 Thess 1. 12. when there is no new nature to honor him but the predominant old man to abuse him A solitary imputed righteousness without is wronged without a righteousness within God misseth of his honor where these are put asunder 2. No honor will be to the Gospel Bare appropriating Christs obedience will not secure the glorious Gospel from that unrighteousness and unholiness that licentious wickedness would pin upon it This part of Gospel Christ is our righteousness the flesh will like but that part of it The Justified must be holy penitent mortified it cannot endure It pleasingly believes the Gospel is to them the power of God unto salvation though it never was the power of God unto Conversion It is a Gospel Precept we should walk as becomes the Gospel Phil. 1. 27. Can an unregenerate man so walk Can night Birds abide the noon Light Can Children of darkness walk as children of light Can they be thought translated into the Kingdom of Christ that are strongly kept and abide in Satans Kingdom No confidences of imputed righteousness can keep a wicked man from an infamous un-gospel life When his corruptions break out the Gospel suffers Then Satan jeers in his Instruments These are your Professors These are your Gospellers as if the holy Gospel gave liberty to sin But nothing less for as it proclaims imputed righteousness so on pain of damnation it requires inherent 3. No thankful return will be to Jesus Christ The gift and benefit of everlasting righteousness deserves everlasting thanks It was never yet known that an unsanctified person was thankful to Jesus Christ He challengeth cordial verbal vital thanks but all this is above the reach of unregeneracy A carnal person can complement Christ with the cheap praise of the lips but his soul and all that is within him Psal 103. 1. His conversation can never bless him He wants the Gospel-power of an holy and a righteous life 4. No reputation will be to Faith Indeed it hath the honor to be the Grace that lays hold on Christs perfect Righteousness but this is not its onely office It sanctifies as well as justifies Acts 26. 18. Rom. 5. 1. It purifies as well as pacifieth the heart Acts 15. 9. Rom. 5. 1. The Just lives by it as well religiously Hab. 2. 4. as safely and peaceably Mark 5. 34. and is not onely freed by it from the guilt but the filth of sin The name of Faith divided from holiness hath this aspersion and dis-reputation to be stiled a vain faith a dead faith Jam. 2. 20. a faith like the Devils faith Jam. 2. 19. 5. No conviction will be to unbelievers Can the Christ rejecting World be drawn to own and love such pretenders to interest in his perfect righteousness who live unrighteously They are apt to think the happiness of this imputation is but a fancy and a fable that produceth not shining and glorious fruits When they that for Christs sake stand righteous in Gods account arise and shine and the glory of Gods holiness is seen upon them even wicked men will enquire after Christ and be constrained to think well of that Master whose name is so sanctified and illustrious in his servants 6. No communion will be with the holy God Were it possible an ungodly Man should be cloathed with Christs righteousness yet if he have not Christs Spirit Christs Image God and such a one could have no fellowship Communion requires likeness Contrary natures can have no converse Two cannot walk together except they be agreed How can a wicked person and the pure God walk together 7. No capacity nor ability of new obedience Suppose a Rebel against Christs Crown and Government were justified yet if he were not sanctified he could not do the will of God 1 Pet. 1. 2. Till sanctifying Grace subdue the natural rebellion of the heart Gods commands will be laid aside as if a Traytors heart be changed he will be subject to his Prince if unreformed he will still rebel 2. The Grace of imputed righteousness is abused When 2 Imputed righteousness is abused when inherent righteousness is rested on for salvation without imputed righteousness inherent righteousness is rested on for salvation without imputed righteousness This is one of Satans wiles to ruine souls If there be appearing strictness in the ways of holyness and godliness be deemed a sufficiency for eternal life so that Christs perfect righteousness be cast out of the Saint-like Professors Creed and the great weight of the souls confidence of happiness laid on the sandy foundation of imperfect obedience then the great title to eternal life Imputed righteousness is shouldred out and abused The largest tale of duties and sharpest sufferings of this life cannot make up a compleat righteousness When personal deficicient performances will wantonly get up into the throne and justle out the absolute obedience of Christ This setting up of a weak righteousness within above Christs perfect one without will to the hazard of the guilty sinners perishing fail in seven things 1. There will be no pacification of an angry God No gracious hearts nor godly lives atone God Christs Sacrifice onely was Propitiatory We joy in the Atonement said the Apostle Rom. 5. 11. but by Christs death The highest measures of Believers doings or sufferings cannot turn away Gods wrath for the least sin It was Jobs Faith when a penitent sinner seeth his righteousness he seeth his atonement Job 33. 23 24. That is onely by Christ not a Believer His own Prayers Tears Alms Duties do not pacifie God but the righteousness of Christ It is a common practical error we will be weeping and doing to turn away Gods avenging displeasure For though these duties are means appointed by God yet we must look through them unto Jesus Christ 2. There will be no satisfaction of Gods Justice Sin hath done infinite wrong Justice would have an infinite reparation Now it is impossible that finite doings and sufferings can make infinite satisfaction A rest then in failing inherent holiness at once leaves infinite Justice unsatisfied and souls unsaved Who of the best can tell that he hath done and suffered enough to make God amends for his sins yea for the least sin 3. There will be no proportion to the rigid Laws requiries It will not abate one Law nor Circumstance of Duty The Law is exceeding broad The eminentest of Saints that have studied the Law and their own hearts and lives could never bring before God an exact obedience parallel to command Had not Christ perfectly fulfilled the Law the exactest Christians could have no grounded hope of Heaven The Law would say even to a Paul Here is much wanting He durst not expect Justification from the unparalell'd services sufferings and success of his Apostleship I know nothing by my self yet am I not thereby
the power of binding lost sinners under the power of the spiritual death and guilt of eternal Heb. 2. is cast out in the merits and power of infinite redemption John 12. 31 32. Grace is not a shadowy but real war though it be often worsted yet it rallies again and by the renewed Auxiliary Forces of Divine power it beats down strong corruptions before it What injury is it to Grace to contemplate but never practice Mortification to profess the Christian warfare but never to fight or in undue arms or without skill to put on Gods Armor or to sleep in them or to lay them by or to run to the enemy and so to do no execution on carnal Lusts and Affections What is this but to disparage and endeavor what in us lies to degrade Divine Power from the glory of its victorious ability as if the contracted corruption from the first Adam could still be too hard for the Grace of the second How doth a powerless profession over sin proclaim it self a stranger to the mighty Arm of the Prince of Grace never feeling the power of these truths Christ brings forth judgement unto victory Matth. 12. 20. Greater is he that is in victorious Believers than he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4. 4. Are there not many among us that have notions fancies expressions of Grace yea infused gracious heavenly motions speaking in them But do they leave these sins and do these duties in the fear of God How can they that are false to their own Convictions Confessions and the Holy Ghosts Inspirations What mocking of God is there in unmortifying profession as is too legibly to be read in the lives of men Doth not all the Grace of vain idle opinionative Christians that seems to be expressed in Prayer ex tempore or of set forms in appearing to be taken with gracious examples Sermons Chapters good Books and Conference evacuate into lazy Speculation and powerless profession In holy duties of worship there seems to be Evangelical Grace but in the frame of the heart and course of life in dealings with men in Callings Conditions Relations with many there is no being of Grace and with the gracious no constant sufficient convincing exercise of Grace a few excepted that make Religion their business What a disgrace is put upon the grace of God What temptation to blaspheming Sons of Belial that the Grace of God men speak of is a Fable a Dream a Fancy no Reality Such do-nothings or nothing to purpose as beat the air in their cold professâ—ons and dead convictions of Gods grace may blâ—sh and be ashamed of their wanton spirits and conversation when they read these Scriptures From the day the grace of God was known in truth by Deus ex peccatorum sordibus ad frugem meliorem â—ecare dignatur Gualther de Matthaeo the beleeving Colossians they brought forth fruit Col. 1. 6. Wee beseech you receive not the Grace of God in vain by offensive conversation to God and men unrepented of 1 Cor. 6. 1 3. The Gentiles had their understandings darkened alienated from the life of God past feeling given over to lasciviousnesse working all uncleannesse with greediness but you have not so learned Christ Eph. 4. 18 19. The grace of God O holy Ephesians hath over-powered your hearts to an abhorring and declining these sinnes and to walk in the blessed paths of holinesse Grace acting to purpose in regenerate Zacheus put him upon liberal contribution to the poor and honest restitution of ill gotten estate Luk. 19. 8. When the Gospel came to the Thessalonians not onely in word but in power it enabled them to turn from idols in the zealous worship and preservation whereof Idolaters are usually mad Jer. 50. 38. to serve Idolis renunciaveritis vosque in servitiuÌ„ Dei addixeritis Diksonus Magices libros intelligimus Gualt in loc the living and true God 1 Thes 1. 5 9. when the same word of grace took possession of the hearts of them that used curious and Magical Arts they brought their books together and burnt them before all men though they were worth fifty thousand pieces of silver Act. 19. 19. O shame of the common powerless Christian profession of the Age The Gospel of grace by the mighty breathing of the Spirit came near the hearts of Magicians made them Christians and open penitents even to a publick sacrificing of their wicked Propriori numinis afflatu tacti libros publicè congestos exurunt books to the flames but a thousand Sermons of Gospel grace may reach the eare the fancy the understanding of professed Christians but never change the heart to a powerful reformation Oh that bare Illuminists and verbalists in Religion that live as if the essentials thereof were onely notions and words would consider three things 1. The Kingdom of God stands not in word but power 1 Cor. 4. 20. It s reall subjects are as well diligent doers as good speakers Lay moreâ— stresse on hearts and lives than lips had rather be than seem to be penitents rather run in the way of Gods Commandements than talk of them A groundlesse intitling to Christ Lord Lord will speak no faithfull Subjects of Christ at the great day why should it now The kingdom of God is righteousnesse Rom. 14. 17. not onely imputed but inherent not onely of Justification but Sanctification In the Kingdome of grace all saved Professors have holy hearts and good lives Satans subjects though they take Christs Press-mony in Baptisme use the badges of his Government yet never did set one foot into Christs kingdome 2. Such as call Christ their Lord and Saviour yea often bind their sayings by these words as they hope to be saved when they neither rightly understand salvation nor true hope yea all Libertines of stricter profession that have carnall loose epicurean hearts and lives they are no better than the enemies of Jesus Christ and self-destroyers The compassionate Apostle could not but speak of these with teares They are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly who mind earthly things Phil. 3. 18 19. Let them look over this Text and weep who either in larger professions or stricter but easie religious formalities are effeminate delicate flesh-pleaser belly-students and gloriously back-adorners money-idolaters almost in nothing denying themselves in their sensualities they are enemies to the crosse of Christ Did they Epicurei jurâ— dicuntur hostes Christi videntur enim velle regnum suum illis restituere quod Christus â—n cruce spoliavit Daven in Colos never read Our Old man was crucified with Christ Rom. 6. 6. That as corruption was crucified meritoriously on the cross so it should be crucified efficaciously in the heart was it not the great design of Christ crucified that the body of sin should die are not these enemies to his cross that pamper it and keep it alive Besides are not they enemies to Christs cross who
though they read and cannot deny it that Christ triumphed openly in his bloody passion over his enemies a World b Flesh and c Devil a Joh. 16. 33. b Rom. 6. 6. c Col. 2. 15. yet by their graceless hearts and dissolute lives like Traytors to their professed Lord restore to his enemies what in them lyes their vanquished Kingdom which the Lord Christ died for to destroy in the Crosse 3. From an holy profession powerlesse over corruption the Lord Christ is like to have no followers in the world Primitive Christians won repute to Christ and his Gospel not by their shadowy forms but substantial powers of Godliness The Apostle Peter exhorted Christian Wives so powerfully to adorn their Profession that their lives as really converting Sermons might win their idolatrous Husbands to Jesus Christ and his Truth 1 Pet. 3. 1. when powerlesse good speeches doe no good the practicall power of godlinesse would make converts When heathens found the christians not onely holy lives but miraculous power of casting Daemonibus ejectis omnes quiresanali fuerunt adhaeserunt religioni cujus potentiam senserint Justitia De Lact. l. 5. c. 23 Devils out of their bodies they stuck close to that Religion whose power they felt Were the lives of christians now adayes shining and convincing did the miraculous power of casting Devils out of souls appear not onely the delivered themselves but prophane observers would magnifie and keep close to that religious profession whose glorious victorious power is admirably discerned SECT 5. 2. THe grace of God is turned into wantonnesse when the The grace of God is turned into wantonnes when the sinner carries loosly as to God sinner carries loosely as to God hee doth so in four things 1. When Pretenders to Gods grace doe not retaine the light of God shining in their minds so that truths that would be saving and sanctifying are imprisoned in unrighteousnesse and God is not with liking and love in all their thoughts Psal 10. 4. He is known but not glorifyed as God Rom. 1. 21. By the sin as well of wanton christians as wanton heathens Gods grace is injured Impure hearts and evill lives are sad contradictions to divine informations Carelesse servants minde not their Masters pleasure not carelesse Christians the pleasure of God 2. When the commands of God are cast behind the back the grace of God is abused As his Laws are sweetly qualified in Christ they are all Acts of Grace God favours us in requiring obedience of us on Gospel tearms His Laws are known to Jacob and his Statutes to Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation Psal 147. 20. To the Israelites pertained the giving of the Law Rom. 9. 4. Now to cast his gracious pleasure behinde the back is such an indignitie as to cast away a Princes gracious Proclamation wherein his pleasure is sweetned with many acts of grace God needs not our obedience we need his commands and in their obediential service there is not only work but wages The sweet peace and comfort of sincere gospel duty payes for its performance In conscionable and spirituall obedience as God is glorified so there is great reward Isa 49. 4. Psal 19. 11. What wrong do they to the grace of God and their own souls who under the favor of Grace neglect that holy compliance with the Divine Will which is rewarded with present purity and delight 1 Pet. 1. 22. Rom. 7. 22. and shall be with promised eternal happiness Rom. 2. 7. Heb. 6. 12. 3. When there is impudent irreverence in the presence of Erubescentia virtutis tinctura Laertius in vita Diog. God There is no fear of God in the eyes of daring sinners Rom. 3. 18. whereas true Grace would put on an holy blush either to prevent sin or repent of it The Philosopher resented modest shamefastness as virtues colour and the Scripture accounts of holy shame as the complexion of Grace O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee Ezra 9. 6. so Rom. 6. 21. O our hypocrisie we that stile the Lord our gracious God are ashamed of sins before men but blush not to sin before God O our slighting of Gods presence Though we see Gods All-seeing eye upon us and are convinced the Lord knoweth and exactly weigheth our sinful thoughts reasonings desires affections Perturbations close Atheisme irreverence filthiness pride envy malice and Books of sinful words Actions to be read over again in the great examining and Judging day yet the audacious sinner will pour out his pollutions before the seen face of God with a shameless whores forehead Frous illis erat meretricis nec vellent erubescere nullis Dei judiciis se corrigi sustinerent Calvin in Jer. 3. 3. and a spirit senseless of his severe judgements or prying presense Too many that go for Gods servants are like the loose ones of men that know their gracious Masters eye is before them yet abuse him and slight his pleasure before his face such a frame of spirit speaketh this wickedness as if such Language were uttered before the Lord O Lord thou art my loving Master but I so little regard thee that though I know thou feest me yet I will dissemble be unclean passionate unjust in my dealings worldly and follow the swinge of my corrupt lusts in thy sight such kinde of excuses carry great filth and guilt But be not deceived God will not be so mocked 4. When pretenders to the Grace of God live wholly to themselves Nisi quisque à semetipso deficiat ad eum qui supra ipsum non appropinquat Greg. and not to him This is an affront to Gods Grace It is the genuine and proper work of Grace to live to God He cannot draw nigh unto him that departs not from himself Grace is water of life it is with this as with other water it riseth as high as the Spring from whence it came The God of grace is the spring of grace this living water runs up to its own Spring He is the Sea of grace this sweet stream in a supernatural gratitude runs into its own Sea The Lord Christ designed this in his death that his redeemed ones should not live unto themselves but to him that died for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5. 15. But now when carnal Gospellers follow the guidance of their own reason the imperious Law of their desires and affections like Israel bring forth fruit unto themselves Hos 10. 1. Center their Religious services hearing fasting praying reading for self not God Zach. 7. 5. When shining glorious profession is but a more unsuspected and politick sacrifice to that grand Idol Carnal self either in the whole or main of its services the grace of God is abused When all Christians by their profession should lay out and consecrate themselves wholly to Christ they are unworthy that the earth should bear them that do not fully resign and devote themselves to Christ They
Person is deeply and dearly paid for now what is bought passeth into the dominion of the buyer The ransomed of Christ are Peculium Christi Christs own possession It was an holy wish of an holy Writer O that Christs Lordship with deepest impressions might be rooted and fixed in our mindes The loose depravers of Redemption run the hazard of perishing when they refuse to be Christs possession 3. The greatest freedom pomp and glory of the world that Impii pre vilisfimis abjectissimis habentur licet spiendeant in oculis hominum Davenant in Coloss takes carnal eyes dischargeth no wicked Libertines from being the most vile and abject slaves Nobles though bound in silver chains are Prisoners The Devil and the old Man will never envy their spiritual Captives outward freedoms while efficacious Redemption hath made no powerful Translation unto Christs Kingdom of salvation 4. Carnal walkers conceits of Redemption by Christ are pleasing delusive and vanishing dreams While the Israelites served Quicquid somniant homines carnales de liberatione suâ est vanissimum Nam ut Israelitae dum Phaaroni inserviebant non erant libertate donati sic Christiani dum Diabolo parent dum peccati delitiis diffluunt Davenant Pharaoh they were not delivered so titular Christians never felt the power of Redemption while they obey the Devil and abound in the pleasures of sin The chained Prisoners thoughts of Ransome are very sorry ones while he still starves and dieth in his Irons 5. The avenging jealousie of the Lord Christ will flame out against them who rest yea boast in heart yea sometimes in tongue of his ransoming Grace and yet shake off his rightly purchased Government He counts them no better than enemies that refuse his dominion and threatens their destruction Luke 19. 27. He shall come from Heaven to revenge their disobedience to his Gospel 2 Thess 1. who prophanely rested on the Grace of his Redemption How can they answer their undoing fallacy of dividing what God hath joyned parting Redemption from iniquity and Redemption from Hell as if the whole of it were to rescue lost sinners from the smart not the filth of sin to give them a licentious ease not to fit them for their professed Lords use and their own eternal sweet communion with him to keep them from being vessels of wrath not to make them vessels of honour What a dishonour is this to the grace of God That Lust the Devill and the World should Lord it over Christs purchase What reproach to Redemption that those who beleeve they are ransomed by him will not be subject to him but abide Col. 1. 21. Enemies to him in their minds declared by wicked workes Are not these men like ransomed captives bought by a deare price who are so far from subjection and paying honour to that they rebel against their Lord 3. When Christ is desired for his comforts not for his service Gods grace is turned into wantonness Thus many take Christ to serve their turnes of him not to serve him for a shelter to comfort them in storms not a Master to doe his will When under the terrors and sorrows of death and hell they would have comfortable words from Christ even then when they have rebellious hearts against him I have heard from an eye and ear-witness a sad report of a tipling adulterous prophane man when he had the terrours of an angry God on his wounded soul and not onely fear of Hell but confessed feeling of the paines and flames of hell in his spirit was in his flesh like another trembling Balshazar at the hand writing against him a real afflicted Quaker sent for the Minister cried out of his grosse sinnes yea his barren and forsaken use of reading and prayer but the slavish sorrows were soon wasted and the terrified sinner soon grew vain frothy sensuall and voluptuous Such as like onely the pacifying but not the purifying part of Religion have whorish hearts wandring from God to other Loves even then when they are afraid of him Wanton unclean wives would have their husbands good lookes words and gifts though disobedient to them and defilers of the Marriage bed Thus too many adulterous hearts when the lips only matched with Jesus Christ would have the comforts of Reconciliation Remission Adoption the peace and joyes of the Holy Ghost even then when they contemn his holy strict Gospel-government The Apostle Paul will be a condemning instance against these selfish wantons As he obtained Pardoning mercy 1 Tim. 1. 13. So he was the servant of Jesus Christ Rom. 1. 1. yea laboured in Christs vineyard more than any of the Apostles 1 Cor. 15. 10. Should God put sound hearts to the choice whether they had rather have eminent grace to doe the will than see the sweet face of Christ they would prefer dutifulness before joyes and rather obey the commands than see the smiles of God But rotten hearts are all for the comforts Hypocritae magno supercilio jactant pietaetem sed pias monitiones rejiciunt Calv. Isa 50. nothing for the self-denying mortifying precepts of the gospel would be content to spend their daies in carnall rejoycing not working for the Lord Jesus It is just with God that all such who onely seek the comforts but not the labours and tasks of christianity shall everlastingly be strangers to the solaces who were enemies to the duties of the Gospel They who center Optimo jure nobis adimitur gaudium ubi in ipso gaudere nescimus Calv. in Isa 24. their joy in themselves shall never have true joy O that these men that fear no evill but wrath and Hell and so doe keep in not leave their wickednesse and see no good in Religion but its comfort and peace would seriously consider the experimentall words of Zanchy Evill men doe but inwardly restrain their wickedness which without feares they would wantonly powre forth Suam pravitatem intus cohibent quaÌ„â—lioqui petuâ—â—nter effusuri erant unde nec meliores nec justiores apud Deum quia licet timore impediti suam iniquitatem exercere non audent tamen intus habent cor peccatis aestuans neo renovatum ab obedientia Dei Zanchius de legis officio and this maketh them not the better nor more righteous in Gods account because though chained up by fear they dare not act their iniquity yet within they have sins impure flames pent up but no heart renewed by the obedience of God SECT 7. 4. VVHen the heart carrieth wickedly as to the Law of God The Grace of God is turned into wantonness 7 When the heart carrieth wickedly as to the Law of God This is done Doctrinally and Practically 1. Doctrinally When the Justifying grace of God is made 2 dis-obligement from the obedience of the Law Because they that are under grace are not under the damning power of the Law Therefore loose Opinionists teach they are not under the commanding power of the Law as if Christ dyed
he perswades himself he is walking in the streets nor is an unlettered man a Scholar who is confident of his learning A crackt Title will not bear out the cheated Purchaser in Law though he is assured of the contrary O the sottish condition of unregenerate Gospellers whose onely or main argument of their good Estate in Christ is because they are assured it is so and so neither dare nor will by so much as questioning it disturb their false peace Is it possible this evidence should pass for Grace and Glory How long O self-deluding Wantons will ye love simplicity When you have given almost as large allowances to your lust as the flesh will require Can this support a perswasion that you are gracious The Word did never witness to it nor will the Spirit of God ever seal to it that you are the servants of God while the Devils Subjects you are the children of Light while you walk darkness you are in the straight way to life while you are in the broad road to destruction A bare perswasion of being in a state of Grace is a palpable delusion where ever this is by constant experience we know that the Grace of God is abused 7. Counterseit Grace conceived and believed real Grace begets Libertines The Devil appeared in Samuels Mantle and reigning sins appear to Gods discerning eye in the vail of counterfeit Grace The old Serpent and the old Man care not how glorious the notions and pretensions of Grace are These are their friends 'T is real Grace onely is their ruine What grace is there that is not without it's counterfeit The Devil is Gods Ape and Corruption is Graces Ape There is a shadow of true faith Some things have a fine semblance of the love of God That passeth among men as repentance that is none Pride is clad in Humilities cloathes There is a natural unsanctifying meekness that was never taught in Christs School Matth. 11. 29. Wilde Passion puts on the name of holy Zeal Pleasing and deluding carnal hope is as easily perishing as the Spiders Web is swept away False uprightness makes the Hypocrite pass for a most plausible honest man The Ape in Mans apparel will have Apish tricks and corruption in the cloathes of Grace will and can do no otherwise then act like it self a lewd Wanton It ever makes the Devils trade it 's good earnest and Religious profession it's pastime and sport SECT 14. 5. THe error of abusive Interpretation of Scripture hath sadly 14. Abusive Interpretations of Seriptures hath produced the abuse of grace produced loose Monsters in Religion The Devil the Arch-Antiscripturist well knoweth that the Scriptures rightly understood and used are the down-fall of his Kingdom If he cannot banish the faith of its Divine Authority out of the world he doth what he can to hinder it's efficacy Among sundry ways he useth to make void the benefit of it this is one to deprave the sense If he can make Gods word speak his own interpretation he hath his end a dark minde a loose heart and a debauched life By turning the pure and genuine meaning of the Scripture into strange and adulterate he hath a double success first the obedience of his own will and then the colour and Patronage of Gods word to make his cheats sacred and unsuspected He hath Scripture on his side to consecrate and facilitate his wickedness and his Scholars of sad delusion wrest it to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. Is it not made a Sanctuary for Popery Herisie Hypocrisie Cruelty Worldliness yea gross Prophaneness O high dishonor to the Holy Ghost who revealed to holy Men who wrote and published the Scriptures that spurious idolatrous silthy senses should be laid at the chaste doors of Gods holy word O eminent peril to immortal souls When bold Ignorance carnal Affections Lusts and Interests give the sense of the Word The sad issue is The word of life is turned into a word of death The true Light of Divine Knowledge is dimm'd or blown out Sincere Milk is turned into deceitful Poyson The Chrystal Waters of the Sanctuary are bemired from holy turned into impure The Hellish Archer endeavors to out-shoot God in his own Bow and by the leave and licence of abused Scripture he lures brain-shot erring Christians into the ways of sin and death To open this wherein abusive sense of Scripture doth advantage a loose Faith and a wanton Life as in Church History in all Ages since the Apostles and in the present Age would be fitter for a Book then a Section I shall instance in some Sect-Masters or sides of corrupt Glossers and abusers of the sacred Text. Where were your understandings O Arians who could not see the plain God-head of Jesus Christ in that you read him equal with the Father without any robbery to his Glory Phil. 2. 6. and that by him were made all things that were made John 1. 3. Did ever meer Creature make all things What though he said my Father is greater then I John 14. Could you not distinguish he was so as Christ was Man or as Mediator but not simply as the Eternal Son of God These wanton wits that by wresting the word have denyed Christs God-head the Mediator of Grace and so possibility of Grace have as History Records been abusive enemies of the Gospel of grace and most bloody Persecutors of Orthodox and gracious Christians So what high dishonor to God the Law the Gospel Christian Liberty and Profession have the Antinomian party published to the World who have made these Scriptures Ye are not under the Law but Grace Rom. 6. 14. The Law is not made for a righteous man 1 Tim. 1. 9. and such places to speak that it never intended a discharge from obligation to the Laws direction and obedience as an erring Preacher of this way alledging this Text Wherefore my Brethren ye are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ Rom. 7. 4. roundly said Believers are not onely free from the Minatory and Promissory but Mandatory part of the Law A gross Opinion which as it blots out the Ten Commandments out of the Canon so it opens a door to all dissolute Conversation Further What infinite mischief to the comforts of the Faith and hope of Christians and to the power of godliness have that pernicious Sect of Allegorists done as to the glorious Article of Christian Faith The â—esurrection of the Body Hymenaeus and Philetus held the Resurrection was past already and overthrew the faith of some 2 Tim. 2. 18. It is thought by some they held no Resurrection but of Baptismal Regeneration in which there is rising to a new life The confounding and wresting the Corporal into an Allegorical Resurrection was in Tertullians Sunt qui resurrectionem mortuorum manife sio annunciatam in imaginariam significtionem distorquent Terful in lib. de Resurrect Hodie sunt suriost quidem â— Daemonibus obsessi qui se libertinos vocant
in low temporall allowances sowest in penitentiall teares they in high enjoyments even to surfet impiety and Atheisme sow in carnall merriments thine Harvest and theirs will be as different as Thornes and Wheat thou shalt reap in joyes they in sorrows Christian Repentance is incomparably above carnall pleasing voluptuousnesse This is the mother of wordly laughter that of Christian teares this inlargeth the flesh that strengthens it this puts a leaden weight upon the Soule that wings it to fly to Heaven this serves the flesh in every thing that crucifies the flesh and brings the body into subjection this calls off a man from God that calls him back again to God his Saviour this obeyes the Devill that is devoted unto God SECT 17. 2. TEmptation to wrong Gods grace is evil company What 17 Evil company is a temptation to wrong the grace of God more unworthy abuse than a ransomed captives ungratefull denyal of their Redeemer Self-destroying Hereticks doe thus deny the Lord that bought them They goe not to Hell alone with their wanton loose wits argue others into their company and make them fellow wantons of damnation for so the Greek Text and word in the Margin will bear it Many shall follow their damnations or destructions the abstract for the concrete their damnable wayes Our English is pernicious waies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Margin in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the English lascivious waies The import of the Original is That lascivious Hereticks are very fruitful some Masters of Heresie beget numerous Scholars which argue and beleeve themselves out of their Faith into Damnation Their word frets as doth a Gangreen 2 Tim. 2. 17. The leaven of loose wits did spread abroad in the purest times of the Apostles to speak perverse things and draw away Disciples after them Act. 20. 30. Chapmen of error will bring custome to the Devils stall Have any of the Pharisees beleeved in him Joh. 7. 48. The fast brotherhood of Antichristian Pharisaisme was Argumentative to despise and oppose the Grace of Jesus Christ Thus the dissolute walking of a pack of Hypocrites imbolden one another to frequent indignities unbecoming the Gospel the society of Mammonists sainted by their faith in Gods mercy and Christs merits bow down to Money their Idoll and while they professe God their portion and Christ their Lord and pay to both some easie and cheap religious formalities they dishonor both by paying that adoration estimation and affection they owe to both to their worldly gain Reputed devout godly mens covetousnesse is infectious Thus professed Christians follow worldlings reason such and such are devout godly men that keep the Sabbâ—th they fear God and will go to heaven and yet doe so and so and we do no worse Thus a company of earthly minds that have grace and heaven in their pretensions but the world in their hearts sow pillows under one anothers elbows He that will goe about to drive the world out of his heart and life by following the instances of some eminent Professors will never do it but in the issue fall short of heaven The herd of Swine too tipling good fellows can lick one another clean by the grace of God and the allowance of Christian liberty yea Gods beneficence that he made the creatures for mans use and hence they conclude that there is a latitude allowed them The excessive gaudinesse of apparrel grows in fashion with the Christians of the higher form as they pretend by Christs licence As if forsooth no bravery nor splendid gallantry could be too good for Christs disciples High-flown wantons in the nation should rather follow Christ in his contempt than courting of the world He is their president in the glory of Grace not in vain wayes indecent habits The gaming away of time and money mispending companions if they look to the throne of Grace in a few cold heartless desires and be devout a Christmass day or Good Friday it may be hear weekly Sermons yet may be utterly strangers to the mysterious way of walking with God and spiritual recreations yet notwithstanding can judge one another as excellent Christians aun doubt not by Gods grace to be saved as wel as the most mortified strict beleevers O the horrid abuse to the Gospel and Grace of God that is too frequent in our times by evil examples and instigations There are not a few soul-murdering presidents under Christian profession What is said of the heathenish guides of their Mortifera sacra Suarum alienarum interfectores animarum Lact. l. 5. c. 20. Religion whose deadly idolatrous worship did ruin their disciples is true of many Christian guides and followers in looseness they are their own and others soul-killers Were the question put to the prophane generation of the Age that hate the power yea scorn the form of godlynesse whose loose wits jeer and Atheistical religion neglects family-duties who speak dung but drop not the honey-comb vent rotten not gracious words Doe you think to be saved Yes the Answer would be by the grace of God and merits of Christ Thus in loose company Profani homines multos sua petulantia in similem contemptum inducunt Calv. in Is 50. Plus exemplo quam peccato nocent the grace of God is at once contemned and trusted to and that of Calvin is sad experience Prophane men by their wantonness invite others to the same contempt O the sad consequence of exemplary sinne what mischief doth it in Families Churches Common-wealths the world the Leaders in sin under profession of grace are doubly blameable and pernicious to themselves and others by their sinne and their example yea more guilty by their example then their sin Dear Christians of more shining and obscure profession take heed of that root of bitterness that is in you for your own sakes but let it not spring forth for others sakes If it be kept within you and wither not you loose your own souls If it spring forth without and defile many Heb. 12. 15. you ruin others Satans Kingdome is too much in Christs Perditi spiritus solatium perditionis suae peâ—dendis hominibus operantur The visible subjects of Christs kingdom too much promote Satan work the damnation of soules 'T is the solace of lost Apostate spirits to increase fellows in destruction If they be capable of any feliâ—ity 't is in others everlasting misery We read of heaps upon heaps the bloody â—ork of Sampsons body-slaughter Judg. 15. 16. So heaps upon heaps is the bloody businesse of the Vtinam soli errare soli desipere vellent Alios etiam in consortium sui mali rapiunt quasi habituri solatium de perditione multorum Lact. l. 5. c. 20 Devils soul-slaughter He goeth about seeking whom he may devour And loose destroying instances promote his work The wish of one concerning professed seducing Heathens may be used concerning professed seduced Christians O that their error were solitary they were
alike as the same disease is in severall persons bâ—â— not in the same manner degree and event so the same sinne Abuse of Grace is exceedingly divertified in gracious and ungodly persons the difference lyes in five things SECT 1. 1. DIfference The Abuse of Gods Grace in a child of God 1. Sect. The abuse of Gods grace in a child of God is from the regenerate part is only from the unregenerate part that is kept under by the prevailing dominion of grace so that though the corrupt part make suddaine frequent and sad captivating spoiling invasions as a Tyrant yet it reignes not as a King Indeed carnall Lust in a gracious Soule with vehement hostility and fury doth set upon the law of God and the pious will in which respect the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostle giveth it two titles calling its Tyranicall Government a Rebelling and captivating Law Rom. 7. 23. Whereby its fierce rage and hot assaults are expressed yet in the same soule dwelleth as well a King as a Tyrant and as a Puissant King often beats down and at length quite ruines the forces of a Tyrant so doth the sweet and mighty government of grace keep under weaken and in conclusion quite destroy the Tyranny of Corruption The Denomination followeth the better part Ye are under Grace Rom. 6. 14. T is spoken of the holy Romans who yet had the onsets and reliques of sin because the Abuse of grace is not the off-spring of grace but sin the humble christian injurious to Gods grace may say with the Apostle Not I but sin that dwells in me Asserit se non id facere quod non totus id saciat Pius quantuÌ„vis labitur tamen ex animo legem Dei non violat Pet. Mart. Securitas in gradibusexcellentibus est impiorum In gradibus remistis timoris dei quaedam remissio cadit in fillios Dei Sancti concupiscentur vim experiuntur carnates vero peâ— illam totâ— rotantur Sub Satana principatu totum naturam occupat coruptio Calv. Rom. 7. 17. Paul said not he because not wholy he sayd one we may say not cheife he as he was gracious and grace was commander in cheife he sinned not so against God but as corruption was in him like a lurking secret traytor in a garrison But the Abuse of grace in a child of the Devill is from totall unregeneracy the full Raign of corruption grace hath no part in him to enter a Protest and to oppose the wrongs of grace the whole man freely and fully resignes up the keyes to loose wanton lusts the agreement is full like a Kingdomes where the King and Subjects are all of a mind the wholy carnall yeild their Members servants to uncleannesse and iniquity Rom. 6. 19. Yea their hearts They set their heart on their iniquity Hos 4. 8. Their heart is fully set to do evill Eccles 8. 12. Full of evill Eccl. 9. 7. Why hath Satan filled thy heart Act. 5. 3. The whole world lyes in wickednesse 1 Joh. 5. 19. It is in spirituall as in corporall diseases One mans sicknesse is from the blood in part corrupt when the main masse is pure anothers sicknesse is from the blood wholy corrupt when the whole Masse is infected A child of God hath this disease of wronging grace from a corrupt part when the main is sound achild of the Devill wrongs grace wholy corrupt heart when the whole Masse is defiled SECT 2. 2. DIfference A gracious man abuseth grace and is deeply 2 Though a gracious man abuse grace yet he is deeply humbled for it humbled for it David Hezekiah Peter abused it and it cost them bitter mourning and tears A gracelesse person wrongs grace and is hardened in it grieves not for it Jer. 5. 3. It troubles him not though he sin freely and fully upon the score of grace It is in this case as it is with two children one is a towardly melting child that hath wronged his dear Parents and being convinced of it thus cries out O wretch that I was what have I done I have abused my dear Father that hath cared for me maintained me brought me me up instructed me with tears Ah vile creature I wronged my Mother my dear Mother that bare me that travelled in pains for me that mourned over me that had bowels yearning on mee that thought nothing too much for me Another child crosse stubborn careless wrongs his Parents knowsit but without a sigh a tear never layes it to heart So it is with a soft-hearted melting spirited child of God he looks over all the Indignities and Indecencies against his deare Lord with a loaden heart and weeping eyes But a rocky Adamantine child of the Devil loads the Lord with dayly abuses and mournes not under it SECT 3. 3. DIfference A servant of God that wrongs grace watcheth 3 A child of God watcheth over his heart his heart Luke 11. 37. is the happy one that is found watching he hath his eyes in his head to see the like dangers Eccles 2. 14. and prevent them But a servant of sinne abuseth grace and his reigning lusts may doe it as often as they please he notes it not nor cares to doe it Sleep not as doe others but watch and be sober 1 Thes 5. 6. Strongly implying the servants Inebriantur omnis generis concupiscenti is in peceatis suis absoporantur Muscul of sinne are wantons but like men in a deep sleep watch it not The difference is here as in two servants The one over saucy and loose hath abused his loving Master seeth his error watcheth over his heart lest he doe so again the other disrespectfull and stubbornly wilful hath once and again wronged his goodness and watcheth not his heart and temptations but carelesly perseveres in abuses Such is the disagreement between a servant of God and sin in the injury of grace SECT 4. 4. DIfference A Regenerate man abuseth the grace of God doth it lesse and lesse He finds power from grace to 4 A Regenerate man abuseth grace lesse and less Manton on James honour grace more than formerly The spirit lusteth to envy but he giveth more grace Jam. 4. 6. So that the renewed Christian is not carried by the old envious spirit that dwels in him but by a more gracious spirit given unto him The old affronts to grace passe away and new respects and subjections to it are afforded 2 Cor. 5. When a real convert by and to the grace of God hath seen what dishonours he hath put upon grace then he sayes it is sufficient yea too much that I have walked in wantonness lusts excess of ryot 1 Pet. 4. 3 4. I dare do so no more Take this as a sure evidence of the truth of grace He that is convinced of abusing it will get power over it and be less in it But now an unregenerate man abuseth the grace of God and doth it more and more He that is unjust