Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	harden_v	heart_n	pharaoh_n	3,527	5	10.7953	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17310	The anatomy of melancholy vvhat it is. VVith all the kindes, causes, symptomes, prognostickes, and seuerall cures of it. In three maine partitions with their seuerall sections, members, and subsections. Philosophically, medicinally, historically, opened and cut vp. By Democritus Iunior. With a satyricall preface, conducing to the following discourse.	Burton, Robert, 1577-1640.	1621 (1621)	STC 4159; ESTC S122275	978,571	899

reformation of ignorance we cannot be truely turned to God without knowledge the mind is not good therefore to teare the vaile is one part of Gods work in our conversion Prov. 19.3 Esay 25.8 4. That ignorance is wanton and full of lust Eph. 4.18 5. That the way to be rid of lusts is to be rid of ignorance For saving knowledge keeps us from sin Iam. 3.17 A godly man sinneth not because his seed abideth in him knowledge is the sword of the Spirit and here we may see the principall use wee should put our knowledge to viz. to clense our hearts of base thoughts and desires 6. That we may live in places of great meanes for knowledge and yet be grossely ignorant For he writeth here to the Jewes who had the law and the Prophets and the Oracles of God and the Priests c. 7. That all knowledge or learning without the knowledge of Gods favour in Christ and the way how to reforme our owne lives is but grosse darknesse and foolish ignorance as was before explained 8. That habituall lusts are a sure signe of ignorance whatsoever knowledg men pretend Lastly it may be profitably here asked Seeing there is ignorance even in the children of God after calling what are the signes of unregenerate ignorance Unregenerate ignorance may be discerned by divers signes 1. It hardens the heart and works a continued evill disposition to sinne with greedinesse Eph. 4.11 18. Now the ignorance in the godly may be where the heart is softned and the overflowings of corruption stopped 2. It hood winketh the soule in the maine things needfull to salvation as the knowledge of a mans owne iniquities God in Christ the forgivenesse of a mans owne sins and generally all the things of God 1 Cor. 2.14 For either wicked men perceive them not or not spiritually out of desire and care for them without corrupt ends A wicked man may discern spirituall things carnally but not spiritually 3. It hath never beene in the furnace I meane of mortification it hath never been truly repented of whereas the ignorance of the godly hath often been in the fire it hath been often confessed rended mourned for c. 4. It will suffer no saving grace to neighbour by it where ignorance hath not beene repented of there no feare of God no holy contemplation no uprightnesse love of God or his word or his people will dwell Now the ignorance that is in Gods children is well neighboured with many holy graces that can dwell by it And as these ignorances differ in nature and working so they differ in imputation For unto the godly there is a sacrifice for ignorance God d●th not impute ignorance unto the godly it shall be to them according to what they know and not according to what they know not And thus of ignorance and so of the 14. verse Verse 15. But as he which called you is holy so be you holy in all manner of conversation HItherto of the first branch of the description of Gods image in us as his children viz. our conformity to God in holinesse and so the image of God in us is our endevour to be like God in all things in holinesse There are three great considerations in this verse 1. whom we must imitate viz. him that hath called us 2. In what we must imitate him viz. in holinesse 3. how viz in all manner of conversation Ingenerall and from the coherence we must note 1. That it is not enough that we approve our selves to be Gods children that we avoid sin but we must also be employed in doing good Hence we are compared to trees in which barrennesse is as gr●at a fault as ill fruit 2. That the patterne of all holinesse is God himselfe or Christ or rather God in Christ. For whither else should we goe for example If to the dumbe creatures they have not natures capable of holinesse If to Angels they are invisible and so we cannot behold them and in Scripture little is recorded of them and besides we know many of them fell away If to man they are all fallen in Adam and there is none that doth good and good men have their both errors and sins Therefore we may say whom have wee in heaven but God and there is none in earth with him Vse Therefore wee should labour 1. To know God 2. To observe the specialty of his prais●s that are imitable both in his word and works 3. Wee must carry our selves with that humility and piety that we may walke with God else we cannot set him a● a patterne before us 3. That there are two pictur●s as it were presented to the soule and for both there is gre●t pleading for entertainment and liking The one is the picture of sinne even of sinnes repented of which are n●w varnished and with many plausible motives commended by b●th the world and the devill not without the good liking of the flesh The other is the picture as it were of the most holy God pourtraied out in the Gospell especially in the glory o● hi● holinesse Now here we are taught what to avoid and what to follow a●d the rather because here we are put in minde of the experience we have of Gods goodn●sse for it is he that ha●● called us Now of the former lusts t●ere can be assigned no good that we ●ave gotten by them The devill may lyingly tell us of some good to come but wee know that for the time past we got no●hing but shame and sorrow by them Thus of the generall As he that hath called you The first thing i● whom we must imitate a●d that is here exprest by 〈◊〉 to be he that hath called us viz. God and the Lord doth of purp●●● 〈…〉 o● descriptions of himselfe for divers rea●ons 1. 〈…〉 our disability to c●●ceive of God as he is fully and there●●re he 〈◊〉 his knowledg into us by drops or spar●les as it were so far is our nature swarved from the knowledge of God that the doctrine o● God in the whole i● a doctrin● too transcendent for us 2. This God d●th to excite affection in us toward him as taking no delight in a dull c●●templation of him and therefore by such p●riphrases he doth with some 〈◊〉 consideration either gore us if it be a phrase of terror or sudd●nly 〈◊〉 with some divine spa●●les that like lightning force our att●●d●●●● 3. The ●ord doth use such descriptions out of choice of 〈…〉 which is most pertinent to the question in hand The Lord thr●ugh●ut the whole Scripture is every where respective of the names he giveth 〈◊〉 therein shewing us what care we should have in taking up the name or title of God 4. It is a most forcible kind of speaking for compendiously it importeth abundance of matter usually more then the bare title it selfe would import as here thi● phrase He that called you doth not onely shew that it is God that is to be imitated

one truth will not sinke yet into our heads Wee are told that this is a point unsearchable Rom. 11.32 33. and the rather because weake Christians are not tied to eate strong meat they may safely let this doctrine alone Thirdly that no man can know his owne reprobation nor ought to beleeve so of himselfe but is called upon to use the meanes by which he may be saved Fourthly we have this oath of God for it That he desires not the death of the sinner but would have all men to repent and be saved Fifthly that whereas Divines make two parts of the decree of reprobation Preterition and Predamnation all Divines are agreed for the latter that God did never determine to damne any man for his owne pleasure but the cause of his perdition was his owne sinne And here is reason for it for God may to shew his soveraignty annihilate his creature but to appoint a reasonable creature to an estate of endlesse paine without respect of his desert cannot agree to the unspotted justice of God And for the other part of passing over and forsaking a great part of men for the glory of his justice the exactest Divines doe not attribute that to the mere will of God but hold that God did first looke upon those men as sinners at least in the generall corruption brought in by the fall For all men have sinned in Adam and are guilty of high treason against God Sixthly that sinne is no effect of reprobation but onely a consequent Gods decree doth not force any man to sinne c. Seventhly that whatsoever God hath decreed yet all grant that God is no way any authour of sinne hee doth not cause sinne in any but onely permits it and endureth it and whereas the most that can be objected is that God hardneth whom he will Rom. 9. it is agreed upon in the answer of all sound Divines that God doth not infuse any wickednesse from without in mens hearts but whereas their hearts are in themselves by custome in sinne hardned as a just Judge he gives them over to Sathan and his power who is as it were the Jayler but doth never restraine them from good and the meanes of it Eighthly now may men say that sinne came upon men by reason of the rigour of Gods Law for it was impossible to be kept For this there is a cleere answer When God gave his Law at first man was able to keepe it and it came by his owne default that hee was not able to keepe it afterwards A man that sends his servant to the market and gives him charge to doe such and such businesse for him if that servant make himselfe drunken and so bee unfit to doe his masters businesse he is worthy to be punished because hee was fit to doe it when hee was first sent about it Ninthly it is plaine in this verse that those men of whom he here speakes are indited of grievous sinne against Christ and the Gospell Tenthly that things may be just though the reasons of them do not appear unto us if it bee true of some cases of justice among men much more in this case of God's justice Lastly it should much satisfie us that in the day of Jesus Christ those mysteries of Religion shall be broken open and all then shall bee made cleer unto us as cleer as the shining of the Sun at noon-day Thus of the punishment of unbeleevers and so also of the first argument taken from testimony of Scripture Verses 9 and 10. But yee are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light Which in times past were not a people yet are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy THese words containe the second argument to perswade Christians to make their constant recourse unto Christ and from him to procure vertue to enable them for holinesse of conversation and it is taken from the consideration of the excellency of that estate unto which they were brought by Christ. For the description whereof the Apostle singles out two places of Scripture with which he makes up a compleat narration of their great prerogatives above all other people and above that they themselves were in former times The places of Scripture he makes use of are Exod. 9. and Hos. 1. But before I open the words two things may be here noted First the Apostles care to prove what he saith from the Scripture whether it bee against wicked men or for godly men which shewes that wee should much more take heed to Gods Word being lesse than Apostles especially such an Apostle Secondly wee may hence note that the promises or prayses given to the godly in the old Testament are not envied to Christians in the new Testament God is no respecter of persons but wee have free liberty to search the bookes of God and to chuse out of all the examples of the suites of godly men or the preferments what we will and if we make a suite of it to God he will not deny it but shew us their mercy Now for the particular opening of these words we must observe that it is the purpose of the Apostle to shew briefly the priviledges of the godly above all others or what themselves were before their conversion And the priviledge of their estate may be considered either positively in it self or comparatively It is described positively vers 9. comparatively vers 10. In the ninth verse there he reckons up a number of prerogatives belonging to the godly and withall shewes the use they should make of them or the end why they were conferred upon them The godly excell in divers respects if we consider First their election they are chosen of God Secondly their alliance or kinred they are a chosen kinred Thirdly their dignity above other men they are royall Kings Fourthly their function or private imployment before God Priests Fifthly their behaviour or outward conversation they are holy Sixthly their number they are a Nation Seventhly their acceptation with God they are a peculiar people First for Election The Apostle looking upon the words in Exodus 19.5 6 and seeing that they described the happinesse of Christians in this life doth in the Fore-front put to this priviledge of their election as the foundation of all the rest and would have Christians much affected with the consideration of this prerogative It is one of the chiefe and prime comforts of a Christian to consider that he is elect of God Psal. 106.4 5. 2 Pet. 1.9 elect I say both before time and in time Before time in Gods decree and in time when the godly are singled and called out of the word and picked out one of a city and two of a tribe in all the ages of the world and distinguished from other men by beleeving in Jesus

this is the divels speciall sinne to bee an accuser of the brethren and from thence hath his name in other languages And wilt thou make a devill of thy selfe or discover such a divellish property in this nature Fourthly if they consider the effect of this sin of reproaching slandering the godly either to the godly or to themselves First to the godly what mischiefe do they Evill words are compared to swords and razors It is a kind of murther it is as hatefull as if they did cut or pierce their bodies and besides to what grievous contempts and indignities many times doest thou bring them by thy lies and slanders Secondly to thy se●f consider what thou bringst by speaking evil of the godly 1. Though thou doe it never so secretly behind their backes yet it is over-heard and will come out how wouldest thou be ashamed if hee of whom thou speakest stood behind thee when thou didst slander him O man consider though the godly man never heare thee yet God doth heare it and all thou sayest thou must beare thy shame for it 2. Observe what interpretation God makes of it he cals this sin blasphemy for so the word is in the originall Col. 3.8 to note thereby that hee is vexed at this sinne of vilifying his people as if it were the reproaching of himselfe 3. Consider what a shame it will be to thee when God shall cleare the innocency of his servants how wilt thou be confounded when they are justified 4. Consider what hurt it doth thy self and others it is a great means to set you further off from the Kingdome of God and to harden your hearts against the cares of your owne reformation and salvation Evill words corrupt good manners Thou losest so much even of naturall honesty as thou admittest of evill in thy tongue 5. Consider the punishment from the Lord. This is a sinne that God hath grievously threatned as these places shew Psal. 50.20 and 109.29 Esay 51. 18. Psal. 31.18 Esay 41.11 12.1 Pet. 4.4 5. And as it is evill to speak evill of those that are godly as it appears by these reasons so it is monstrous to be guilty of speaking evill in any of the cases following as 1. To speak evill of the absent that cannot defend themselves 2. To speak evill of such as God hath humbled and afflicted and doe judge themselves for their sinnes 3. To speak evill of such as have been friendly to us and shewed their loving respect of us and done us good 4. To speak evill of our superiours as godly Magistrates good Ministers 5. To speak evill of such as are neerly linked unto us as of our parents and so it is monstrous uncomely when wives speak evill of their husbands and contrariwise 6. To speak evill of any simply for godliness sake 7. To speak evill of others and yet be guilty of the same offences themselves 8. And so it is monstrous when men speak evill of such behinde their backs to whom they speak fair before their faces this hooding of hatred and cursing with lying lips is abominable So then this doctrine against evill-speaking doth in a speciall manner light upon such persons as are guilty of any of those waies of evil-speaking And thus of the uses that concerne wicked men Secondly godly men bee also instructed from hence For since this doctrine tells them that it hath been the lot of godly men in all ages to bee evill spoken of in all places where they live they should thereby bee made carefull to order themselves aright in bearing reproaches in a right manner as resolved to prepare for the triall of this affliction if they be not scourged with it for as the divell when he gave over to tempt Christ is said to cease but for a season so if wicked men hold their tongues we must not think they will be quiet alwaies for till God turn their hearts they are apt to speak evill Now that a godly man may be rightly ordered in respect of reproaches hee must look to three things First he must be sure he be free from this evill himselfe that hee help not the wicked against the righteous and by his owne intemperance raise evill fames by reason of which Religion is evill-spoken of for railing cursing slandering censuring and the like will make the very godly look like wicked ones yea like the divell himselfe Shall it be accounted a Paganish offence and shall a godly Christian bee guilty of it Especially such Christians should be extremely abased for their evill natures that raise evill reports of other Christians in cases where wicked men themselves are silent Secondly that he carry himselfe in a holy manner when he is reproached and so he must remember two things 1. That hee render not reviling for reviling but if he find himselfe stirred with David to go to God and betake himself to praier Psal. 109.4.1 Pet. 3.9 2. That he strive to confute them by reall apologies and so he doth if hee endeavour to put them to silence by his good works and a carefull course of conversation Thirdly because the godliest men may have their passions and may bee stirred up with such indignations as appeares Ier. 8.18 21 he must labour to sense his owne heart with store of arguments that may make him patient comfortable under this crosse and thus it should comfort him to consider 1. That no reproaches can make him vile in God's sight how vile soever he seem to bee unto men yet in God's eyes he is honourable Esay 43.4 2. That thou art but as an evill doer not an evill doer It is not miserable To be as an evill doer but it is miserable To be an evill doer 2. Cor. 6.8 9. 3. This is not to resist unto bloud Heb. 12.3 This is a farre lesse crosse than hath been laid upon many of the best servants of God they have lost their lives in the defence of pure Religion 4. That howsoever it go with thee in this life yet in the Day of Jesus Christ thy innocencie shall bee cleared and thy faith and sincerity shall bee found unto praise and honour and glorie thou shalt have aboundant praise in that Day 1. Pet. 1.7 Thus of the use that concernes either wicked men or godly men There is yet a use that concerns all men and that is To take heed o● receiving evill reports against the godly for seeing it is so usuall for ill-minded men to devise and divulge evill reports of them all men should be wary and take heed of receiving the evill speeches that are bruited or spoken of any in the businesse of godlinesse The receiving of false reports is forbidden in Scripture as well as the devising or divulging of them Exod. 23.1 And it is made a signe of a wicked disposition To give heed to false lips and that man is himselfe a lyar that harkneth to a naughty tongue Pro. 17.4 And therefore God will plague in hell

purpose to exalt the praise of the gifts of God in our calling and partly to shew that we enter upon the possession of the former prerogatives the most of them when wee are called by the grace of Jesus Christ and partly thereby guiding us to the knowledge of that worke of God which may assure us of our interest in the former prerogative All which shewes that wee have great reason seriously to study the doctrine of our calling by Jesus Christ. Calling is either personall or naturall or spirituall or supernaturall The personall calling is to some office the naturall to the exercise of some morall vertue the spirituall or supernaturall is to Christ calling us to seeke happinesse and blessednesse in him This is here meant And so the calling of a Christian is to be reckoned among the gifts or endowments God bestowes upon his people which that we may distinctly understand according to the order of them there are seven gifts of God First vocation by which he calls men out of the world into the Church Secondly justification by which he forgives the Called their sinnes and clothes them with the rich Robe of Christs righteousnesse Thirdly sanctification by which he qualifies their nature with all heavenly gifts necessary for their salvation Fourthly adoption by which he acknowledgeth and receiveth them for his sonnes and heires Fifthly Christian liberty by which hee frees them from all things that might hold them in bondage or in a servile condition as from the rigour and curse of the Law from the dominion of sinne from the burden of Moses ceremonies and humane traditions and from those servile feares in Gods service bred by the spirit of bondage Sixthly consolation by which hee keepes them in this happy condition which he performeth three wayes First by defending them against all adversaries Secondly by delivering them out of their many troubles in their militant estate Thirdly by bestowing upon them the gifts of perseverance to the end and for ever Seventhly temporall blessings by which hee furnisheth them for this present life The sixe first of these are gifts principall the last is but accessary The three first are the chiefe gifts and the three next are such as arise out of the first Now this worke of calling men into the Church is either externall or internall By the externall men are called into the visible Church by the internall men are called into the invisible Church And that we may conceive of this distinctly in respect of calling all men may bee cast into foure companies First some are not called at all any way by the Gospell as many of the Pagans c. Secondly some are called onely externally as those in Matth. 20. Many called but few chosen Thirdly some are called internally onely as the thiefe on the Crosse. Fourthly some are called both internally and externally so the Elect of God for the most part and ordinarily It is the last sort of men that are understood here Now that this worke of God calling us may in the order of working bee more cleerly understood we may conceive it thus The first cause is Gods love of men his kindnesse and love to men as the Apostle calls it Tit. 3.4 First First that God conceives in himselfe a compassionate love of man lying in his extreame naturall distresse Secondly Christ then as Mediator layes the ground of this calling and so be doth two wayes First by removing what might hinder the worke as the displeasure of God and the curse of the Law which he did by being made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.22 Secondly by purchasing and bringing to light immortality and also the people that should possesse it which purchase hee made with his owne blood Act. 20.28 2 Tim. 1.9 10. Thirdly then God sends the Word of reconciliation furnishing men with gifts to preach the Gospel and souseth their ministery of reconciliation as the onely ordinary meanes of calling men 2 Cor. 5.18,19 Rom. 10.14.17 Fourthly the Spirit of Christ doth inwardly perswade the hearts of men to receive the Word and so to be reconciled to God Use. The use of this doctrine of our Christian calling may serve both for instruction and for terror for instruction and so it may teach First unregenerate men in the Church as ever they would be saved to awake to the care of their calling Eph. 5.14 to be entreated while they have the ministry of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.20 and to open when Christ knockes Rev. 3.21 taking heed they be not as the horse or mule Psal. 32.9 And that they may prosper in this worke of their calling they must looke to two things First that they be not hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin Heb. 3.13 Secondly that they despise not prophesying but account the feet of them that bring the glad tidings to be beautifull Esa. 52.9 There are foure reasons assigned by the Apostle H●b 3. c. why men should be ruled when Christ grants them the meanes First because it is to day they know not how long they shall have the meanes Heb. 3.7 c. Secondly because of all deceits it is most miserable to bee deceived of the things offered us in the Gospell vers 13. Thirdly because God is extreamly grieved and provoked by our neglects herein vers 16. Fourthly because else we shall faile of the promise of entring into his rest Heb. 4.1 2. Secondly godly men should hence learne divers things First to be diligent above all things to make their calling sure Now there be divers signes of a true effectuall calling such as these As First the opening of the heart to receive the Word of God and to attend the things which are spoken Act. 16.14 whereby they are enabled to heare as the learned Esa. 51.6 Secondly the wearinesse of heart under the burthen of sinne Mat. 11.29 and 9.13 Thirdly the answer of the heart to the voice of Christ consenting to obey and to enter into covenant with God Esa. 1.18 19. Fourthly the taking away of the detestable things and their abominations from them Ezek. 11.17 21. Col. 2.11 Fifthly the knitting of the heart to the godly Ezek. 11. ●8 Sixthly the removing of the stony heart and the planting of the heart of flesh Ez●k 11.19 Seventhly the vertues of Christ as in the coherence in this text Eightly in generall the truth of our calling appeares by the demonstration of the spirit and power The holy Ghost quickning the heart to new obedience called the manifestation of the spirit 2. Cor. 2.4 5. Eph. 2.5 Secondly it should teach them to strive to walke worthy their calling for the manifestation of the spirit was given to profit withall and we are therefore called that we might be to the praise of his rich grace Now that we may walke in some measure as becomes this great gift of God First we should be humble and not wise in our owne conceit though hardnesse lye yet upon the heart

the dead that Christ might give them this light of life How should they unchangeably resolve to seeke Gods kingdome first above all things and above all gettings strive to get understanding What shall it profit them to win the whole world and lose their owne soules But especially the doctrine of life should melt the hearts of all the godly and imprint upon them the care of many duties as 1. They have cause to wonder at the exceeding riches of Gods kindnesse to them in Jesus Christ in providing such an inheritance for them Ephes. 2.7 2. They should pray earnestly to God to open their eyes more and more to see the glory of this life and effectually to take notice of the high dignity of their calling and riches of their inheritance in life Eph. 1.19 3. This should marvellously wean their hearts from the cares of this present life and from the love of earthly things seeing their inheritance lieth in spirituall and eternall life 1 Cor. 7.38 Heb. 13.4 5. 11.13 Col. 3.1 2. Phil. 3.20 4. Since they have found this precious life by the Gospel they should therefore take heed they be not carried about with divers and strange doctrine nor trouble themselves with doubtfull disputations or unprofitable questions They have found the words of eternall life and whither else will they goe Tit. 3.7 9. Heb. 13.9 5. This should make them love one another as such as shall be companions in life for ever Yea they should receive one another as Christ received them to glory Iohn 13.34 Eph. 4.2 5.1 Rom. 15.7 And in particular husbands should make much of their wives and masters of such servants as are heires with them of the grace of life as this Text shewes and Col. 3.14 6. They should strive to shew the power of this life and how much it excells naturall life and therefore the fruit of the Spirit should be in them in all goodnesse righteousnesse and truth Eph. 5.9 and they should so hold forth the Word of life that they should think on whatsoever things are true honest just pure lovely and of good report and if there be any vertue or any praise they should strive to act that being carefull in all things to maintaine good workes Phil. 4.8 Tit. 3.7 8. Oh what maner of persons should they be in all maner of good conversation 7. They should lift up their heads with joy and be alwaies comfortable considering the assurance they have of eternall life they have the spirit of glory resting upon them One would think they should be alwaies singing and making melodie in their hearts though they have crosses and wants in this life yet is not God their portion and is it not enough they are provided for in respect of eternitie and is there any comparison betweene the afflictions in this world and the glory to be revealed Grace Thus of the matter of their inheritance The cause followes and that is grace Grace is either a gift in us or an attribute in God Sometimes by grace is meant the gifts God bestowes upon men and if grace were so taken then would be implied this doctrine That dead men may have the grace of God There may be grace in men without life yea men may have excellent gifts and yet be not alive spiritually as gifts of government from the Spirit of God as Saul had and gifts for edification in the Church A man may be an excellent Preacher as Iudas was and may have the gifts of prophecying and working miracles as the Reprobates mentioned Mat. 7.21 a man may have the gift of knowledge of the Scriptures as St. Paul imports 1 Cor. 8.2 Heb. 6.4 a man may confesse his sins as Pharaoh and Saul did a man may be much grieved and sorrow and humbled for his sins as Ahab and Cain and may repent too as Iudas did and may make a great profession of true religion and be very forward as Demas and Hymeneus and Phyletus did a man may be very zealous for the truth as Iohn and the Galatians were a man may pray and cry hard and often to God and be heard of God as the Israelites were in their distresses many times a man may be of an unrebukeable conversation amongst men as Paul was before his conversion and such as have sinned may reforme their lives in many things as Herod did finally a man may have faith to beleeve Gods Word as the Divels doe and to beleeve Gods promises as they that have a temporary faith doe after a sort and may joy much in the comfort of them as they concerne the godly and yet in all these gifts there was no life Another point in that sense is this That there are gifts of Gods grace bestowed on the Elect which are ever accompanied with life so as their grace is the grace of life And both these points should wonderfully awaken all sorts of Christians to looke about and trie their estates and weake Christians should diligently studie their booke of signes of true grace and marke how the Scripture proveth all those saving graces to be such as can be found in no reprobate But because I think Grace in this place cannot be taken for the gifts of grace in men I passe from these points By grace then here is meant the glorious attribute of goodnesse that is in God by which he freely sheweth his love and mercy to his creatures And that it must be taken in this sense I gather from the third of Titus v. 7. where the sentence being like grace is called there His grace we are justified by his grace and made heires of eternall life Now this grace of God as it is in God I consider of two wayes first as it is in relation to this spirituall and eternall life of Gods heires and then secondly as it is in it selfe generally considered In relation to spirituall life I consider of it both in what it excludes and what it includes Grace excludes both nature and the workes of the Law It excludes nature from this life in three respects first in respect of propagation This life cannot be propagated by naturall generation we are not borne heires of life and so the sons of God we are borne only the sons of Adam not of God They that are borne after the flesh are not the seed Rom. 9.8 Secondly in respect of priviledge By nature we are the children of wrath and therefore cannot be the children of promise Eph. 2.3 Thirdly in respect of the works of nature for by nature we doe such workes as proclaime us to be children of disobedience and children of the Divell and therefore cannot be heires of life by any workes done by nature since the fall And as it excludes nature so it excludes the workes of the Law not in respect of the obedience to the Law but in respect of the merit of life so as the inheritance cannot be had but by the workes of