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Show Chap. VII., ~ No C R G S S, No C R 0 W N. YoL. 1. God renowned his Truth, finifbt their Tefi:imony, an~ o'b~ained theRe· ward of the Faithful~ a Crown of Righteoufncfs, whtch ts the E[ernal Blelfednefs of the Juft. CHAP, VII. · b fi .nc, 'tal LM/1 it's Rift. §. 2. Ir's Definition and Di. §. I. Of Prrde, t e 1"1~ ~~ dt lJ {r/ tf l(!to~t~ledte in Adam, imroduud M.sn'r Mi[try. flinllion. t 3z.,, "f.':: t' ~~~:',:~. e §.\. W6o ,,.e in Adam's swe. §. 6. 1('-'~~lr~f.t P•ffs §. 4- He I re.,J ?J' II eg{l~t ID!dtbt/Jtntjito/VIItl(ntrPIItdgt. §. 8, DmsEXt*PII: ••P~· ~,~Ji ?"•' ~~~~ Ct.~rJE!feDs 0~k1 e~sPridt in pmnding" 6t wifer tb.tn Mores, ~od's Se~~m, 4Jt• -§. ~· if1: § The EfftR ,f wbitb liM tht PerfecutJ.on qj ll:t rrue injeuirg 'hJ.'' Pojt 4{ G~.~~~ K.oo~l~ge of C~ift brougbr Peace em Earth. § •. 1?· Of rte Prupbtrs. ;,• 11. e 1 1 . 'f bt h d § 13 TbtFall of Ct\nfhans, n:.l tlin/. Guidf~ ~~~ Pritfl,s, ~"~ ~~ !~~::ed:d rbe JJ~~s ~~~~de; tbt Prufebion of their 11t'W lfiOidd· 1bc Pride tptJ P411t '" tn tn u, "" be d. 'fiji § 14 Tht .llnttlt /Wf{. ttd C.hriftianitih thtJ :~~ 6'?';:~!7 o/';~{~1, 112nf~umili~~· B.; 1ft 0lridt of tbt lil· ~{:: :~tP:!a .~; ,!-z;,~;.~e~'~;;m. §. 15. As A!~ c~~·~dJ~~~f _r:a•f::~.u;h~~~ A~iti?n, fC:,befi Chnfba~s lo{iJW§be1~ev- !/e ;;;1• fffe8t of tbH in Chrifrendom (JO "L'ed.) §~l~n:,~~be w.; ~~~~11,,~r:~, of· f:ub mi[erl.ble Dtfelfi~n. §.I. HAving thus difcharged my Confcience .a~inft that ~aft of Unlf!W {ul Self, that fain would be a _Chn1han, a Believer,, a Sat'}t, whillt a plain Stranger to rhe Crofs <?f Chr1ft, and_ the Holy Exerc1fes of It; and in rh3C briffiY difcovered. what IS Tru~ 1Yorfozp, and the Ufe and Bufinefs of the Holy CroiS, therem to render ns P~rtormance pleafing to Al· mighty God 1 I !hall now (the fame Lord affilhng me) more lar&ely pro· fecute that other Parr of Unlawful Self, w~tch fills the Study, Care, and Converfation of the World, prefented to us m thefe three caphal Lufts, that is to fay, 11 h M'fi h. c d ·1 tnfb~. ~bUIU, and lLU!:Utt': From whence a ot er. ! c 1e's " Y flow as SueJms from theu proper Fcunt:uns: The Momfy1ng o_f wh1ch mak~ up the other; and indeed a very g1:eat Part _of the Work 9f. the t!ue Crofs; and tho' taft in Place, yet fi1ft m Ex.feuen.ce and D~ny: W~1ch done, it introduces in the Room _of thofe. ev1 Ha~as, ~bleff~~ Effe8:s Gat.~· ~2,2 3 of that fo much needed Reformation, to _wit, .illorrifi.catton, HumJilly, Trmperance, Love, Patience, and Heavenlf~mmdednefs, With an other Graces of the Spirit, becoming rhe Followers ol the perfeCl: J ESl.l S, that moll Hea· ve~~e~;~~ and Love of all Mankind are either diretled to God or Them• felves. Thofe that love God :1bove all, are ever humbl1.ng Self to h1s Com~ mands and only love Self in Subli!rviency to him that IS LoJd of :.~II. Rut thofe :hat are.declin'd from that Love to God, are Lovers of themfelves, more than God : For Supream Love m~ft cen~er in obe of thefe ~wo . . To a Tim.;. 2,3 that inordinate Self~ Love, the Apoftle nghdy Joyns Proud and H1gh·mmd~ ,· ' ed. For no fooner had the Angels declin'tl their Love, Duty and ~everence to God, than they ir.ordinarely love~ and valued themfelves; ~h1ch m~de them exceed their Station, and afp1re a~ove t~e O:rder of their Creauon. This was their Pride, and this fad DefeEhon their D1fmal Fall; who are referv'd in Chains of Darknefs unto the Jud~ment of the.Great Day of God. . §. II. ftftle, that pernicious Evil, wh~ch ~egins thJs «;hapter, d1d alfo begin the Mifery of Mankind: A moft m1fchJevous Quality; a~d fa com4 monly known by its Motions, and fad Effet!s, that. every unmomfi~ B~eaft carries irs Definition in it. However, I Will fay, m fhorr, That Prtde rs 11n ExcejJ of Self· Love, joyKd tvitb an undervalui'!g of others, nn4 n Dfjire ~J Dominion over them: The mofi troublefom Thmg 1n the World. There are Four Things, by which it hath mad1: it felf befi ~nown to. ¥ank_ind, rhe Confequences of which ha\'e brought an equal M1fery to Its £\•Jl .. The Firlt is, .An inGrdinate P111[uit of Knowle_dge. The Second, .An amhl/tOIIf C·aving and Seel<int. nfter PolNer. The Thud, An rx.rrtam Dtjire of Ptr~:j VoL. i. No C J1. O.S S, No C R 0 .W N. nal RrfptO a1rd Dr-/eren~e. The !aft E~cefs is that of Worldly Furnit11re 1668. _ and Ornumt'R/S. To che JUfi and true WttnejJ of the Eternal God, plac'd in ~ the Su"ls of all People, I appeal as to rhe Trurh of thefe Things. Chap. Vll. §. HI. To the Firit, 'Tis plain, that an Inordinate Dejire of K.powleJge introduced ¥an s Mifery, and brought an Untverfal Lapfe from the Glory of his Primuive Srate. Adam would needs be wifer than God had made ~h~=~~~m~~~~~~~~~ ly Homage, his Being and Innocency naturally eng:.~_ged and excited him to; nor to have an Underjlanding above aU the Beajls ojtbe Fie/J, thl Fowls Genu. tg; of the Air, and the Fifoes of the &a, joyned with a "Power to Rule over aU 20• the vifible Creation of God; but he mufi be ttl wife a1 God too. This . unwarrantable Search, and as foolilb as unjuft Ambition, made him un-. Gen. 3· s~ \Vonhy of the Bleffings he received from God. This drives him out of Pa-- Ch.3. 24- twfije; and inftead of being Lord of the whole lVorld, Adam becomes the wrmhedell Vagabond of the Earth. §. IV. A llrange Change! That inl!ead of being as Gods, they !hould fall below the very Beafis; in Comparifon of whom, even God had made them as Gods. The lamentable Coqfequence of this great DefeOion, has been · :~n Exchange of Innocency for Guilt, and a P:.~radiii! for a Wildernefs. But, which is yet worfe, in this St:Jte .Adam and Eve had got another God than rhe oni[ .True and living God: And he that bad enticed them to all thiS Mifchif, furnifhed them with a vain Knowledge, and petnicious Wif.. dom: The S~ill of Lies and Equivocations, Shifts, Evafions. and Excufes. They had loft their "Plainncfs and Sinceriry; and from :.In Upright Heart, tbe Image in which God had made Man, he became a C,·oo/(ed, Twilzing, Twijltng SerpC?u; the Image of that Unrighteous Spirit, to whofe Temp~ tatJons he yielded ,up, with his Obedience, his Paradifical Happiqefs. §. V. Noris thislimitedto...idam; for all, who have [allenjhort of tbe Glory of God, are right born Sons o~ hi~ Difohedience. They, like him, have eaten of what they have been forbJdden: They have Committed rlie Rom.;; Things they ought npt to hm.:1 done, and left undone the Things tbey o~t,g/JL to have done. They have finoed againll that Divine Light of Knowledge, which God has givi:n them: They haVe griexed his Spjrit; and that Dif-m~ l Sentence has been executed, Iii rhe Day that rboJI earefl thereof, tho~ jha!J dye. That is, . when thou doft the Thing Which thou oughteft not to Gen. 2! !b do,· ~hou {halt no rilore live in "?Y Favour, and enjoy the Comforts of the Peace of my_ Spirit: Which is a dying tp all thofe Innocent and Holy De-- fireS ar1d AffeEHons, Which God 1treated Man with; and he becomes as one cold ahd · benumbed; l~fenfible of' the Love of God, of his .Holy Spirit, Power and \Vifdoln .:. of the Light and Joy of his Countenance, and rhe Evidence of a good Con.fcience, and the Co·wimeffing and Approbation of God's Holy Spirit. ' . §. VI. So that fallen · Ad om's Knowledge of God ftood no more in a daily Experience of ~kc Love and \Vork of God in his Soul, but in a Notion of what he onc(f did know and experience: Which being Itot the true and living Wifdom, that is from Al>ove, but a meer Piaure, it cannot pre· ferve Man in Purity~ but p1if!s 11p, "(!Jakes Pecp[e Proud, Hi$h-minded, and Impatient ofConrradifli..on. This was rhe State of the Apoftare Jcwr before Chrift'came; and ha.s b~en the .Cqndi~ion of Apoftate Cbrifli(ms ever Iince .he came: Their ReJiglbn ftandirlg (fOme bodily Performances excepted) eithet- 'in wbJt the)'. once knew, of the War~ of God in themfelves, and. wh!ch tl\ey have re~olted from ~ or in an HiftoricJl Belief, and an Imaginary Conce.ption and Paraphrafe uP,on t?e Experiences aod Prophecies.of fuch~ Holy Men and Women of Goa, as mall Ages bave dcfe.rved the Sulc and CharaE\:er of his True Child'ren. , §. VII. A•fuch a Knowledge of God cannot be true, fo by Experi'ence we fin'd, that it ever btings fortlt '1he,guire contrary Fruits tp rh.e. true Wif- · . . . dam. For as this Is firfi Pure, then Peac'eable' then Geotle, aqd Eafie to Jam. 3• 1 7~ pc intreaud; fo rhe "'Knowledge of degenerat;d :lnd unmorrified Men is firfl impure: For it tame by the <:otnmiffionof Evil, and is held in an evil ... ---· 1 Rr 2 oane1 |