The excellency of a gracious spirit Delivered in a treatise upon the 14. of…The excellency of a gracious spirit Deliuered in a treatise upon the 14. of…

If you be not perfect in this sense that hath been spoken of, then you are an evil doer, who must be cast away, how glorious soever many of your actions may seem to be. That place in Ezekiel, Chap. 18. verse 21. that is usually taken for the place of the greatest mercy in all the Scripture, & by many is exceedingly abused; yet see what that requires of men in their repentance: the words are usually taken up thus, At what time soever a sinner repents him of his sin, I will blot out all his iniquities, saith the Lord. There are not those very words in any ⟨p. 268⟩place of Scripture, but there are to the like effect, which are in this place of Ezekiel: And in no other place is Gods mercy to a sinner, more fully revealed: There is no Text in Scripture comes nearer to that which men ordinarily take up, than that verse and the 27. 28. verses in the same Chapter: and see what of Gods mind we have made known there; the words of the Scripture are thus, If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live: and again, Verse 28. Because he considereth, and turns from all his transgressions. Thus you see, that God in the largest promises of his mercy to those who have the least measure of grace, he requires the turning from all sins, and the keeping of all his Statutes: and this God brings to show the infinite equity of his ways towards sinners. As if he should say, Except this be, no mans conscience in the world but must acknowledge ⟨p. 269⟩it to be infinitely just and equal, that he should perish everlastingly; if there be any way of wickedness reserved, if any statute of mine be neglected, if he thinks to have mercy without an universal turning from his sin, without an universal obedience; his conscience will tell him, that it is an unequal and unreasonable thing, that he should ever expect it. And yet further, because you think that this universality of obedience should be expected only from some who are eminent in grace, who have attained to a great measure of godliness; consider what is required of poor widows, 1 Tim. 5. 10. They must diligently follow every good work.

If you be not perfect in this sense that hath been spoken of, then you are an evill doer, who must be cast away, how glorious soever many of your actions may seeme to be. That place in Ezechiel, Chap. 18. verse 21. that is usually taken for the place of the greatest mercy in all the Scripture, & by many is exceedingly abused; yet see what that requires of men in their repentance: the words are usually taken up thus, At what time soever a sinner repents him of his sin, I will blot out all his iniquities, saith the Lord. There are not those very words in any