1. Not in a constant omission of known duties. If a good man falls into a gross sin, he doth not totally omit the performance of common duties to God: Not that this attendance on God in his Ordinances doth of it self argue a man to be a good man; for many that walk in a constant course of sin, may from natural Conscience and Education be as constant in the performing external services as he is. 'Tis a proper note of an Hypocrite, that he will not always delight himself in the Almighty, nor always call upon God, Job 27.10. i. e. not customarily: Whence it follows, that a delight in God in duties of Worship, is a property of a regenerate man. An act of sin may impair his liveliness in them, but not cause him wholly to omit them. We need not question but David, in the time of his impenitency, did go to the Tabernacle, attend upon the Worship of God: 'Tis not likely that for ten months together he should wholly omit it, though no doubt but he was dead-hearted in it, which is intimated when he desires a free spirit, Ps. 51. & prays for quickening, Psa. 143.11. one ⟨p. 90⟩of his Penitential Psalms. A total neglect of Ordinances and Duties, is a shrewd sign of a total Apostasy, and that grace was never in such a mans heart; especially a total omission of prayer; this is an high contempt of God, denying him to be the Author of our mercies, depriving him of the prerogative of governing the world, disowning any need of him, any sufficiency in him, declaring we can be our own Gods, and subsist of our selves without him, and that there is no need of his blessing. Grace, though sunk under a sin, will more or less desire its proper nourishment, the Milk of the Word, and other Institutions of God. Nature, though oppressed by a disease, will require food to keep it alive. A good man in this case is like the Planets, which though they be turned about daily from East to West, by the motion of the primum mobile, yet they still keep up their proper motion from West to East, either slower or quicker.
1. Not in a constant omission of known duties. If a good man falls into a gross sin, he doth not totally omit the performance of common duties to God: Not that this attendance on God in his Ordinances doth of it self argue a man to be a good man; for many that walk in a constant course of sin, may from natural Conscience and Education be as constant in the performing external services as he is. 'Tis a proper note of an Hypocrite, that he will not always delight himself in the Almighty, nor always call upon God, Job 27.10. i. e. not customarily: Whence it follows, that a delight in God in duties of Worship, is a property of a regenerate man. An act of sin may impair his liveliness in them, but not cause him wholly to omit them. We need not question but David, in the time of his impenitency, did go to the Tabernacle, attend upon the Worship of God: 'Tis not likely that for ten months together he should wholly omit it, though no doubt but he was dead-hearted in it, which is intimated when he desires a free spirit, Ps. 51. & prayes for quickening, Psa. 143.11. one ⟨p. 90⟩of his Penitential Psalms. A total neglect of Ordinances and Duties, is a shrewd sign of a total Apostacy, and that grace was never in such a mans heart; especially a total omission of prayer; this is an high contempt of God, denying him to be the Author of our mercies, depriving him of the prerogative of governing the world, disowning any need of him, any sufficiency in him, declaring we can be our own Gods, and subsist of our selves without him, and that there is no need of his blessing. Grace, though sunk under a sin, will more or less desire its proper nourishment, the Milk of the Word, and other Institutions of God. Nature, though opprest by a disease, will require food to keep it alive. A good man in this case is like the Planets, which though they be turned about daily from East to West, by the motion of the primum mobile, yet they still keep up their proper motion from West to East, either slower or quicker.
