An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…

When his soul-state is so ravelled and entangled, that he can make nothing of it, then his righteousness is as lost. Those things which appear not, are to us as if they were not. Not to know what we have, is a degree of not having. When grace doth not act or is not used, we are said in Scripture to lack grace, or to have none. (2 Pet: 1.9.) But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot ⟨p. 442⟩see afar off. The whole context carrieth it of believers, who are in a state of grace, who yet not using grace are said to lack it, and are called blind, as not able to see afar off, how it was with them when the work of conversion first began, & so have upon the matter forgotten that they were ever purged from their old sins. That is, they act as a man that hath never had any acquaintance with God, or knew so much as the meaning of repentance from dead works. He, in the Gospel, who had but one talent and did not use it, is said to have none, From him that hath not shall be taken away even that he hath (Math: 25.29.) 'Tis a strange expression to say, that shall be taken away from a man which he hath not; yet the idle servant is said not to have that one talent which he had, because he did not use it, but laid it by as a dead stock. Now, as in reference unto the grace of sanctification in us, when we do not act, we are said to lack it, or not to have it, so in reference to the peace of justification, when we have not the comfort of it, we are said to be without it. And therefore when peace is restored to the soul, righteousness or justification is restored also.

When his soul-state is so ravel'd and intangled, that he can make nothing of it, then his righteousness is as lost. Those things which appeare not, are to us as if they were not. Not to know what we have, is a degree of not having. When grace doth not act or is not used, we are sayd in Scripture to lack grace, or to have none. (2 Pet: 1.9.) But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot ⟨p. 442⟩see afar off. The whole context carrieth it of believers, who are in a state of grace, who yet not using grace are sayd to lack it, and are called blinde, as not able to see afar off, how it was with them when the work of conversion first began, & so have upon the matter forgotten that they were ever purged from their old sins. That is, they act as a man that hath never had any acquaintance with God, or knew so much as the meaning of repentance from dead workes. He, in the Gospel, who had but one talent and did not use it, is sayd to have none, From him that hath not shall be taken away even that he hath (Math: 25.29.) 'Tis a strange expression to say, that shall be taken away from a man which he hath not; yet the idle servant is sayd not to have that one talent which he had, because he did not use it, but layd it by as a dead stocke. Now, as in reference unto the grace of sanctification in us, when we doe not act, we are sayd to lack it, or not to have it, so in reference to the peace of justification, when we have not the comfort of it, we are sayd to be without it. And therefore when peace is restored to the soule, righteousness or justification is restored also.