Secondly, That a mans conversation may be free from scandalous sins, yet if this freedom from scandals proceed from a wrong principle, it may be in a person not elected. As I will ⟨p. 209⟩make it appear. There may be a freedom from gross sins proceeding from a threefold principle, and yet a man be in a state of damnation and of reprobation. As first, There may be a freedom from scandals, proceeding from religious education; secondly, from a natural disposition; and thirdly, from the power of restraining grace. First, there may be a freedom from gross sins, proceeding from the power of education. So the young man in the Gospel, Matth. 19.18, 19, 20. when Christ told him what the Law was. Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self, thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not bear false witness, &c. Saith the young man, All these have I kept from my youth. He was a Pharisee, and his parents strict in their course of living, and brought him up so from his youth; and yet this man no elect man, ver. 22. Secondly, a man may be free from scandalous sins, arising from an ingenious natural disposition. A mans disposition may sometimes be utterly averse to some sins. Plutarch a heathen could say this, I had rather it were said, there were no such man as Plutarch in the world, then to say that Plutarch was unchaste, Plutarch was a drunkard, or Plutarch was a swearer. Mans natural temper may sometimes be free from gross sins, and yet he not an elect person for all this. And then thirdly, a man may be free from gross sins, as proceeding from the power of restraining grace, Gen. 20.6. I also withheld Abimelech from sinning against me. He was a Heathen, and a wicked man, and yet God, by the power of restraining grace, did keep Abimelech from running into that exorbitant course of sinning against him. So that if a man be free from gross sins, and yet proceeding from false principles, a man may not be an elect man for all this. Unless your freedom from sin proceed from a renewed nature, from a sanctified heart, and from the saving operation of the holy Ghost; unless it comes from these principl••, your freedom from gross sins can be no pledge to your souls, that you are elected by God to life.
Secondly, That a mans conversation may be free from scandalous sinnes, yet if this freedome from scandals proceed from a wrong principle, it may be in a person not elected. As I will ⟨p. 209⟩make it appeare. There may be a freedome from grosse sins proceeding from a threefold principle, and yet a man be in a state of da•nation and of reprobation. As first, There may be a freedome from scandals, proceeding from religious education; secondly, from a natural disposition; and thirdly, from the power of restraining grace. First, there may be a freedome from grosse sinnes, proceeding from the power of education. So the young man in the Gospel, Matth. 19.18, 19, 20. when Christ told him what the Law was. Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe, thou shalt doe no murder, thou shalt not beare false witnesse, &c. Saith the young man, All these have I kept from my youth. He was a Pharisee, and his parents strict in their course of living, and brought him up so from his youth; and yet this man no elect man, ver. 22. Secondly, a man may be free from scandalous sins, arising from an ingenious natural disposition. A mans disposition may sometimes be utterly averse to some sinnes. Plu•arch a heathen could say this, I had rather it were said, there were no such man as Plutarch in the world, then to say that Plutarch was unchaste, Plutarch was a drunkard, or Plutarch was a swearer. Mans natural temper may sometimes be free from grosse sinnes, and yet he not an elect person for all this. And then thirdly, a man may be free from grosse sinnes, as proceeding from the power of restraining grace, Gen. 20.6. I also withheld Abimelech from sinning against me. He was a Heathen, and a wicked man, and yet God, by the power of restraining grace, did keep Abimelech from running into that exorbitant course of sinning against him. So that if a man be free from grosse sinnes, and yet proceeding from false principles, a man may not be an elect man for all this. Unlesse your freedome from sinne proceed from a renewed nature, from a sanctified heart, and from the saving operation of the holy Ghost; unless it comes from these principl••, your freedome from grosse sinnes can be no pledge to your soules, that you are elected by God to life.
