Speculum theologiæ in Christo, or, A view of some divine truths which are either…

Virtutem nemo unquàm acceptam Deo retulit, nimirùm rectè propter virtutem jure laudamur; in virtute rectè gloriamur; quod non contingeret, si id donum à Deo, non à nobis haberemus, thus Cicero; No Man ever thanked God for being virtuous; for Virtue we are justly praised, in Virtue we rightly glory; which we could not do if it were from God, and not from our selves: And may we call this Holiness? No surely; it's horrible Impiety, and desperate Pride, for them thus to lift up themselves, and dethrone God the great Donor. The Angels by reflecting on their own excellencies in a thought, were turned into Devils: And, I confidently say it, Virtues, which by a proud reflex are turned back upon themselves, lose their Nature; being altogether independent upon God, the Fountain of goodness, they are no longer Virtues, but Fancies and Nullities. A proud Self-subsister is a Man in a posture as cross to the Gospel as possibly can be: the tumour in his Heart makes him uncapable of that Grace which is given to the humble; the Self-sufficiency there makes it impossible for him to live by Faith, as the Just do; he depends not on God's Grace, and how can he live to his Glory? he is all to himself, and what can God be to him?¹ Some Pagans, saith St. Austin, would not be Christians, quià sufficiunt sibi de bonâ vitâ suâ, because they could live well of themselves: If a Man can stand upon his own bottom, and work out of his ⟨p. 417⟩own stock, to what purpose are Christ and Grace? if he may be a Principle and End to himself, what need he go out of his own Circle? Such a Man as this, is an Idol to himself, fraught with Vanity and horrible Presumption; but utterly void of God and an holy Life. I shall say no more to this: An holy Life is a Life of dependence; the Just or holy Man lives by Faith; he looks to God, and is saved; he waits till Mercy come; he commits himself to God and his Grace; he leans and rolls upon him, as not bearing up his own weight; he casts his burden on him, as being too much for himself. He gives himself to the Lord, resigning up all his property in himself, that God may be all in all; still he is in dependence upon him: He moves but under the First Mover; he acts but under the great Agent; when he sails towards Heaven, he looks for the holy gales; when he sows precious Seed, he waits for the Heavenly dews and Sun-beams: Still he depends upon Grace. In the 119. Psal.