And as he thus blesseth us, in the like manner should we serve him, not offer unto him the refuse, the halt, and blind, and maimed, for Sacrifice, not give unto him of that which cost us nothing, but go to Lebanon for all our Sacrifices, covet earnestly the best gifts, press forward and labour to perfect holiness in the fear of God. Give unto him our Lilies, the beauties of our minority; and our Cedars, the strength of our youth; and our olives, and grapes, and corn, and wine; whatever gifts he hath bestowed on us, use them unto his service and honour again; nor content our selves with the form of godliness, with the morality of virtues, with the outside of duties, with the seeds and beginnings of holiness, (he hath none, who thinks ⟨p. 60⟩he hath enough) but strive who shall out-run one another unto Christ, as Peter and John did towards his Sepulchre. It was an high pitch which Moses aimed at, when he said, I beseech thee show me thy glory, Exod. 33.18. Nothing would satisfy him but fullness and satiety it self. Be sure that all your graces come from Zion, and from Lebanon, 1that they grow in Immanuels Land; till Christ own them, God will not accept them. Moral virtues, and outward duties, grapes of Sodom, may commend us unto men; nothing but inward, spiritual, and rooted graces, the grapes of Lebanon, will commend us unto God. To do only the outward works of duty without the inward principle, is at best but to make our selves like those mixed Beasts, Elephants and Camels in the aCivill Law, operam praestant, natura fera est, which though they do the work of tame beasts, yet have the nature of wild ones. bMoral virtue without spiritual piety doth not commend any man unto God: for we are not accepted unto him, but in Christ, and we are not in Christ but by the holy Spirit.
And as hee thus blesseth us, in the like manner should we serve him, not offer unto him the re•use, the halt, and blind, and maimed, for Sacrifice, not give unto him of that which cost us nothing, but goe to Lebanon for all our Sacrifices, covet earnestly the best gifts, presse forward and labour to perfect holinesse in the feare of God. Give unto him our Lillies, the beauties of our minority; and our Cedars, the strength of our youth; and our olives, and grapes, and corn, and wine; whatever gifts hee hath bestowed on us, use them unto his service and honour againe; nor content our selves with the forme of godlinesse, with the morality of vertues, with the outside of duties, with the seeds and beginnings of holinesse, (he hath none, who thinks ⟨p. 60⟩hee hath enough) but strive who shall out-runne one another unto Christ, as Peter and Iohn did towards his Sepulcher. It was an high pitch which Moses aimed at, when he said, I beseech thee shew me thy glory, Exod. 33.18. Nothing would satisfie him but fulnesse and satiety it selfe. Be sure that all your graces come from Sion, and from Lebanon, 1that they grow in Immanuels Land; till Christ own them, God will not accept them. Morall vertues, and outward duties, grapes of Sodom, may commend us unto men; nothing but inward, spirituall, and rooted graces, the grapes of Lebanon, will commend us unto God. To do only the outward works of duty without the inward principle, is at best but to make our selves like those mixt Beasts, Elephants and Camels in the aCivill Law, operam praestant, natura fera est, which though they doe the work of tame beasts, yet have the nature of wilde ones. bMorall vertue without spirituall piety doth not commend any man unto God: for we are not accepted unto him, but in Christ, and we are not in Christ but by the holy Spirit.
- 1Reproba pecunia non liberat solventem, l. •4 § 1. P. de Pignoratitia actione.
- aLeg. 2. P. ad Leg. Aquil. Senec. de benefic. lib. 7. cap. 19.
- bVide Aug. de Civit. dei lib. •. cap. 19. & lib. 19. cap. 4. & cap. 25. Retract l. 1. cap. 3. de Trin· lib. 14. cap 1. de nup. & concupis. lib. 1. c. 3. contra Julian. Pelag. l. 4. c. 3. Ad Simplician. l. 1. qu. 2. contra •. Ep▪ Pelag. lib▪ 3. cap. de side & ope•ibus, c. 7. Epist. 105. 10•, 110 Prosper. contra collat. c. 13. Greg▪ Arimin. 1. dist. 1. q. 3. art. 2.Vide Aug. de Civit. dei lib. •. cap. 19. & lib. 19. cap. 4. & cap. 25. Retract l. 1. cap. 3. de Trin· lib. 14. cap 1. de nup. & concupis. lib. 1. c. 3. contra Iulian. Pelag. l. 4. c. 3. Ad Simplician. l. 1. qu. 2. contra •. Ep▪ Pelag. lib▪ 3. cap. de side & ope•ibus, c. 7. Epist. 105. 10•, 110 Prosper. contra collat. c. 13. Greg▪ Arimin. 1. dist. 1. q. 3. art. 2.
