Thirdly, God sometimes requires that we should part with all his holy Ordinances in some cases; part with all confidence in them, and from staying our hearts upon them; we may soon loose Christ, and loose his protection, and his fatherly compassion towards us, if in the use of the blessed Ordinances of God, we be not willing so far to sit loose from them, as not to look for life in the Word, or Sacraments, or communion with Gods Servants, but to look for it all in Christ, not that God would have us cast his Ordinances behind our backs, but therein to seek him yea, to seek his face evermore, and not to be barred from ⟨p. 22⟩them, he would have a child of God to count it his greatest misery, Psal. 27.4. Psal. 42.3, 4. Though God would have us to make account, That one day in Gods Courts is better then a thousand elsewhere, Psal. 84.10. yet God still hath regard to this, that he would not have us to trust in the temple of the Lord, because so to do, is to trust in lying words, Jer. 7.3, 4. Hold close to the Ordinances, and by no means part with them if you can have them in any purity, and peace to your consciences, but rather part with Princes Palaces then with them, but while you enjoy them, trust not in them, nor think not to stand upon this, that you are blessed in regard of them; but look at them all as loss, and dross, and dung, that you may win Christ. Look not so wishly at the Privileges of the Ordinances, trust not in the outward letter of them, Phil. 3.6, 7, 8. This is that which keeps off many a poor soul from coming on to grace; he lives in no open gross sin, and in the midst of the Ordinances of God, Christ is preached amongst them; and therefore they conclude, that at the last day Christ will receive them, and yet this will then deceive them, Matth. 7.22, 23. Some iniquity rested still in their hands, for which he will bid them depart from him, as workers of iniquity; they it may be, had some of them been themselves Ministers, and had done much good in the name of Christ, and called upon him, Lord, Lord, and yet but Hypocrites; which shows you, that it is not the liberty of Gods Ordinances, and the dispensation of them that can secure us; and therefore trust not in them, trust not in this, that you are diligent Hearers, or that you can pray powerfully;
Thirdly, God sometimes requires that we should part with all his holy Ordinances in some cases; part with all confidence in them, and from staying our hearts upon them; we may soone loose Christ, and loose his protection, and his fatherly compassion towards us, if in the use of the blessed Ordinances of God, we be not willing so farre to sit loose from them, as not to looke for life in the Word, or Sacraments, or communion with Gods Servants, but to looke for it all in Christ, not that God would have us cast his Ordinances behind our backs, but therein to seek him yea, to seek his face evermore, and not to be barred from ⟨p. 22⟩them, he would have a childe of God to count it his greatest misery, Psal. 27.4. Psal. 42.3, 4. Though God would have us to make account, That one day in Gods Courts is better then a thousand elsewhere, Psal. 84.10. yet God still hath regard to this, that he would not have us to trust in the temple of the Lord, because so to doe, is to trust in lying words, Jer. 7.3, 4. Hold close to the Ordinances, and by no meanes part with them if you can have them in any purity, and peace to your consciences, but rather part with Princes Palaces then with them, but while you enjoy them, trust not in them, nor thinke not to stand upon this, that you are blessed in regard of them; but looke at them all as losse, and drosse, and dung, that you may win Christ. Looke not so wishly at the Priviledges of the Ordinances, trust not in the outward letter of them, Phil. 3.6, 7, 8. This is that which keeps off many a poore soule from comming on to grace; he lives in no open grosse sinne, and in the midst of the Ordinances of God, Christ is preached amongst them; and therefore they conclude, that at the last day Christ will receive them, and yet this wil then deceive them, Matth. 7.22, 23. Some iniquity rested still in their hands, for which he wil bid them depart from him, as workers of iniquity; they it may be, had some of them been themselves Ministers, and had done much good in the name of Christ, and called upon him, Lord, Lord, and yet but Hypocrites; which shewes you, that it is not the liberty of Gods Ordinances, and the dispensation of them that can secure us; and therefore trust not in them, trust not in this, that you are diligent Hearers, or that you can pray powerfully;
