Selected quad for the lemma: evil_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
evil_n	evil_a	heart_n	thought_n	2,080	5	8.0009	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86053	Refreshing drops, and scorching vials; severally distributed to their proper subjects, according to the wisdom given that precious servant of the Lord, Mr. Christopher Goad. Sometimes Fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge, and Batchelor in Divinity, as men speak: but before his translation, became a disciple and learner again, sitting at the feet of Christ and his Spirit, where he took a higher degree, and now sits with Christ in heaven.	Goad, Christopher, 1601-1652.; Sprigg, Joshua, 1618-1684.; Worsley, C.; J. N.	1653 (1653)	Wing G896; Thomason E698_12; ESTC R207013	170,841	273

with God 't is heart-Adultery to go out after any creature to go out after any creature but in God is Adultery and if this be Adultery every one if we should look into our own hearts will be careful and afraid to throw stones at an Adulteress you know the story in the Gospel whosoever he be that fears God he hates and detests all evil yet he sees it in his heart and though he be free from gross acts yet he will be far from insulting over any that are left to defile themselves with gross acts The desire of any creature it is Adultery Flesh can do nothing but commit Adultery All Flesh hath corrupted their way but it doth not break out alike but all are alike in the root to make out after any creature is Adultery And again The friendship of the world is enmity unto God Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God and he that is a friend to the world is an enemy to God This is that other Scriptures hold forth The love of mony is the root of all evil Love not the world nor the things thereof whosoever loves the world the love of God is not in him 1 Joh. 2. 15. They are enemies to the Cross of Christ that mind earthly things Phil. 3. about the end enemies to the Cross of Christ what is the business of the Cross of Christ to crucifie us to the world and the world to us you admire outward things and love outward things you have friendship with them you are enemies to the cross of Christ and therefore ungodliness and worldly lusts are joyned together Tit. 2. The grace of God that brings salvation unto all men hath appeared teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts c. We cannot serve God and Mammon friendship of the world is enmity to God and therefore let every one consider what his heart most ayms at and what his Prudence and Wisdom and Providence is what that is that the world does so admire and extol Is it friendship with the world or no So long as thou dost well to thy self men will speak well of thee but thou dost well to thy self indeed when thou seekest after the Lord thirstest after him and lustest after him and desirest him and in all desires in which thou art carryed out towards any thing but him thou expressest enmity to him thou lovest not him There is no going from God but to the creature thou art the creatures if thou have left God he that is a friend to the world is an enemy unto God What is friendship with the world when that we seek the creature for it self we are in love with it we do not seek God but seek it when we put our rest in it cannot be without it must have it put it in Gods place we must have such a thing and the other thing we cannot be without it A pitiful thing to live in enmity to God O when God comes forth how shall we be devoured and destroyed before him But there are that will be friends with God and the world too let them look to it how they make it out the friendship of the world is enmity to God And now the Apostle is shewing here how the Scripture discovers this same evil that is in our hearts Vers 5. Do you think the Scripture saies in vain The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy Does the Scripture say in vain the Scripture says nothing in vain but the Scripture speaks much in vain to us while that we do not mark it nor attend it We all speak for the Scripture how the Scripture is of God the Scripture is Truth and the Word of Truth we speak well of it but the Scripture doth not speak well of you It says The spirit that is in you lusts to envy There is nothing but evil in our hearts We shall never understand the Scripture till that we understand it in our own hearts Do you think that the Scripture says in vain The spirit in you lusteth to envy Where does the Scripture say this It says Every thought of mans heart is onely evil and that continually The Scripture it tells you the evil is in your hearts and there is no good in your flesh and let it not be in vain the Scripture tells you if it be in vain now and you do not entertain it and hear God will come and you will finde it so How many carry the Scripture a witness and testimony against them Does the Scripture say in vain there is evil in you and the spirit in you lusts to envy The devill is in your hearts and he reigns there Does the Scripture say this in vain You will not hear it now to heed it and believe it you shall feel it one day that the Scripture does not speak in vain The greatest contenders for the Scripture and the Authority thereof are the greatest despisers of the Scriptures for they make the Scriptures speak as Ahab would make Michaiah speak well of him speak nothing but good and will not observe that the Scripture speaks in discovery of our evil but this is to reject the Scripture to catch here and there a piece to serve our turn and abuse them and wrest them as the devil did so the devil in us does Do you think the Scripture saies in vain The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy But the Scriptue tells us not so I but the Spirit of God tells us in the Scripture In the Scripture there is a cleer discovery of evil in our hearts Vers 6. But he gives more grace To finish in a word What is the meaning of that Why I conceive it is to prevent an Objection which might arise from the foregoing words For if the spirit that be in us lust to envy and if that be to serve the devil and that is all in our wars contendings and fightings what shall we do it is in vain to speak Nay for he gives more grace There is more grace then there is sin And where sin hath abounded Grace shall abound much more there is one greater in you then he that is in the world He gives more grace Why God he comes forth in his people and he makes them able to deny themselves and this wicked one that lusts to envy He gives more grace Wherefore he says God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Here is Pride seen in contention and war and when we submit to God and depend upon him we are well Submit your selves therefore to God He gives more grace to the humble And he gives thee grace to be humble If any man be humble it is his Grace and what is that Humility and Grace Submit your selves to God be at his dispose let him measure out that he knows convenient for you and do not you lust after this thing and the other thing but let God come out to you Feed

in the Spirit That which is earthly and carnal must be shaken and removed that that Kingdom which cannot be moved may remain We wonder what God meaneth when he is pulling down and destroying Why he meaneth to plant and to build and when we see his design we sit down and are still It is a sad thing to a childe to hear that the time shall come when all his Rattles shall be taken from him What a sad thing is it while we are childish Christians to have our Religion as it is of man shaken It hath a great excellency and glory in it but it is to be shaken that that which is excellent indeed may come in its place To know the state of Christ risen from the dead was that which Paul was making after The Resurrection of the dead Before we can come to this the Cross of Christ must crucifie all the glory of flesh And that is to be taken notice of That the last shaking shall be the most terrible shaking God will shake all nations no nation shall escape nor man in it shake them in their earth shake them in their heaven God need to shake but once and shake all to pieces certainly he will shake once more and we may think after this shaking to settle again but all that is shaken shall be done away that which is natural shall be done away that that which is spiritual may take place Are we sensible of these shakings it is only the spiritual man that is sensible of it the carnal and natural man eats and drinks till the flood comes and sweeps all away The Apostle expounds those words Yet once more And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made All fleshly forms of Religion all mans Righteousness all this outward frame of things are things that are made and therefore must be done away that those things which cannot be shaken may remain T is true the spiritual man is made but as he is taken into God and in union with God he is not made the new creature is not made T is one thing to make another thing to create It s said the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us that is the Word was for a while vailed or covered with flesh he took flesh upon him Forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same Heb. 2. 14. but the spiritual man in union with God is taken into God and carried into Mount Sion The Apostles inference or conclusion is Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom that cannot be moved Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear When we come to the Kingdom to that Kingdom that is spiritual Let us have grace We are come to grace let us make use of it to serve God with reverence and godly fear Here is freewil the right freewil freewil in Christ and in the Spirit This new man sits at the fountain and draws water out of the wells of Salvation this new man hath freedom to work out his salvation he hath grace to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Do ye see what the Kingdom is that cannot be moved Why it is to serve God Here is the Kingdom a natural free complying with God When we shall have the minde of Christ it shall be our joy and delight to serve God and this service shall be with reverence and godly fear The nearer we come to God the more awe the more fear but it is a fear with love and joy with reverence and godly fear For our God is a consuming fire The Saints do glorifie God in the fire in the flames which consumes all flesh God is a consuming fire that consumes death and hell to the new man that is one with him that knows him and therefore rejoyceth in those flames glorifies him in the fire and when his bones are burnt then he walks with the son of God as the three young men in the fiery furnace We are saved yet so as by fire God is dealing with the people that are his burning up their hay and stubble their dross and tin and changing them into his image daily And if our God be a consuming fire then here is safety in God there need no carnal weapons to keep those safe that dwell in God For our God is a consuming fire This Scripture that hath been opened to you is a Glass that God holds out to us and sets before us Let us look there and see our faces and the Lord set upon our hearts those discoveries that he makes of himself to us that he makes of himself in us that so they may abide that we may not go away and forget what manner of faces we have That being doers of the Law as well as hearers of it that the Law being written in our hearts and we dwelling in God and God in us may be changed into the same image from Glory to Glory even as by the spirit of the Lord. The Mother of Mischief or the Original of all VVars and Fightings JAMES 4. 1 2 3 4 c. From whence come wars and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members Ye lust and have not ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain ye fight and war yet ye have not because ye ask not Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your lusts Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God c. THis Epistle is written to the scattered Jews which had scattered their Religion There is a carnal profession of Religion which after a while is scattered and comes to nothing James in this Epistle shews what lusts and evils did lift up their heads and bear sway among this scattered people who notwithstanding that they were under great pressures yet did not amend nor take up as to those evil courses But scattered and afflicted they were therefore James begins to instruct them as touching Afflictions and Temptations My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations in the second Verse of the first Chapter then he comes to discover and reason against many evils which were found amongst them as you may see if you shall peruse the Epistle from the beginning unto this fourth Chapter here he tels them of their brawlings and quarrellings their contentions and fightings one with another The Jews were in Affliction and James he is discovering their sin contention and brawling that is one he mentions here and he is turning their eyes to look into the spring of this From whence comes wars Ver. 1. Here 's wars and fightings brawlings and quarrellings from whence comes these he shews them whence

even from within from your lusts and then he discovers the pitiful condition that the power of these lusts puts them into it makes them war and fight and kill and yet they cannot be satisfied Ye lust in the second Verse and have not ye kill and desire to have yet cannot obtain ye fight and war yet ye have not because ye ask not And so here Lust puts them upon tryal of every thing to satisfie it self it will try heaven and try hell it will pray and it will fight and it will kill and gets as much by fighting and killing as by praying and as much by praying as by the other for lust shall never attain any thing by prayer Ye ask and ye receive not in the third verse because ye ask amiss to consume it upon your lusts and then he shews what these lusts are in the fourth Verse Worldliness earnest going forth after the creature we must have this and we must have that Give me children saith Rachel or else I dye Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God where he discovers what these lusts are and what this lust makes them Enemies to God Adulterers and Adulteresses pretending Religion and Friendship with God yet look to the world make after the things thereof and then he mindes them of the Scripture that discovers these evils in all mens hearts in the fifth verse Do you think that the Scripture saith in vain The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy All this rashness comes from your lusts and the Scripture hath told us that there is this evil in our hearts when he hath discovered the evil then he is giving direction what to do in the sixth verse and so on there 's the power whereby to act He gives more grace the Scripture saith The spirit lusts to envy we are all carried to envy Then to what purpose is it to endeavor any thing that is good might some say Why he gives more grace and therefore what is to be done submit your selves to God and leave lusting leave desiring put your selves into the dispose of God say Here we are do with us what thou wilt make us rich or make us poor teach us to be hungry and teach us to be full Do thou feed us with food convenient we will not be our own carvers Submit your selves to God he will be careful of us when we submit our selves to him Resist the Devil and he will flee from you The Devil is in Lust and so long as you serve lust you serve the Devil submit your selves to God and then God will be for you and you shall have power over the Devil you shall be no more captives to him Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you So long as lust preys and strives for its own satisfaction here is no comfort to you all that is the friendship of lust but draw near to God bring clean hands and pure hearts Now ye are double-eyed you look to God and you look to the world you make a fair shew to God but your hearts are set upon the creature purifie your hearts and purifie your hands this is Jame's plain dealing with his own kindred the Jews We will run over some of these particulars as the time shall give leave and as we shall conceive to be most profitable Ver. 1. Wars fightings contentions brawling quarrelling This was a piece of the evil that did work among the Jews the Jews were scattered afflicted yet so many as lived together could not live in peace All the world was against them and their own hands were against one another Their afflictions could not reconcile them one to another nor make them friends oft-times an enemy abroad makes peace at home and we then fall to quarrels and divisions among our selves when we are secured from abroad But we see outward affliction doth nothing upon a man but discover and bring forth what is within even as a Tempest at sea it discovers what is at the bottom there is mud and filth and then the sea foams it up If there be good in the heart affliction brings it up if there be evil it draws out that afflictions and troubles in carnal hearts work nothing but baseness and make discoveries of what evil is within working murmuring quarrelling in bitter spirits When we are wroth and angry then we fall one upon another and he that is weakest he shall bear most This same people of the Jews were the people of Gods curse there was but a little remnant that should be saved but a remnant that were spiritual The Apostle in 1 Thess 2. 15. thus describes them they neither pleased God and they were contrary to all men T is James his work here as it was Pauls if it were possible to save some of them and to pull them out of the fire wars and fightings quarrellings among brethren and that under strangers and enemies oppressing them and they professed servants of God and owning the royal Law of Love Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and thy neighbor as thy self this was very foul The design of God in that people choosing them and dealing with them heaping blessings upon them chastening them with afflictions instructing them from heaven his special design was besides gathering out his Elect from among them to shew the nature of man how stubborn how rebellious how incorrigible his neck like an iron sinew his brow of brass altogether irreconcileable carrying Leopards spots that will not be washed off the Blackamoors tan that will not be scour'd God he suffered them till there was no remedy as you see 2 Chro. latter end In Isa 5. he asks What he should do or what he could do more to his vineyard that he had not done His design therefore was to discover unto us what our nature is to discover that evil spirit that the Scripture says is in every man that the Scripture may not say it in vain as else it should And therefore let none of us boast against the branches as the Apostle hath it There is the same envy in us the same evil the same rebellion though it may not be altogether so discovered If there be any good in any of us it comes from God Every good and perfect gift is from above that that is truly good it comes by our being born of him by partaking of the sap and the fatness of Christ Wars and fightings Quarrellings they do not become Saints profest Saints they do not become those that own the Spirit of God The Spirit is unity The unity of the Spirit saith the Apostle Eph. 3. 3. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit There is one Lord one Faith and this Spirit it keeps us in unity though it trains us up in different Administrations it keeps us in unity by causing us to do that is set down in Ephes 2. 4. With all lowliness meekness and long-suffering

forbearing one another in love condescending one to another bearing one with another by humble mindedness meekness Every one is for unity and every one stands that he would rule and he would set down what should be done and he complains of dissentions and want of peace because all will not come unto him when we should condescend one to another and submit one to another with all lowliness of minde Quarrellings and contentions they are very unbecoming Saints contentions about outward things Why do ye not suffer wrong saith the Apostle Controversies in matters of Religion and Differences in Judgement these differences should be soberly carried there is but one Umpire but one Judge and that 's the Spirit of God So though thou and I differ who shall resolve the Resolution is the Lords why therefore wait quietly till God reveal and God will reveal the same to him saith the Apostle Phil. 3. 16. Is there any that fear God you shall all grow up to a perfect man What God hath revealed to one he will reveal to the other Wars Contentions quarrellings brawlings they become not Saints If any seem to be contentious saith the Apostle we have no such Custom and they that live in the Spirit will own no such Custom All differences they are commended to the Spirit commended to God and so when we differ we sit down waiting until God shall teach us till the Messiah come From whence come Wars and contentions among you T is good to enquire and examine into the root of all manner of evil that is amongst us From whence comes this and from whence comes that here 's this evil here 's the other evil t is good to look into the root and spring whence every one comes We shall have a better sight of things when we see their original and when we see their principle T is the evil principle that makes a thing evil t is a good principle that makes a thing good every thing is good and evil as the principle is good or evil God is the good principle and Satan is the evil principle as God hath a hand in all all is good and to the pure all things are pure saith the Apostle to him that is defiled nothing is pure and we are not able to judge of any thing whether it be good or evil till we know the principle The same thing that is good in one is evil in another because it comes from a good principle in one and from an evil principle in another From whence come wars and contentions It concerns us to look to the root and spring of evil to see the evil and from whence it comes Again we had need to have our eyes turn'd unto the root of evils and to see that they have their root within us and their cause within us Come they not hence even from our lusts Because we have a trick of shifting off things translating them we can hide our sins like Adam The woman thou gavest me saith he The Serpent beguiled me saith she We cry out such occasions such company such evil times Satan nay God himself But let no man when he is tempted say I am tempted of God for God tempts no man to evil every man when he is tempted is drawn aside of his own lust Whence then comes evil Whence comes wars and contentions come they not hence even from your lusts They come from your lusts Men do get children and lay them at other mens doors men binde heavy burthens and lay them on other mens shoulders the Apostle here would have every man take up his own burthen and we shall never be eased of our own burthens till we first take them on our own shoulders and then Christ will say Come to me ye that are weary and heavy laden and I le refresh you and ease you he will first have us feel the weight of our own burthens and then he will ease us and take them off The Apostle James here shews the cause of all trouble that is in us when we are in quarrels and contentions we lose our peace And whence is this thank your selves saith he it is your lust Do not say that such a one is contentious look into your own hearts All the trouble that is upon us we are the Authors of it hath its root in us we may thank our selves for it Thy destruction is of thy self saith the Lord God though he doth appoint every thing and order every thing his providence is in every thing yet that that man doth he doth freely and he is drawn aside by his lust and therefore there 's no shifting it of When the Apostle is mentioning Gods taking whom he will he brings in an Objecting Then why doth he finde fault Why here is the reason why he findes fault though he hardens Pharoahs heart yet Pharoah doth harden his own heart and is carried to do that he doth by his own lust and enticed We must see in our selves the fountain of all evil and then if we be of God we shall also see in our selves the fountain of all good There is that that is born of the flesh that hath all evil in it there is this nature that comes of God that hath all good and no evil in it From whence come wars and contentions come they not hence even from your lusts Yea hence they spring and here 's the root of all Your lusts which war in your members Your lusts What 's lust earnest going forth of your hearts after the creature and here 's the work of lust which is to war and here 's the place where this warring is In your members your lusts which war in your members What are these members in which lust doth war There is a natural body which hath members and there is a spiritual body which hath also members of these spiritual bodies there are two sorts Thère is a spiritual body the body of Christ there is a spiritual body the body of Satan there 's the man Christ and there 's the man of sin These same members in which lusts war are the members of a spiritual body which Paul expresses in Rom. 7. 23. he speaks of the Law of his members which did war against the Law of his minde he complains in the next verse of the body of death of the body of sin Who shall deliver me from this body of sin for it s a spiritual body and these members are members of that body And the Apostle mentions these in the Epistle to the Colossians Col. 3. 5. Mortifie your earthly members fornication uncleanness covetousness The members of the natural body are these hands feet eyes the members of a spiritual body the body of sin the body of death Satans body are fornication uncleanness covetousness here lust wars and this is that body the Apostle speaks of 2 Cor. 9. 37. when he says I beat down my body I keep it in subjection Papists look

of us talk of grace and Salvation If we be partakers of grace and Salvation indeed then we are delivered from worldly Lusts in some degree We are taught by it to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts We are taught by it likeness to God and not to be fashioned to this world To deny ungodliness is to deny every thing that is not like God Not to walk like men the Apostle condemns the Corinthians that they walked like men It may be 't is a strange thing to hear we should not walke like men Like whom should we walk Like the Devil Like beasts So some do No you should walk like God The grace that brings Salvation It doth not bring you to satisfie sensuality to satisfie Lusts nor to follow the creature but it brings in power it brings in and raiseth up the life of God whereby we deny these Lusts whereby we famish these Gods of the Earth God saith he will famish all the Idols And this God doth when he riseth up in us he famisheth in us the Love of the World the love of flesh This grave and hell he starves them both This grace of God that brings Salvation leads up into Heaven into God into the Spirit and satisfies and fills us in the other World And we deny our Lusts after this They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and Lusts They have done it and they are doing it 't is as good as already done for there is that power in them which will do it a greater power then is in the World 'T is the Circumcision in heart by the Circumcision of Christ 'T is dying with Christ and being buried with Christ 'T is dying to this fleshly State to this glory and these contentments It is the consecrating us to God so that he becomes our delight he is our Joy he is our riches We sought them in the flesh we sought them in the World Then we sought Corn and Wine and Oyle now nothing but the light of Gods countenance this is grace and this is Salvation And the world and the flesh which is generally sought after by us it is a vail of death It is a vail upon Christ a covering upon the life of God It is the grave and the prison of the Saints it is Babylon and the Northcountry into which we are carried The North-country far from the Sun far from light far from life When we come into flesh we are buried here we are estranged from our own life which is the life of God And the grace of God appearing that is as it were the Sun drawing nigh When the Sun comes in the Spring and Summer the face of the Earth is renewed We come into the nature of wrath but as grace returnes again so this life appears and comes forth this Sepulcher is opened and this vail is rent and the Earth gives up her dead and no longer covers her slain The flesh and World and glory thereof riches and contentment are a vail and covering upon the life of the Saints For God is life and Salvation union with him that is life indeed and the appearing of this union is life manifested That which the World and natural men do call death is indeed the swallowing up of death as 't is called Isa 25. He shall take away the vail and the covering that is upon the face of all People He shall wipe off all tears and shall swallow up death in Victory The World and flesh is a Vail and is a Vail of tears when this Vail is rent by the comming of that which is called death then life-comes indeed and death is swallowed up in it God who is our life appears Grace and Salvation is not leading us into contentments of the flesh into the abundance of the riches of the Earth 'T is not satisfying of lusts but the killing of lusts 't is bringing forth the Spirit bringing forth the life of God Godly in this present World By this will appear how far Salvation is from most men Salvation is far from the wicked as David hath it because they keep not thy Statutes Little do wicked men think there is no Salvation but in keeping Gods Statutes but that is the truth of it Salvation is conformity to God to be made like to God to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and the love of the World is enmity to God This is Salvation and the same is destruction to wicked men Worldly men they have their life in the Vail their life is in the World and in the flesh When God appears and throws off the Vail there is nothing to be seen by them but death and destruction And what is the second death that the Scripture speaks of but the appearance of God The manifestation of God 't is the second death 't is everlasting destruction to them that know him not that have no life but in the flesh and in the world When God appears here ends their life and here begins destruction they are destroyed from his presence That which is life and Salvation indeed is death hell and destruction to a worldly man and if he speak his heart he will say if this be salvation let me have none of it I know not what it means I know no other life but this in the flesh What saith the Apostle The life I live I live by the faith of the Son of God t is not I live but Christ that lives in me though I live in the flesh yet I do not War after the flesh though I live in the World I am not conformed to the World but transformed On the other hand the life of the World is give me Corn Wine and Oyl ease in the flesh honour in the World the life of the Saints is lift up the light of thy countenance make me after thine own heart form me according to thine own Image fashion me to thy Will teach me to deny my self It is feeding hell and destruction to satisfie worldly lusts it is life and salvation to deny these to crucifie these therefore le ts be acquainted with grace and salvation what it is Le ts not deceive our selves with names of things le ts not call evil good and good evil put light for darkness and darkness for light Le ts not call wrath and destruction grace and salvation Whoever thou art that only looks to the world and flesh and outward things thou dwellest in wrath and destruction Thou hast vexation here and the Gospel makes thee mad for it puls thee from these things and with the more power it comes forth the more hell works within thee Now begin to learn what is salvation it is to have power to deny these lusts to crucifie the flesh to be taken out of sensuality to be redeemed from among men Is this a strange thing to you then salvation is strange and grace is strange 'T is to be conformed to God to know what his good and acceptable

was a wise man and a righteous man in his own opinion and the opinion of the great and learned professors of his time but when the grace of God appeared to him he saw he was a mad man and a wicked man he saw he was a blasphemer and a persecutor and he throws away all he accounts it as dung I accounted all dung for Christ that I might be found in him not having my own righteousness that is by the Law but the righteousness of God in Christ the righteousness which is by faith the Lord our righteousness the righteousness of God When that righteousness comes forth all our righteousness that is by the Law appears as an unclean thing as a menstruous cloth in Isa 64. all our righteousness is as menstruous cloths Ther 's no true righteousness but what the grace of God bringing Salvation must help us to There is no man righteous before God in his sight shall no flesh living be justified Ther 's none justified but Christ none blessed but Christ If Abraham were justified by works he had whereof to glory but not before God There 's no glorying of man in his own righteousness No flesh shall glory in his presence only he that is of God to whom Jesus Christ is made wisdom and righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption he can glory in the Lord I know that in me says Paul that is in my flesh dwells nothing that is good It is in vain for God to be our righteousness if the righteousness of man would serve the turn where any man stands up in his own righteousness Christ hath nothing to do with him The whole have no need of the Physitian but the sick I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance In all mans righteousness there 's nothing but man there 's nothing but self the things of man end in man it comes to nothing it reaches not to God There is nothing reaches to God but that that comes from god The righteousness of man how glorious a shew soever it makes is only in worldly and earthly designs That 's evil with him that does any way oppose him in his peace in his quiet in his rest in the flesh The righteousness of man let it come to the highest it is but passive and it is very fickle and inconstant It is a proud righteousness that makes a man swell against God As there is no wisdom but God so there is no righteousness but God he is the only wise he is the only holy God and he is the only righteous God The grace of God appearing bringing Salvation that teacheth us to live righteously and so Salvation is not for righteousness but Salvation is righteousness and righteousness is Salvation And every one that pretends to righteousness should look whether he hath seen that righteousness of God or whether he hath met with the discovery of his own righteousness of the righteousness of man the deceivableness of unrighteousness Till the true and perfect righteousness comes in there is no discovery of the deceivableness of unrighteousness Iniquity walks in a Mysterie and till the Mysterie of God be opened the Mysterie of iniquity does not appear There is a golden cup of Fornication the Whore carries in her hand It is not enough to be delivered from that which man calls evil but from that also man calls righteousness There is as great abomination in that man calls and counts righteousness as there is in any thing he counts evil there is that makes man a fair shew and is glorious to men which is abomination in the sight of God The Jews followed after righteousness but obtained it not because they sought it as it were by the works of the Law We by the Spirit saith the Apostle wait for the hope of righteousness by Faith You that look for righteousness look out for true righteousness Take heed of the deceivableness of unrighteousness man will call evil good and good evil call Satan Christ and Christ Satan If you look for righteousness look for the righteousness of the Spirit look for the righteousness of God Men they call this and that righteousness and look not what is the will of God righteousness is nothing but conformity unto God and to that will of God that is revealed within Christ within is guiding and leading by the Spirit and not only by a Letter not that we should throw away Letter but what is Letter without the Spirit A man watching in mans righteousness may make a very fair shew to the eye even dazel mens eyes but there is no righteousness before God but the righteousness that is of God the righteousness that is of him A man walking in his own righteousness may be very acceptable with men but a man brought out of that into this and walking in the righteousness of the Spirit is lookt on as frantick and fantastical with men For when he walks in Gods righteousness he does not walk by his own will and reason he doth not act himself the Lord must act him and guide him And there is nothing so disfigures a mans face to the World as being acted and guided by the Spirit of God the Spirit of God is wisdom it self yet counted folly with men It leads us in many ways men call folly and madness I and the children whom thou hast given me are for signs and wonders from the Lord of Hosts Abraham could be counted no less then a mad man and Noah no less then an old doating fellow to build a ship in the midst of the land and be knocking 120. years together what do you think this man indured all that while The righteousness of God is conformity to God this Christ is made unto us the grace of God that brings Salvation Thirdly And he is made unto us godliness There is no true Godliness till this grace of God comes that brings Salvation There is a form of Godliness before but where 's the power of it when the grace of God comes bringing Salvation the power of it comes godliness is like God godliness is partaking of the Divine nature as we shewed you in the morning godliness is being guided by the Spirit of God Godliness is working our works in God godliness is God speaking in us and acting in us and we ceasing from our own works There is no man knows godliness but he that is born again of the Spirit and no man that knows godliness that walks only by the outward commandment and Letter and hath it not also by the Spirit There is a worldly sanctuary and there is a house not of that building There is a Law of the Spirit of life that is never without godliness there is Redemption from all iniquity as it follows here in the text Grace and Salvation is all grace brings Salvation and it brings Salvation in bringing Sobriety and Righteousness and Godliness t is grace that does all and here is Salvation Righteousness Sobriety