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Pfi3:

Mac.g.48.

Rom.8,

Yfe.

Deut.r4.i:

Rom.8.r4:

i

Ephefzan.r

Chap.5.

they

arcwicked,

cmicsb

6.

6,7,

8.

Humble thy

felfe, and fubmit thy

rcafon and will

to

be íhaped according

to

Gods will,

this

is

to

walke

withsby

Gad.

For

confolation and encouragement

to

feeke

grace and

holines and

a

differing

nature

ltd

converfation from the world,and to be

unlike to it;

though this

eftate and condition,and this

unconformityto

the world

maligned, defamed, hated and pert-anted

as

bate

and vile, yet

it

is

glo

rions and precious

with

God,

becaufe it

is

his

image,

our conformity

and

likeneffe

to him.

It

is

no bafe thing

to

be fo precife and

pure

as

to indure

no

ftaineof

any finne

in

nature and life, it

is

to

be like

to

God,

Perfeil

as

our

heavenly

Father

is

perfell,

holy

its

he is

holy.

This

we muff

ftrive unto,

to

conforme our

felves

to this gloriousimage

and

patterne tobe

like

to God

in

perfcâ halindle. To

what

other

end

is

this

mefl'age,

that God

is

fuch

a

light

as

can difpence

with nodarke-

nell'e,

and

bath

fent his Miniftcrs

to preach this purity

of

his

nature,

but

tothis end,to

conforme

us

thereunto,

that

we fhould walke

in

the

light

as

he

is

in

the lights

Therefore

forgetting that

which

is

behind,

let

us

flrive

to

that

which

is

before,

for

theprice

of

the

high

calling

of

God

in

Chrifl. Doth.

God

call

us

to bonds, imprifonment,

banifhmenr,

and

all kindes

of

mifery;

it is

no bafe

efface

he

calls

us

to be

like him felfe,

to

be

conformable

lathe

image

oflis

Sonne,

to God

incarnate, humbled,

crucified.

If

we endure

thefe

miferies

with Chrifts Spirit, mind,

and

heart, with

like

obedience, humility,love,

patience, &c. in this we be-

come

followers

of

the Lord

Jefus

Chrift.

2.

In the fecond

placehere

Obferve;

How

the

children

ofGod

muff

walke

after

God, they muff

doe

the

workes

of

God

their

father

:

Te are the

children

of

the

Lord

your

God, you

fhall

not cut your

felves,

as the heathens

doe.

And the Scripture

doth

fey

it

downe

both

denying and

affirming.

He

that

is borne

ofGod will not

limn;

he

that

is

of

God

will

walke even as

he

bath

walked.

For

looke

as

thofe

that

are

brought forth by

carnali

generation have

the

naturali life

their

parents have,

and

commonly

walke

in

their wayes, for when the horfe

and mare

trot,

the colt doth

fcldome otherwife

:

fo

whofoever

is

begotten

of

God by

fpirituall

re-

generation, bath the

life

of

God,

and will walke according

to him,

thefe are

of

equal!

extent;

So

many as

are

Gods

children

are

led

by

his

Spirit.

Se many

ies

are led

by

the

Spirit

are the

Sonnes

of

God.

More par-

ticularly,

in

faying as

deare

children,it implies three things.

r.

Anfwerable to the honour

and dignity

of

children,

as

becom-

meththe childrenof

God: Phil.

2. 15.

As

the

Sonnes

of

God

without

rebuke

in

the midfi

of

a

naughty

and

croaked

generation.

Children

of

Nobles confortnot with

vile and bafe

ones, it

flames

their birth,

and

it

degenerates from true

Nobility

:

So here. As it

is

the

higbeft and

aloft

eminent honour and dignity,fo it requires

a

nature

and converfa-

tion eminent and tranfcendent

aboy

the

courfe and converfation

of

this

world,Phil.3. zo. our

converfation

is

in

heaven,

&c.

2.

Naturally, according to the

nature

of

a

childe, and

that

is

hum-

bly,

mat.

18.

2,

3,

c.Micah

6.7.

Humble

thy ¡elfe

to

walke

with

thy god,

as