~---·---~---··----'-·-----··,.----·--- Chap. I .Sect.l. Leoking unto Je{tu. Book. IV. be made for Chrdl: in l:l:ubborne obfrinate hearts; plaufibility, or ple:~fing of the flefb is n0 fit preface to reg .nera rion; if the heart ofman had ·continued upright, Chrifl might have been entertained without cont raditl:ion , but now vio l~nce muil: be oifered . to our corruptions, ere we can have roome for grace; if the great way-maker do not cafr do_wn hills, and raife up v~llyes in the bofomes of men, there 1s no pa!fage for Chnft ; never will Chri£1: come into that foul , ,where the herald of repentance either on one motive or other hath not been before him. · Shall we heare that Sermon that 'fohn preached in his own words? c.Matrhew in briefe gives it in thus, Repent ye, f~ r the Mlt. 3 • ~ . Kingdome of heaven is .tt hand; thefe are the wcrds when he firft began to preach the Gofpel of Chri£1: ; and indeed we finde Chri£1: himfc:lf doth preach the fame dotl:rine in the fame words; [efus began to preach, a.nd t_d [Ay, repent ,for t?e !Gngdome of heaven Mmb. 4 ,17 , i1 at h.1nd; and when C hn£1: fent out h1s DtfC!ples to preach the Gofpel, he commanded them to preach the fame dotl:rine alfo, go ye, preach,[aying, repent; for the Kingdome ofheaven i:r fit hand. M.1;ke6. I%;'· In this Sermon wc:_mu£1: obferve thefe.two parts, here's~ r. A Mlt~h .I .0• 7• ducy, and 2. A motive to this duty; r. The duty is repent J it is not a legal but an evangelical repentance that is here meant: indeed the law ftritl:ly takes no notice of repentance, but thJ Gofpel ; true, and through, and confummate repentance is a Gofpel grace. ;,. The motive is this, fer the Kingdome of heaven uat hand. This phraze the Kingdome of l)eaven, bath feveral acceptations, and accordingly it hath occafioned fome differences; -I. So·aetimes it is ra-ken for that glorious condition of the other world; this may be implyed, but this I fuppofe few under£l:and to be thn fen fe C'f ti:Jis place. 2. Sometimes it is taken for the Chnrch of Chnfr, q. d. repent, for now the pedagogy of the Je \ts isexp1ring, or breathing its !aft, and the Church of Chri£1: is at hand, a people that iliall beare the very tlyle of Chri£l:ians; that iliall profefsChri£1:, and clofe wi~h Chrifl: astheirSa,viour and Meffiah; of which Church that you may be a part, prepare for it, ,-epent. 3. Sometimes it is taken for the fpi ri tual KingdomeofChri£1:, inoppofitiontothofe ea~thly temporal Kingdoms,which bare the fway, & domineered ever all the world with cruelty and tyranny before Chrifts coming ; of this Driniel pro- --- · B ,b ~ phcfied,_
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