Serm. 20. contrary to the Honour, Image, and Mil of-God. Deus non e 4. Sin is none of Gods Creatures, therefore a- plague and not a Deus author, fed rst benefit, therefore the tubjed of farrow and jhame, not of thankr. a j à. Neverthelefs improperly,by accident,occafionally and confequentially (as men (peak) in is a ground of thankfgiving. How ? That the Lord by his unlimired power can fo Inafler fin, and by his infinitely wife pro- vidence can fo perinit, di f))cfe of, and bound fin, and by his free grace pardon fin. Yea teak: grace fuperabound, where [in did abound, fetch- ing light out of darknefs, and make great finners become great Saints, and from all lay a foundation, and raife a revenue of infinite glory to hìmfelf, this ispraife- worthy in God. Now as 'Pilate and Herod, 7udaf and 7ews are not to be praifed for their treachery and cruelty againfi Chri ff ,although they did,by all they did.ftsl fl & execute Gods Decrees in that behalf, fo no man muff thank A&4.27,28. f n,or God for fin,albeit God bath extracted Treacle out of this Viper. Wherefore when we read of a holy man that faid, He was more be- holding to his corruptions than to his gifts and graces,becaufe the for - mer made him humble, the latter made him proud. Or when we hear another cry out, O f elix culpa, &c. Oh happy fin of our firfl Parents, happy Tree of Knowledge,that bore fuch fruit,that brought forth fueh a Promife, fuch a Saviour, &c. I fay, when we hear fuch Rhetorical ftrains as thefe from the Devout,Ancients,or Moderns,we muff: under - ftand them warily. Yet when the Lord doth demonf}rate the glory of his Attributes in over - ruling and pardoning fin, to the falvation of poor finners, there is reafon we fhould magnifie him to the height. z. Becaufe all the difhonour which God hath in the World is upon the account of fin. 2. Becaufe we our felves having difhontured him much that way,. it is meet we adore and admire him the more in the power of his grace, that can fetch a Pearl out of this dunghil, and by fuch a folle fet off his glory. L °t us t hen, As many as profefs to be made partakers of this grace; fpeak good of the Lord for ir, and give others occafìon fo to do, as the Romans did to Paul ; God be thanked that ye were the fervants of fin: but Ro111.6.1 . ye have obeyed from the heart the Form of DoEtrine which was delivered your i. e. That ye were once finners, and are now Saints. 2. Come we then from Moral evil, to Penal evil; that is, if we may not give thanks properly for lint, without fìn; whether may we give thanks for crQfJ'es and calamities. How rimy we in all things give thanks ? 477 PPP i. Here,
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