:::: 76 Of E!eC1ion. r~"' delight. I--;ppeal to all ~-h-c_e_x_p_e:._ri_e_n-ce_o_f_th_i_n_e_h_e_a-rt-,-i-f_e_v_e_r -th_o_u_d-id_lt_C.-o.-If BooR IV. not; then God lwh maintained an oppofition againlt fin in thee; and iffo, ; ~ how eafie is it for him to pardon thu in comparifon to and above what thy rate of ftnni ng was in thy !ormer condition? ObjtfJ. But thou wilt further fay, I fear my Cortdition is much worfe than in my former condition nf Unregeneracy. · /lnfiv. ThereI will gropplc Wi!h any of you that ever have had true Grace; if any be or!Icrwtfo, what I flnll fa y wtll not reach them, or concern them. Come on, rake the worlt Condmon thou halt ever been in fince, and confi– der the frame of thy heart therein, and compare it with the belt of thy con– dit ion afore Collin_g . !put thu to it: Dur!t thou exchange this now, with that then·? Confiderhow then, afore Converfion, •· Thou hadlt not as then a drain of the leaf\ holy Affed ion in thee , no aim at the glory of Gall: Thou \\'holly didfl fl't up thy felf, and thine own Lu!\s; thou hadlt no refped! nor ;rr1r of God rl{orr thine e)'es , none at all : but fince thou halt (take rile.,. h01e of thy courfe) carried all along afore thee an eye unto God, though :•s 'D.I'vid frys of bimfclf, P[.li. ••9· ttlt. thou ha!\ as the loll Sheep gone much o0ra) ; l f.,tvego::e aflrfly ltfe '' !of/ Shap, feek thy fervant: For I do not fo·~~et thy C.mmwzdme!ll.r. Thou then calledit not upon God, unlefs in a for– malrty : Thou h~d{\ no reluCtancy again!t fin, no purfuing after holinefs, as now, though thou fallell fhnrt ot what thou wouldfl be. Thou talkelt ofDe· viis hurrying thee with Tempt ations; ay~ but then thou l1adll a Devil dwd– lillg in ther, as in his own Houfe, in poace, ruling cffectuolly in thee, and ta– I<ing rhee captive ot his will, Thou complaine!\ of thy deadnefs now too and in dU< its, and yet performc!\ them \1 ith fame Affections; why, then :hou wert \\·holly dead in fins and rrefp,ffes. It may be thy graces are not fo lhining; but lay tlu.JJChand on thy Pulfe, rt doth !trll beat, though fa mtly; there are in thee, longings after God, and dt fires to fear his Name, and there is a Spring of fu~h dilpofi~irns in thee :There is a .Spiriwal Living Creature in thee,which like the Mole under·ground , is working up towards the free air, heaving up the Earth, and breaths Heaven-ward. Come, be afhamed to talk thus· Arc there fcvcn Dcv ils enrred into thee worfe rh an the former? Is thy latt;r end worfe rhan thy beginning? 0 No! 2, For the other part of Ju!lification, Gods juflifying thee, and covering thy fins" irh Ch rifh righteoufnefs. lr was that whole righteoufnefs whicb was then imputed to thee at thy Calling ( as was fa id) by the God ofall Grace, And if he had not beena God of aii'Grace, he would never have befro)¥ed rhat gift upoil thee, of all other ; and haviug beflowed that oiler, thou maift 1ui!J ''f"" it, that he will conrinue to jullifie thee for evtr. It would be the hrghel\ difhonom unto that fo Infinite perfect Rightcoufnefs of Chrilt, if where and when it were once imputed, it fhould be once fru!\rate, and made of no' ffcct unto that perfon: For where once the wbole of it is imputed ( as the whole ,1lway' is, with all rhe priviledges orconfcquents that do accompany, and are entailed upon it ) it brings with it the purchafeofan eternal imputation, to whom it is imputed once, ·never to be taken off,or made a Non-imputation. Where it feolnh, it makes an end of, and fea!s up fins for ever, with a Seal ne· vcr to be brollenoff: And makes •·rcolloliatio" fo~ iniquity_, and brhtgs in an tur!a(li11g nghteo~tJiuJI to whom foeverttl~ applted, whtch our fins fball ne– ver om-do, Van. 9· 24. That nghteoufnefs ts fo eKtenfively tranfcendent, as it will nor perm it it. It !hall never be fa id, that fin imputed, was too hard for Chri!\'s Rightc0uG1efs imputed, or that it hath more interelt with God againlt one to" l:om iris imputed, rhan Chri!\'s Righteoufnefs h.ath; No; Hi6. to,' ' 4• For by one {11j/eriTJg he !J,uh perfefled for ever them that are [allfltjied : Wh ich being pe rleCled, is feen (as the Apoflle himfclf there interprets it) in Jull iJicHion,(the Point now ofore us ) i11 that it cat~{etbjitJS to 6e remrm6red no more,asin the following Verfes,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=