Of EMlion. Bo11e, a Lim6 or Lim6s, winch by Jome gnevou, dang rous Jail is become~ Joofenedfron:itsjoynt, or perhaps (winch IS worfe)_brokm, orbrmfed; and Chsp. 12 • the word -s•r.,il•v• there alfo fu1ts to, and compiles aiJo Wtth thts other Meta- ~ phor of a broken joitlf. It is tranllated indeed a fa,.lt, but fign ·fies properly a fa/J, and but mctophoncaUy a fin: yea, and fomettmes IS''"!'"<";;', and by way of eminency put to figmfie fome fingular great fin: As when we fay .Ad,zm's fa /J, as it was to the ruin of himfelf, and us all ; and accordingly his firi and difobediencc is in that fiogular fenfe termed by the Apol\le ""P<ii·~·, Rom. ) • 14.which is tlte word here,and founds fome noticed fin fain into. And this is a worfe matter than the Cafe of that fpiritual drowfinefs togood works we fpake of,out of Rev. 3.Now hisExhortation is to fuch as were more grown,& ableChril\ians, whom he termsyou that are fjnritrlat; that is,compltalively to others; and thefe he exhorts with meekiiefs and all tendermfs of Spirit ( fuch as we ufe to fay Surgeons hands ought tobe) to fet him into j Jint again; or if it were broken by the fall, to fet it agam. A Member thus diflocated, and out of joint, or a Limb and Bone broken, are not yet thereby quite fevered, or cut off from the Jjody it is in, or the Head it joyned to ;but its Union frill IVith the Body continued; but it is loofned or mifplaced, or not in its right Socket: So it is with fuch a man in refpeCl: of his Union with Chrifi, and with his Myl\ical Body : And it cannot be that he thould mean fins of ordinary Infirmity, (of which the Apol\le James fays, !11 many thiugs we offend a/J ;) thofe have not fo danger– ous an effect, as to bring a dillocation upon a Member; no, nor do ordinary fireins and wrinches, though violent, produce fuch an effect, as this Fall here fpoken of his fa id to do. And from which Falls alfo, the Apofile fuppofeth thefe that are Jpiritwzt, to be free in their ordinary Chril\ian courfe ; for he f>ys, Left yealfobetempted. 'Iis therefore an hein0us finning he means, (however fome Interpreters would lelfen it). And from hence I infer, That, . If the word of my Text be thus there applied, unto fuch a ca{e of falling into fin, (as it is) in the w•y of a command from God, given unto Men, who have but a little mercy in them, that yet with meeknefs and tendernefs they fhould re~ore {uch an one; then furely the God of all Grace, who hath pickt and chofen out this fame won;!, and put it into a Promife here , againfr all Temptations of them whom he hath called; (as the current of the Text runs) furely he himfelf will perform it, through Jefus Chri!t their Head, to whom they remBin united frill , though out of joynr, and unto whom God bath en– gaged himfelf to do this, as well as promiled it to us; to whofe Heart ( aaJTie– ly Chril\'s) it goes, even the falls of every Member of his, more than their PerfecutiOJns ; who is fenfible to the quick of thefe Infirmities of ours, as well as of other Miferies, and pities us under them: As He6. 4· 15, 16. For we have not an high Priefl which can~ot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities: B"t wM in a/J poiuts tempted like M we are, yet without jitJ, Let tu therefore come boldly <mlo the throne ofGrace, that we may obtai1z mercy, a11d find Grace to help in time of 11ted. And if to that purpofe the Holy Gkofr hath in that place , Gal. 6. 1, made ufe of this word, to fignifie a refloringone from fwch grofs Lapfes; when it is fpoken by way of Exhortati– on to what Men lhould do one to another; fhall we not take, and receive it in the fame fenfe from God and apply it unto fuch Cafes wherein it is fpoken of him, by way of promife from himfelf? Of God, I fay, who hath all Grace, and power, and faithfulnefs within himfelf, to effeCl:; and perform what he promifeth? Certainly, yes, There cannot be a greater cafe of finning that befalls a regenerate Man,tban what God himfelf fays he did, de fa{/o, find in an obl\tnate finner agatofl: himfelf, whoyetwas his Child· Ifai.p. 17.Forthelniquityof his Covetou(– nefs I WM wroth. And thereu'pon, God expre1ling his difpleafure by fome' Eminent Correction; (And by the Context in the vrr(es immediately afore, it feems(as I have elfewhere opened the words in a difcourfe long lincc prmted) it was nn impre1Jing his wrath immediately upon his Spirit,) 1 WaJ w roth, mtd fmote hmt; But ht wmt ott ( notwithfranding )frowelrdly, ill the way of his Hr,irt; that is, he added a perverfe obflinacy after that, and agawft y y th~s
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=