Bates - HP BX5200 B3 1700

434 OfDEATH. Chap. V. Love is the"Principle of free, ingenuous, and joyful Obedience. 'Twas our Saviour's Meat and Drink to do the Will of his Father. For Love is t~e fountain of Pleafure, it moves the Soul With Ele£hon and Liberty, and makes every thmg grateful that proceeds from it. T herefore the A_pofile declares, that the !-•rv is not made for arighteous. Man ; that is, as it is enforc'd by ternble Penalties, to conftram rebell1ous SmAers to Obed1ence : for Love is an internal living Law in the Heart, and has an Imperial Power over his Actions. And this alfo diftinguifhes the renovation of one fanctified by the Spirit from the imperfect Change ~::i~~ ~~~~eb;~"~~~.}l~:·!j,~~~r~~-inc~:~;o:;:r!~~:~;~ ~~~P:~e~f ~:;;;u~~l:'~;ufi7o~;ti;~~ preffions of Fear be urged to do many good things; but in this they are hl<e a Bowl that is thrown with fuch violence, as controuls the drawing of the Bias, and mal<es it run contrary to it. But Love encline~ the Soul to obey theholy Motions of theSpirit with facility: as the Wheels m Ezektels VIfion turned every•••) rvtth readinefs as the Spm t moved them. And with holy Love there is a fpiritual Power communicated, that both tbe natural averf- ~~~s;~u~ iJ:ft0~~~d~~~~~f~lu~~~~:6,~\~e;~~~rmBf;,:~~u~\r~~d %;~:n~t~~;{Y~Ef..s~;r::~ vived to a kind of OmniJotence, it can do all things, required by the Evangelical Covenant by the new Law that IS in the hands of our merciful Mediator for Salvation. 'Tis true' there are relicks of Sin in the bell:, and the Fleil1 and Spirit are repugnant Principles war~ ring againft one another : but the renewed Spirit will make no capitulation or compofition with Sin, but is fo predominant, that Sin is gradually fubdued, and does not fo freely and frequently break forth as it does from the unrenewed. By the Grace ofthe Spirit >ve are enabled to mortifJ the Deeds t the Body, to crucify the Flefh »ith the AjfeOiom and Lttjls thereof ; :~e1~o~:3~mI~0gort~tf:v~~~:~~l~di~i~~~[n,~:J1r~:\~~t r:~ich~:~~:~~~ ~~c~£~ Unregenerate by its prevaleocy and conll:ancy. There may be a declination in the Saints tending to a downfa I ; but the Seed ofGod, that fupernatural Grace that remains in them, will by the power of the holy Spirit recover the Supremacy. Others 'l'•Y be enlightned, and feel feme good Motions, and tranfient Touches; asSaul had his rapture among the Prophets: but they are not truly, entirely, and perfeveringly converted to God; they are not proofagainft the Allurcments or Terrors of the World. They make a fair Profeffion till they are tried by Temptations. Congealed drops of Water appear like folid Chryll:al, till the warm beams of the Snndilfolve them, and difcover thehypocrifr oftheChryll:al. !i%~v{~~el:omb?J1:~ to f~~~ :~= it~~~s~ftl~i~o~no~;s t~~Jh;r.:f:r~;~f"tf,~ ~~& ~~~ ~00~~n~;r~ t~~~~~~;s~v~~~r!a~~:~~h~1~l~t~;r~{f~~;~~'y a~~X:,khei::lal~et~td:;:~ll~:·;~ not like a Palfengcr, or a Tenant at will, that neglects the Houfe, and fuffers it to fall into ruine, but as the Proprietary and Owner he keeps perpetual refidence in true Chriflians, and by his continual Influence preferves them from final Apoflacy. Now from hence we may judg whether we have an lnterell: in Chrift and his Benefits. For the Apoftle clearly tells us, That if any Man ha'Ve not. the Sprrit of Chrijl, .beds none of his. Rom. 8. 9· By thiS facred Signature we are appropnated to Chnll:, and VIfibly diflm· guifhed from the World. For though the fecret and pure Influences of the Spirit in the Soul are only known to the Perfon that feels them, yet his active Infpirations are declarative of his Prefence and Power in the outward Converfation. As the Wind that is of fo thin and .fubtil a nature that 'tis invifible in it felf, but we certainly know from what Point ~~~d'~~ ~le~i~d~'f: di~o~:!e~~; !~ei;f~i_tbleatdi~a~?~~, ~~~;~~~~ ~~;~~efuhi~i! c~;Y Life. And tbofe who have commumon with Chnft by IllS Splflt, have a ll1are m hiS VIctories, and may with confidence meet the !all: Enemy, Death: For we are afl"ured, If the Sptrit of him that raifed up 'Jefus from the dead, dweR in tiS 1 he that raijid up Chrijl Jrom the deadjbaUalfo quickenottr mortalBodm, by the Spirit that drveUethtn us, Rom. 8. r r. A preparative Conformity to Chrift in Grace, will be followed with a confummate in Glory. But thofe who never felt the fanctifying efficacy of the Spirit in their Hearts and Lives, tho they are Chriftians in profeffion, yet they have no other Umon With Clm,fl, than a dead branch with aTree that receives"no fap. and Vlftue from It; or an artdic12.l Member joined to the Body, that may have the oucwa,d clothing and ornaments proper to that parr, but derives no Life and Senfe from it. Wboever. is in Chrijlts a new Creature, 2 Cor. 5· '7· And only thofe who partake in the firfl RefurreOton fromSm, fba!l heexemtted from the Power of t/Jefe~o'!_d D_e.~h, and upon juffgrounds are freed from the Terrotsotthc firft. CHAP.

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