Or GOD-REDEEMER. 283 man. As they neglect God in prosperity, so they do but flatter him in adversity; Psalm lxxvüi. 34-37. And he that will be false to God, whose interest in him is so absolute, is unlikely to be true to men, whose interest in him is infinitely less; he that can shake off the great- obligations of creation, redemption, preservation, and provision, which God layeth on him, is unlikely to be held by such slender obligations as he receives frommen. I will never trust that man far, if I know him, that is false to his Redeemer. He that will sell his God, his Savior, his 'soul and heaven for a little sensuality, vain glory, or worldly wealth, I shall not wonder if he sell his best friend for a'groat. Self -seeking men will take you for their friend no longer than you serve their turns ; but ifonce you need them, or stand in.their way, you shall find what they esteemed you for, He that is in haste to be rich, and thereupon respecteth persons for a piece of bread, that man will transgress, saith Solomon ; Prov. xxviii. 20, 21. 9. Sanctification consisteth in your hearty resignation and living to God; and, therefore, you are unsanctified if you are destitute of this, " Without holiness none shall' see God ; " Heb. xii. 14.. And what is holiness but our sincere dedication and devoted- ness to God? Being no longer common and unclean, but separa- ted in resolution, affection, and conversation, from the world and our carnal selves to him. It is the office of the Holy Ghost to work you to this ; and if you resist and refuse it, you do not sound- ly believe in the Holy Ghost, but, instead of believing in him, you fight against him. 10. You are verbally devoted to Christ in solemncovenant, en- tered into in baptism, and frequently renewed in the Lord's sup- per, and at other seasons. Did you not there solemnly, by your parents, resign yourself to Christ as his ? And renounce the flesh, the world, and the devil, and promise to fight under Christ's ban- ner against them to your lives' end? O happy person that per- formeth this covenant, and everlastingly miserable are they that do not. Fides non recepta, sed custodita vivificat, saith Cyprian. It is not covenant -making, without covenant-keeping, that is like to save you. Do you stand to the covenant that you made by your parents ? Or do you disclaim it ? If you disclaim 'it, you renounce your part in Christ, and his benefits in that covenant made over to you. If you stand to it, you must perform your promise, and live to God, to whom you were resigned. To take God's oath of allegiance so solemnly, and afterward to turn to his enemies which we renounced, is a rebellion that shall not be al- ways unrevenged. 11. God's absolute dominion and sovereignty over us is the very foundationof all religion, even of that little which is found left f
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