68o SERMON IT. 7· The Reafons.arefpecilied of his rejecting her polluting Motion. Behold, m lrf;_ fl er knows not IVhat t S wttb me tn the Houfe, and he /Jath cummitted all that he bath~ Hands : there is no11e greater h~ his Houfe than I; neither hath he kt;t hack a»y thing j,;~ me ~ut thee, becaufe thou .rt hzs Wife ' HoiV then can l do this great Wickedneji and f. agamj/ God ! 'Twas a complicated Crime of lnjullice and Uncleannefs . a moll i~jur m Viol ation of the llrongellTies of Duty and Gratitude to his Mafl.er, ;nd of the fa~~~d Marnage,Covenant to her Husband, and the foul~{\ Blot to their Perfons: Therefore • how can I commtt a Sm fo contrary to natural Confctence, an.d fupernatural Grace and provoke God? Thus I have briefly confodered the Narranvc of .Jofeph"s Tempta~ion; and that DIVlne Grace preferved htm untouched from that contagwus Fire, may be refembled to the moraculous prefervmg the three He~rew Martyrs unflnged, in the midft of the Hammg Furnace. The Pattence of 1oh, and the Chaflity of Jofeph, are tranfmitted by the Secretaries of the Holy Gholl in Scripture, to be in perpetual Remembrance and Admiration. From this fin gular In!lance of Jofepl, , who was neither feduced by the Alluremenrs of his Millrefs, nor terrified by the Rage of her defpis"d Affection, to fin againft God I 1hall obferve two general Points. ' . I. T~hh~;.~:::io11s to Sin, hoiV alluringfoever, or terrifying, ought to h rejefled with IL That the Fear of God is a fore Defence and Guard againj/ the j/rongej/ TempWiDN. I will explain and pr~ve the lirll, and only fpeak a little of the fecond in a Branch of the Apphcation. _ I. That TemP.tations to Sin , how alluring fotver, or terrifying, are to· }e reje~ f/eJ IVtth A~borrence. There will be convincing Proof of this, by confidering two Things: I. That Sin in its Nature, prefcinding from the Train of woful Effects, is the gm.: tell Evil. 2.. That, relatively to us, it is the moll pernicious dellructive Evil. I. That Sin confidered in it felf is the greatell Evil. This will be evident by confidering the general Nature of it, as directly oppoflte to God the fiipream Good. The De.. :finition of Sin expre1fes its elfennal Evil; 'tis tbe Tranfgreffion of the Divine Law, and confequently oppofes the Rights of God's Throne, and obfcures the Glory of his Attributes that are exercis'd in the Moral Government of the World. God, as Creator, is our King, our Latv.giver and Judge. From his Propriety in us arifes his juft Title to Jifal. zoo': Soveraign Power: over us : Know y~ that the Lord he is God; 'tis he tiJat made us, not we our folves; IVe are his People, and the Sheep of his Paf/ure. The Creatures of a lower Order are uncapab]e of diflingui1hing between Moral Good and Evil,and are determin"d by the weight of Nature to what is meerly fenfoble,and therefore are uncapable of a Law to regulate their Choice. · But Man, who is endo\ved with the Powers of Underftanding and Ele~ion, to conceive and choofe what is Good, and reject what is ,Evil, isgovern'd by a Law, the declared Will of his Maker: accordingly a Law, the Rule of hos Obedience, was written in his Heart. Now Sin, the Tranfgrefiion of this Law, contains many great Evils. 1. Sin is a Rebellion again{\ the Soveraign Majelly of God, that gives the Life of Authority to the Law. Therefore Divine Precepts are enforced with the mofr proper and binding Motive to Obedience, I am the Lord. He that with purpofe and plcafure commits Sin, implicitely renounces his Dependance upon God, as his Maker and Govern our, over-rules the Law, and arrogates an irrefponfible Licenfc to do hts O\\'." pi.!.,'· •· Will. This is exprell by thofe Athei1lical Defigners, who faid, With our Tongue'" ,,a prevail, our Lips are our own; wiJo is Lord O'Ver us? The Language of Ad:tons, that IS more natural and convincing than of Words, declares that finful Men delptfe the Commands of God, as if they were not his Creatures and Subjeds. What~ D11honour,what a Difpleafure is it to the God of Glory, that proud Du1l 1hould By m hts Face! and D:m. 1. ro. controul hi s Auth~rity ? He has t.e~ th.oufand timer ten thoufand Angels that are htf)J 1!'" ffal. zo;. 2. 0. Dit,nity, and excel tn Strengtb, warttng m a .Pofl!'r: of Reveren~e and Obfervance about ha . Throne, reat(y to do his Will; How provok1ng IS 1t tor a defp1cable Worm tG c0ntravehi~
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