SERMON Ill. their u~done Con?itio~, and that ?Y his Merits .and Mediation, are reil:ored to the F:!- vour ot God, he IS emmently precwus. Who can break the Conjlraints of["<b Low , If there be a fpork of Reafon, or a gr01n of unfflgncd Faith in us We mujl judg tl · if OJ1e ~1ed for a!!, tiJan all were d~ad; mtd tbofe that ltve, fhouid li'Ve'to bis Glory; ltlho d;;; for thetrSalvatton. Add t?. this, that in the Sufferings of Chrill: there is the cl ea reO: Demonll:ration of the ~~~1a~:e~;~f ~~i~ i~"rferf:~~~u;~td1~~~ ~~~~e~tw~e~~~~~~ t~f~\~"·~~t:~i~~~~~~nfr~~~ fuch fearful Suffenngs. He was the EternalSon of God, the Heir of his Father's Love and Glorl', the Lord ?f Angels; he fuffered m Ius Body the moll: ignominious and painful Death, .bemg na1l d to the Crofs m the fight o: the World: The Sufferings of his Soul were mcomparably more affiu~rmg: For tho heavenly meek, he endured the De. rilio~ and cru~l Vwlence of h1~ Enemies with a filent P:ui~nce; yet in the dark Eclipfc of h1s Fathers Countenance, m the defolate ll:ate of h1s Soul, tbe Lamb of God 0 • penedhis Moutb mthltmournfu!Complamt, My God, my God, why bajl tbouforjakenme! H1s mnocent Nature d1d fo rec01l from thofe fearful Suffenngs, that with repeated Ardency of Aifechon, he depr<cated that bitter Cup; Abba, Father, all things are po{fible to lbee; let tlm Cup pafime; He addrefs'd to the Divine Power and Love, the Attributes that reheve the M1ferab!e, yet he drank off the Dregs..of the Cup of God's Wrath, Now we may from I~ence conclude) ho:V great an Evil Sin i~, th:n could nor l:e expiated by a meaner Sacnfice, tban the offenng up the Soul of Cbrij/ to atone incenfed ]u. !lice; and no lower a Pnce, than the Blood of the Son of God, the moll: unvaluable Treafure, could ranfom Men who were devoted to Dell:ruction. . 4· The Confideration of the Evil of Sin in it felf and to us, lhould excite us with a holy CircumljoectJOn to keep our felves from bemg. defiled with it. 'Tis our indifpen. fable Duty, our tranfcendenr Interefi: .to obey the D1vinc Law entirely and conftandy. 'The Tempter cannot prefent any Mottves, that to a reCtified Mind are fUfficie-nr to induce a Confenr to Si n, and offend God., Let the Scales be even, and put into one all rhe De!Jghts of the Senfes, all the Pleafures and Honours of the World, which are the Elements of Carnal Fehcuy, how hght arc they agamfi the Enjoyment of the bleffed God in Glory? W11l the Gam of tillS penflung World, compenfatc the lofs of the Soul and Salvation fo( ever? If there were any pofuble Comparifon between empty deluding Vanities, and Celell:ial Happinefs, the Ch01ce would be more dllficult, and the Millake lefs culpable; but they vanifl1 into nothing in the Comparifon : fo that to commir the leall: Sin that make> us liable' to the forfeiture of Heaven, for the Pl-.fures of Sin rbat are but for afea/on, is Madnefs in that degree, that no words can exprefs. Suppofethe Tempter infpires h:s Rage into his Slaves, and tries to conll:rain us to Sin by Perfecution ; how unreafonable is it to be d1fmayed at the Threatnings of Men, who mufl die, ond who can only touch the Body; and to deJPife tbe rerrors of tbe Lord, who lives for ever, and ea n punifi1 for ever ? Methinks we fhould look upon rhe perverted raging World, as a Swarm of angry Fhes, that may dtfCJ.UlC.t, but cannot hurt us. Socrates, when unrighteoufly profecuted to Death, laid of h1s Enemies, with a Courage be. coming the Breall: of a Chri!lian, rhey may ktfl me, 6ut cannot burt me. How lhould thefe Confiderations raife 1n us an mvinc1ble Refolutwn and Reluctancy againll: the Tempter, in all bis Approaches and Addrelfes to us? And tbat we may fo tefj/ him, as to caufe b" flight from us, let us. imitate the excfell~nt Saint, whofe Example is fer befo.re us.. ( 1.) By polfeiling the Soul with a hvely and folemn Senfe of God's Prefence, who is the Infpector and Judg of all our Actions. Jofe;b repell'd the TemptatiOn wJth tlus powerful Thought, How ]hall [ fn agaiuj/ God! rhe Fear of the Lord is clean; 'ns a watchfu l Sentinel, that refill:s Temptations Without, and fupprelfes Corruptions Within : 'Tis like the Cherubim plac'd with a flaming Sword in Paradifc, to prevent the Reentry of Adam when guilty and polluted. For this end we mull:, by frequent and fenous Confiderations, rc:prefent the Divine Being and Glory in our Mmds, that there ma~ be a gracious Conll:itution of Soul; this will be our Prcfervative from Sin: for altho the habitual Thoughts of God arc not always m act, yet upon a Temptanon they are prefently excited, and appear in the vtew. of ~onfcience, and are effectual to make us reject the Tempter with.Defyance and Ind1gnatwn. . . This holy l'ear is noc a meer judicia! fmpreflion, t~lat re!lrat.ns from Sm, for thcdr:ad~ ful Punilhment that follows; for that fervile Affectwn, tho' 1t may !lop a Temptauon, and hinder the Eruption of a Luil: into the grofS Act, yet it does nor rene\~ the.Nacur~, and make us Holy and Heavenly. There may be a rclpective DiOike of Sm wuh a dln:Ct A(fcttiou t'J it. BcJides, a mcer ft:rvile Fear ts repugnant to Nature, and wJll be cxpeii'J if polftble. Therefore, that we may be in t!Je Fear of tl.•e Lord,;; the rl".J la~g;
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