z8z 5. VERS. 13. Doer. So fee mirery, as inn co look to coercie. Regan. xco. z.tt. Ephejans,Chap. z. V R R,13, againft his ftatutes , the breach of which is .punifhable with eter- nall death. Fifthly, when we make him our chief and onely joy, Rejoycing alwaies in the Lord, Phil. 4.4. For what we makeour chiefjoy, that is our God ; for the heart refteth principally in that with which it is moft delighted. Now what is more equal!, then that we fhould fo- lace our felves in him with joy unfpeakable and glorious, who hath deliveredus from death, and fin, and fatan ? In himwho is a fountain . of all good, and defender of us from all evil , able to maintain all the good, both fpirituall and corporal!, whichwe have, andgive us whatfoever is wanting. VERs.' o 1. But now inChrij lefus ye which were oncefar off, aremade nearby the bloodofChrijl. ' Now he cometh to the fecond thinghe would have them remem- ber; that is, What now they were; and it maybe - brought inby way ofprevention : for, left they fliould be fwallowed upof forrow, in recounting their former condition , the Apoftle annexeth, that their grief might be fwcetned, their oppofire condition. In the words you have toconfider; a. The perfons defcribed from their being in Chrift, as members with the head. 2. Frortiithat they hadbeen in time pail. 3. Thèir contrary condition, That now they were near. 4. The meritorious caute of it, By the blood of Chrift. Firfi then from the order of the Apoftle,we fee that we mufffo look on our mi fery , that we remember alfe our eflate.by mercie : Thefe two dowell agree together , the onecorret s the other, fo that both are wholC,me ; purging medicines, without reftoratives interlaced, will weaken too much. Paul doth not onely fhew them their eftateof na- ture ; but it being a bitter Pill, Both gild it over, with annexing their comfortable condition in Chrift. He had no fooner faid to the Corin- thians, suchwere forceofyou, but he.prefently addeth, But nowye are ¡unified, ¿c. r Cor. 6.11. nor to the Coloß'ians, You were dead in trefbaJfes ; but, youare quickened, &c. Colofb2.13. nor to Titus, You were chits and thus, &c. Tit.3.3,4. but ever bath as a counter- poilon added unto it , the change made by grace in them fo miferable. We mutt have one eye caft downward on our unworthineffe, and another upward on the graceof God, and benefits bygrace. The Apoftle, when he had caft down himfelf in thinking on his wretchedneffe, doth raife up himfelf through Chrift, Rom. 7. 24, 25. And he feldom tclleth any of their mifery, (which is to be marked) but he dòtli likewife annex what they were by the mercie of God: For the Apoftle, who faith of himfelf, He wad not ignorant of thede- vils enterprifes; did note right well, that the devil willlabour to fwal- low up in borrow, as well as to kill by carnali fecurity. And look as extreme medicines are not alonewholfome, unlefíe they becorre6ted with contraries; fo the Apoftle, whoknoweth well how to divide aright, r
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