542 / 808
52,1
Ephefiani,
Chap.
+.
V
R
R.
I9.
went out
of
one finne
into another, murder, hypocrifie, bribing,
ly-
ing, what
not!
the entring into
finne,
is
as
the
wife
man fpcaketh
of
one finne,
viz,
the
finne
of
contention, Prov.
57. 14.
It
is
as the
ope-
ning
of
waters,
the pulling
up
of
fluces,or breaking down dams, which
letreth
in
waters
that
overflow all:
fo finne
when
once it hath
prevai-
led
to
pull
up
this floodgate, to take away
the
feeling
of
the
Confci-
ence, it
doth let
in
floods
of iniquity,the
finnes
thefe heathen
did break
into,
as
Rom.
r.
And the things the ftory mentions,
as
the feaftsof
Bac-
cue,
as
the
Romans
alto
at
the folemnitics
of
their goddeffeBona,were
fuch
as
cannot honeftly
be
named.
And therefore
it
is
good,feeing
finne
isas
the opening
of
waters,
to
doe as the
wife man counfclleth, ftay, breake off, ere it beginneth,
or
at leaft
in
its
beginning. For that which
is
eafily
(by
Gods
grace)
fubducd when
firft it
fpringeth
our,
will when it
hath got
head,prove
unconquerable.
Principes
oh
fia,
withftand
and refiff
the
firft
motions
and beginnings
of
fin,kill it
in
the egge,left
it become
a
cockatrice.
ßut
two
things more mutt
be marked,
which
open
the
manner
of
their
finning.
1.
They
gave themfelves to
ir.
z. They
did
it
greedily.
Whence
marke,
In
what manner the unregenerate
doe
fume,
they
finne, yeelding them.
felves
fervants
to
finne.
For though
thefe did
it in
a
higher
degree,
even fold themfelves to all filthineffe,
yet to
give themfelves
up
to
finne
in
finning,
is
common
ro
all in
force
meafure
that
have
not the
fpirit
of
Chrift.
1.
I will prove
ir.
2. Shew you
how thefegave
up
themfelves,
Peeing
it
is Paid,
Rom.
1.
z5.
God
gave
them up.
3.
ShewtheUfeofit.
For the
firft,
the Apoftle
Rom.
6.
53.
giveth
us
to
underftand,
how
that
till
grace change
us,
we
doe
yeeld
our
felves
up as
vaffals
to
finne; it
is
fet
up in us as
a King
which
raigneth and hash obedience from
us,
for by
nature we are fervants
of
fin
:
vi
man
is
a
frvant
to
that
he
obey
-
eth
(faith Paul) and
a
man
is
a
fervant
to
that
of
which
heis overcome
:
Now
we obey finne and
are
overcome of
ir,
till
by
Chrift
we
are
freed
:
and this
is
not
fo
in
the
godly;
for
they
finneindeede,
but they
give notthemfelves
to
ir,
they admit
it as
a
ferong
ufurper, they doe
not
obey
it
as
a
lawful!
Commander over them.
For the
fecond,
the Anfwer of
it
is
in
opening thefe two
things
:
r
.
How
farre
forth God giveth
men up.
2.
How
thefe gave themfelves
up.
For
the better
conceiving
Gods
giving men
up
to
finne,
you muff
know that
finne
hath
a
double Confideration.
r.
As it
is a
breach
of
Gods Law,
thus he no
way doth give
up
to it,
but hateth it.
z.
As finne
is
a
punifhment
of
former limes,
and bath
the
confide
-
ration
of
a
fpirituall
judgement,
thus
God
Both effeétually deliver
up
to
n(.
Stop
finne
in
thebeginning.
Doll.
unregenerate
men
give
them
(elves
to finne.
e
Pet.
a.
/9.
But not
Co
the
godly.
A
twofold
confideration
of
finne.