2.. Gracefor Grace) Or the over-flowings of Secondly. As a man if unable to overcome anyfin: So alfo, ifhe be fallen, be U unable to rife again. Peter himfe1f muff hare a look fromChrift, before hecould repent. As ifje- ins Chrift had Paid to him ; Peter, thou art now down in the dire,and I know thou canfi not rife, nnleffe I give forth My hand unto thee : then here is My hand ; and fo He did heave him up. Every fin that a mandoes commit, he.is ta- ken captiveby it, more or lace : finis a captivity. Now, Voluntas non eft libera,nifi liberata: A man is not free,unlefie freed. Ifthe Son make you free, you are free indeed ; but elle not at all. Every fin thata man does comnait,itis a mor- tal wound, a death of the foul, fin is. A man maybe a- ble to kill himfelfe, but being kil'd, hecannot raife him- felf. The Ship havinghis rudder broken, cannot gowhere it wil but malt go where the Tempel pleales. And Beloved-, there is never a fin that a man commits, but he does ftrike upon his rudder, he does ftrike upon the earth withal; and he does lore his rudder. Apoor (beep is able for to lore it fel f,8c to wander: but being loft,is not able tocome home a- gain., Yea, our Savior faies, in the Parableof the loft-fheep, (meaning loft-man)The fheep is taken by the fhepherd, or the good-man that findsit, and is layd upon his fhottl- der, and fo brought back again. What is this fhoulder,, but the flrength of Chrift ? And indeed, ifa poor foul , if a wandring, poor, loft foul be not laid on the fhoulder of {ells Chrift 1. he will lofe, andwander [Intoall Eternity,' h imfel f, and wander forever. This is wel expreft (as an Ancient does obferve)in the example ofAdam: when Adam had finned, and fallen.; Adamwas not able to rezurn again. (Let us mark it-the rather, becaule Adam, he was our GreaeGotnrnon, father ; and in his examplewemay allfee our own faces,) Sales he, Adambeing fallen, he couldnot rile again : but when Adam was fallen, What does he? Then he lets himfelf,'fonto,ma-ke himfelfe cloathsoffigg, leaves , that fo he might be. freed from the injury of the - we atlier, : he -coala rn ncthis;cloath es, -ail& do: foir hing, to-takeaway flume ttutnot one thought ofGotl,', not oan--L; - -
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=