166 A box fprecious Ointment : Or, The contrariety to fin which is in a real Chriftian, arifes from an in- ward gracious na- ture which is op- police to thewhole fpecies or kind of fin, as contrarie- ties of nature are to the whole kind. As light is contrz- ry to all darknefs, and fire to all wa- ter. So that this contrariety to fie arifing froth the inward man, is universal to all finy&f loaths it, and abhorS it, becaufe it provokes and firs up Gods Juitice. fanctified perfon detefis fin, becaule of the Hell that is in fin ; but an unfanctified perfon detefis fin, becaufe of the Hell that follows fin, &c. But, Seven thly, Where there is an irreconcileable oppadition in the Soul againfi fin, there is a faving work of God upon that mans heart. Where there is fuch a deteflation of fin, and Nell an enmity railed in the foul againf fin, as that the Soul cannot, nor will not, upon no terms in the World,ad- mit of any Truce or Reconciliation with fin, there is Chrif and Grace formed in the heart. The War between a -graci- ous heart and fin, is like the War between Rehob3aris and Y. e- ro -oarx, i Kings s4.3o. There was war between Rehoboam and yerobozm all their days. The Oracle laid to the Cirrheans (A7etles diefitle belli gerendum), they could not be happy unlefs they waged war night and day ;_.no more can we, except we perpetually fight againfl our lulls, 0 friends ! A gracious heart that is weary of fin, will certainly and habitually fall a friving againfl it, Gal. 5 . The 110 luf eth agaizift the Spi- rit, xnd the Spirit ag-winft the fiefh, for theft two are contrary the one to the other. Now contraries are naturally expulfive each of other : Such a pair as a y4cob and an Efo; fuch Twins as an ffaac and an IJhmael, cannot lye quietly together in the lame womb ; no nor live quietly together in the fame houfe, but there will be a mutual profecuting and perfecu- ting each of other. Fire and Water may as well 'agree in he fame Veffel, as grace and fin in the fame heart. True Grace hath a real repugnancy and contrariety to all fin ; and remember this oncefor all, that faving Grace is not contra- ry to fin becaufe it is open and manifeft, nor to fin becaufe it is-private and fecret, -nor to fin becaufe it is of this or that. cmfequence, but to fin as fin, whether publick or private, becaufe both the one and the other are contrary to the Lava of God, the will of God, the glory of God, the nature of God, the defigns of God, &c. Mit is with true light,though, it be but a beam, yet it is univerfally oppofite to all dark- fs or asit is with heat, though there be-but One degree-of _it
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