'148 A Box :of precious, ,Ozotinent: Or, 9 3. i Thirdly, If your obedience fprings from Faith, then you will endeavour to obey God in affirmative Commands as well as in negative Commands. You will not only look upon what Gott would not have you to do, but you will alto Luke i6. /9- 29. look to fee what God would have you to do,.. Dives was not 4att.21.24-3 I, call into Hell for oppreffing Laz.,Irm, but fir not (hewing mercy to Laz,arm : He was not clamn'd becaufe he took any thing from him, but becaufe he gave nothing to him. The evil servant did nct riot out his Talent, but omitted the im- provement of it, for which he was cart into outer darknefs 'Nor thole Reprobates in the fame Chapter did not rob the poor Saints, but omitted the relie'ving of them, which was DCItt. 23,3,4. their mine. Moab and Ammon were banifhed the Sanetuary to the tenth Generation, for a meer orniffion, becaufe they met not Gods Ifrael in the Wildernefs with bread and water. Look as the omilfion of good diet breeds difeafes, fo the omiffion of Religious duties will either make work for Re-, pentance,or for Hell, or for the Phyfician of Souls. Mark, there is-many a mans Religion lyes meerly in negatives,, he is no Swearer, . no Drunkard, no Adulterer, no Opprefier, f no Defrauder, &c. A formal Profeffors obedience to Di- vine Commands,does principally lye in negatives, he confi- ' ders not fo much-what the Command requires, as, what it prohibits, and he pleafes himfelf rather in abflaining_ from evil, than in doing of good ; in bieinu t' outwardly reformed, thin in being inwardly renewed ; he thinks it enough that he turns from fin, though he makes no Confcience of turning to God': If you ask him concerning affirmative Commands, there you will find him fpeechlefs. Ask him; art thou holy? art thou humble ? art thou heavenly ? art thou fincerc ? art thou a Believer? dot+ thou fet up God as the great objet' of thy fear ? doff thou love God with a fuperlative love ? is the Sabbath of the Lord t delight unto thee? &c.. Now here you ftrike him dumb, he looks upon the negled of thefe ca. I, n: . a. t things as no fins, becaufe they are not fuch fcandalous fins as 4. ito Us - the others are. Remember sirs, finful omitlions many times leads to finfuk commitfions, as you may fee in the Angels that fell from Heaven to Hell; and as you may fee in e/fdarx,who fell
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