A choice Bed of Spices. 285 ing from one thing to another, as from fin to God, from evil to good, from hell to heaven. The common call of fingers to repentance, is to turn from fin, and to return to God, Ifs. 55. 7. Let the wicked forfake hid vray, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return onto the Lord, &c. jer.i.4. If thou wilt return, 0 Ifrael, fitith the Lord, return unto me ; and if thOtt, wilt pot away thine abominations out of my fight, then 'halt thou not remove. And fo Chap. 18. I i . Return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your way and your doings good. i Pet. 2. 2! . For ye were as 'beep gang astray, but are now returned unto ti e shepherd and bifhop of your fouls. 'T is not enough for a firmer to forfake his fins, but he mull alfo return to the Lord. The true penitent fubje&s his heart to the power of divine grace, and his life to the bleffed will and word of God. Look, as negative goodnefs can never fatisfie a penitent foul, fo nega- tive goodnefs can never five an impenitent foul. It isnot enough, 0 man, that thou art not this and thus laid, but thou mull be thus and thus good, or thou wilt be miferable for ever, Ez,ek. 1 8. 21. But if the wicked mill turn from all his fins that he hath committed, and keep all my. flatutes,and do that which is lawful and right, he shall furely live, he 'hall not die. Ne- gative righteoufnefs and holinefs, is no righteoufnefs, no ho- linefs in the account of God. It was not the Pharifees nega- tive righteoufnefs, nor his comparative goodnefs, that could prevent his being reje6ted of God, or his being flint out of heaven, or his being turned into hell. It is not enough that the Tree bears no ill fruit, but it mutt bring: forth good fruit, elfe it muftbe cut down and call into the fire ; that Tree that is not for fruit, is for the fire ; Every tree that brings not forth good fruit (fayes Chrifl) is hewn down and call in- to the fire. Heaven at laft will be found too holy, and too hot, to hold fuch as pleafe themfelves, as fatisfie themfelves with a negative righteoufnefs. All that negative righteoufnefs and holinefs can do, is only to help a man to one of the cooled chambers and earl& beds in hell. True repentance brings the heart and life, Aot only off from fin, but on to God too ; it takes a man not only off from the wayes of death, but it engages him to walk in the piths of life, crr a, 119. 3. They do 5 Confolt there Scriptures, Ila, 44.22.11.a.19.22.< Ila, 59. 20. Hofea 3. S. Hofea 6, i. Hofea 14.1. Lake IS 5. Mat. to. 13,14. Mat. 7.19.
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