C H A P. 18. The duties of fuels as are jufii fled. 157 7 the love of God is shed abroad in their ?marts by the Holy Gbofl.- Ought they not then to carry under all oppreflions, perfecuttons, hard ufages of men , upon theaccount of owning Chrift & his lntereft, as perlons that are upon the gaining hand , and reaping much fpiritual advantage , being now brought through grace into fuch aftate of life ? And how would they hereby glorify God in the world ? S. The confideration of their prefent flate of life , should caufe them tri- umph , in themidit ofall difficulties & temptations, that they shall meet - with in their way , as knowing , that the life of juftification , whereof now they are made partakers , shall continue : and that it shall end in the life of glory; for whom the Lord juflifieth them he allo glorifieth. IZom. S: 30; Who shall then lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect ? It is God that juflifieth : who is he that ce ndemneth ?, Who shall then feparatefuch from the love of Chrift ? Shall tribulation , orperfecution, or ditlrers, or fami- ne , or nakednefs , or perill, or fword ? Nay in all thefe things they are more then conquerours through him that loved them : Rom S:33,34,35,37. Hear how Paul concludeth that :natter for himfelf & others verf. .2,S, 3z. for I am perftvaded , that neit:'er death , nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor Potvers, nor thing prefent , nor thins to corne , nor height , nor depth, nor any other creatureahall be able to feparate us from the love cf God : which is in Chrifl` lefur, our Lord. Shoald nor therefore filch carry , as perlons that cannot be made miferable ? How much doth the Apostle infifl on this , and cleare it from this ground [9m. 5: 9, r o. laying, much more then being now juflifìed by= bir blood, we shall be faxed from wrath through him, for if when the were enemies, we were reconciled unto God , by the death of his Son ; much more being reconciled we shall be Paved by his life. And againe verf. zi. That as fin bath reigned un- to death , even fo might grace reigne throzgh righteoufnefs unto eternal life, by Je- fus Chrifi our Lord. There being then a fuse ground of confidence & alfu- rance of life & of complee ì falvation, laid in juttification,all such are called to rejoice in hope of the glory of God R m, 5: z. And to have confidence in the Lord , that he will perfe& what he bath begun & to reff affured, that all they, which receive abundance of grace, & of the gift of righteoufnefs, shaft reigne in life by one Jesus Chrift, Rom. 5: r 7. 9. Yea particularly, the confideration of their many ftnnes should not difcourage them , or cause them despond : for being now jufl:ified , all their: bygone fins are pardoned , & shall not be by the Lord laid to their charge againe,however the memory of them may hu nble them , & caufe them run, to the fountaine cf the blood of Jefus; & all their fMturefns shallbepar- cloned , according the Gospel grounds ,. & after the Gofpel - methode , fo that they shall not prejudge them of their promifed pofl'efiîon of glory and life everlaffing. Now the free gift is of many offences, unto justification Rdrn. 5: 16. There is a lure way laid down , in the Gofpel, whereby all their fins shall be taken away, and the very body of death shall be killed-mo- re & more dayly , fo that they shall not finally perish , what ever Satan , b )dy of death within shall do, to prejudge them of the prornifed inheritan- ce, Hence the Apoftle inferreth from his foregoing dilcourfe Ron. S.: r.. TJete
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