ofsinnes of Jgnor~ncu~ upon this Sirmp/od, and his.firength was g?ne, tht re prefum– - pruous 6nnes did for a wh ile prevail over h1m. Before we come· to fhew what is the p:irticular manner whereby the grace of God keeps the,g.od ly fromprt'fumptu.., ous fals , you muft take notice th at God 'may fo pref-erve •a ~an from fin two wa ies, either externAlly or inttJrnally; ex- ' ternally b.y me'e r rdl:raint, or fome mighty interpofit!on of God , as we .fee ia the matter ofe.Abimelech, whomGod kept from violating ofSarah: and thus he did keep7erobMm from doing violence to t he Prophet, by caufing his armwwither : and thm in the general Godby his providence doth ·reftrain ~11 tbe malice and pernicious purpofes of 'Yicked men; he 1\eeps them from finnes, fuch as they inclfne unto, and fiady to contrive but cannot, even as he bath put bounds unto the fea, tha~ it doth not overflow the banks. Thus he is faid t o fafhion the hearts Bf men, tf1 put hook! into .their noftril.r, and t:hat it u not it~ man u order hu own W.aies : yea thus God re• ' \raineth the devils themfelves, that they cannot'do fo much ' -ickednefs as they defire. its the obfervation ofa Learned .un, that Julian,who did fo much dcfire to foreknow thing§', and accomplifh defignt, by cornpadwith the de_yi ls,yet could never obl!ain his defire. Now God keeps thefe from fin, not out of any love eo them, bgt to his 'Church _and the world, that humane iocieties be not defiroyed, and his Church o:. verwhelrned. Of this kindc of refiraiat.from finne, aswhen a Lion or Mafiive dog ~re tied up from doing burr, I do not intend to fpeak; but of a gracious and fac-herly preferving from tln, which God vouchfafeth unto the godly, bec:mfe of the Covenant of grace, and that his love is failned 'on them '; and its good to confider wherein:che particulars of this grace do fhew themfelves. - ' , As firft, J ts feen in fome remark..able things internally, and tben eXternally. · The particulars whereby God works .on the foul, fo that a go'dly man is prcfcrved from finne, are many :.And . ~ · .l. A clear illumi~ation and convirlion ofthe heQtrt concerning jinne, the nlltUre of it, !he aggra_vation.r of it, and theWoful/ tonfeqt~ents _thertof. !h1s clear hght 9f the minde is apt to D d - · ·· ·- -- ·- · produce. L l' God gratiouf- . Iyprefern s his people from £inne. I. By internaif helps, as I. By ill un-1 inati..: on and COfn.i~ €i:lun. · ·-·
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