S s c r.17ï;. of Converfsen, arTrtrntrgto.God. 467 neither doth the Scripture threaten in vain ; but if there be no more reafon then chis, if this be theprincipaland the onely, then thou !oveft fin hill in thy heart ; thou art kept from it, as the Dogby aclog on him, from doing his mil-, chief. The godly, though they may be fira awakened to turn from finby theft thorns in their fides, and yokes on theirnecks, yet they flaynot in there ; but they have more Noble and Divine grounds why they turn from fin ; And they are: Fielt, The °fenceandjnfldifpleafare that is givenGod, by their i.fliguities : Oh this prevaileth with them, more then all external punilhmenrs in theworld : Alas, what is fword, or death, or hell it fell, to Gods frowns, to Gods dif- pleafures ? Thus David inhis converfion to God, after his grievous relapfe, is affefted with this, Againfi thee, theeowl, have I finned, and done this evil in thy tight, Pfal.5 r. It wasnot lofs of childe, and manyother fadchaftifements that followed him and his pofferity, did fo much affeft him as this ; Hehad difpleafed God, and done evil inhis fight : This is a fure and everlafing ground, thofe that walk by this rule, will never prove a deceitful bow. Secondly, They tarnfrom fin, becaufe ofthe contrariety it bath to thepure, fpir= Nealand holy Lawof God : And this is a Pure fign of a trueconvert, whena man turneth fromhis fin, becaufe of the enmity and repugnancy it bath CO the holy Commandmentof God: This is to leave fin, becaufe of the nature of it, and for its fells fake. Hence though Godhadnot confirmed his Law by any threat- nings, or made it penal in loch an high way of punifhment, yet the heart of him, who thus tarneth to God, could not dole with it, or imbrace it. The Apoffle maketh thevery nature of fin to lie in this, that it is a tranfgreffionof the Law : Now then when a man fhall leave fin, not onely becaufe it bath the cartesand the punifhment of theLaw, but becaufe its the tranfgrefffon of the Law; this is a good fign. You may behold this excellent difpofition in `Paul; Rom.. What is that which makes him fo fadly bewail his captivity and thral- dom to fin? fee the motive, Becaufe the LawWas holy and fpirittal, and he Was carna!: The purityof the Law, and the impurity of his fpirit, madefuchan- guífb and conflilhs in his foul: Oh thenconfider, what is that which lets thy foul on turningfrom fin, is it meetlyan external punifhment, not the loachfom andcontrary nature offin, to Gods pure commands ? this is not compleatand fincere; it doth not argue thy turning to be froma true inward principle, but from external violence : Evenas thewheel in themil,moveth as long as the force of thewaters compel) it, butwhen they ceafe, then the wheel cealeth ; all fee this motion is not natural, but violent; fo it ishere, as long as the watersof aff itlions areupon thee, they let the wheel of thy heart moving in prayer and other duties, but when there are dryed up, then thou ftandeft immoveable inthyfins. Oh then hunger and thirft for this frame of a trueconvert, that thoumayeftfay, OLord, though finbath fo many incitements of pleafureand carnal advantageon onehand; and though it bath fo muchwrath and terror on theother hand, yet neither of thefe prevail fo much with me, as becaufe fin is contrary to fo exalt a rule, oppofite to fo heavenly a principle : He that can upon.good grounds fay this, needeth not doubtofthe integrityof hisheart. Thirdly,Thc treeConvert leaves hiefin and tarnethfrom it,becaufeof love to God, and thofe graces Whichfin cloth thwart : re that love the Lord, hate evil; hate that Which is evil, andcleave to that Which isgood,Rom, s z. Men may turn from fin, andyet love it for all that ; they part with it, becaufe fin is either taken from them, or they from it : Who canfay, but that Pharaohs difmiffion ofthe people of Ifrael, waswholly agáinft his will ? had it not been for the (harp rod onhis back, he wouldnever have yileded ; now all thefe things are by forceand con- firaint : But as Godloves a willinggiver, fo he loveth a willingforfaker of his fins, one that doth it with love and delight in him. When two things arefro- Maud congealed together, they may eitherbe violently feparated by forcible Ooo a breaking
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