70o chap. 39.. An Expofition upon the © B. . Verf.27, and ftoutneffe of their hearts ( great men efpecially are much fubje& to) refuted to obey and followGod , and therefore his wrath followed and brake them. They turned hack,from his; 1`-ruin There is a two-fold turning back ; Fir f}, Corporali ; Secondly, Trerbum d ver- Morali or fpirituaIl , none. can corporally turn back fromGod, bo; de P°11 all though force attempt it ; towhat hiding place foeverwe turn our ttfunbi, fcorta- i felves, we cannot be hid from him who lilleth every place ?. But s, de pool there are many who morally turnback and depart from the living dnminum.i. e. y y p deferio domino. God. Sinners would turn their perfons back fromGod, and hide their heads,, they would get quiteout of his fight and reach, though they cannot ; but all of them turn back from God in their hearts. In two refpeets Snners ingenerali, may be fayd to turne back fromGod; Firft, when he commands and they will not obey him, or withdraw-their obedience from his commandements ; Second- ly, when he entreates and invites them, and they will not come to him, nor accept his tendered refpe&s and favours. Thus the Lord complained of his owne people ( Pfair 81. r i.) 1fraelwould none time ; God wooed them , but theyhad other lovers, and after them they,would gee;, even IJraci lightlyregarded the God of Ifrael, yea they made a defe&ion from him. More diflin&ly.. There isa three-fold turning backfromGod,or theywhoturne backfrom.God are of three forts.. Firft , There is a turning back fromGod , by thofe who have openly followed him, or made profeflion ofhis name ; Thus hy- pocrites and formalifts turne back fromGod. This the Scrip- ture calls back-fliding, revolting, and going a whoring fromGod.. Such as theee,, are like perfidious Souldiers,:who enter and lift themfelves in an,Army,marching with them fora while,&caking. their pay, yet foon after forfake their colours, and turn to the enemy : Thusmany apoaatize fromGod to the Devill,and to the ereature,pr(as Paul fayd ofpemas)tlseyforfakeChrifi andembrace this prefent world. Luther was charged by his enemies that he . was an Apoftate, and he acknowledged, he was, but he thanked God for ir, he indeed turned back from what he did once pro feffe,but it was to abitterprofeflion ;he did nor turne from,God to.the.world,.buthe . turned from theworld.to God, and that's a. lleífed:
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