.4 a Z34 Verf,To. Expftion.Arx the Botkof J o a. Chap.. 36:; Secondly, Seeing,, as was touched in opening the words, this command isnot to be taken for a {landing Law,:. for fo God al wayes commands mento return from iniquity, but the commriand . here is a renewed aCI or a fpecial difpenCation,rhere is,as it were,. a frefhcommand blued, when aman is under the afflicting hand. of God. Hence Note;: Ged reinforceth or reneweth his censmartd to return fromfrrr, its often aÆ 1t, renelweth our a it áons.. That we return from iniquity, isa flanding,an everlafling Law, . but when we are in affliction,, then there is, as it were, a frefh E- ditionof the command, 'cis, as I may fay, new printed and pro- claimed , the fetters print this command upon our heels, and the cords upon our hands ,. that we return from ïnigu'ty, Thirdly, Note; ¡nigstity zs a vain, thin,, it is a nothing. Shall we not then return-from it ? one would think a little per- fwafon might ferve the turn to haften our return from a nothing, and fall not acommand do it ? when I fay a nothing, remember, ( as was fhewed ) fin is no fuch thingas you look upon it ro be where are the profits that you have reaped by fin ? where are the contentsand pleafures that you have taken by fin ? the profit, the pleafure,.and content of finare nothing, there is no advantage to be hadby fin. Sin is fbmething in the ill effectsof it if you would have paine, and difhoncnr,and reproach, you may have enough of k in fin, and you will find fin a foenething in that fenfe ; but fin is a nothing, that is, no fuch thing as you expect and_look for , and the.reforebe perfwaded to return from ir. Laftly, Prom the whole text take notice of the purpole of God, what he hath in his heart, whenhe aff#iaeth his people, the righteous, for their iniquities and faylingr,fo: their faults and un- even walkings. The (cope of God in all this, is not their hurt,but good ; it is not to defiroy them for their fin, but ro deftroy their iin; it is not to withdrawhimfelf from them, but to draw them nearer tobimfelf; all the hurt that the Lord intends us by any affl'iftien, is but to get out our drofs, and to fetch out our filth, co bring us offfrom thole things that, will undo and ruine us for ever.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=