Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v12

Chap. 3g_ an Expofitionttpon theBookofJ o s. Vets. 3 t. 243 Orion 2 Hence learn, fira, in general. Cold is a binder, a great and mighty binder. Winter binds the earth frombearing, and it binds thehands of iatenfrom working ; when a man is extream cold he can snake littleuft of his hands. And as Natural, fo Spiritual cold is a great binder.A cold heart is a boundheart. When the heart bath in it no heat of love to God,or bath not been heated with a fence of the love of God: when the heart bath in it no heat of zeal for the glory of God, nor for the good of men ; when thefe fad colds are upon the heart, 'cis bound indeed. He that bath this cold upon him, can fay but little to God ; and will fay, and do lets for God : He is bound not only hand and foot, but tongue alfo. Take heed of cold upon your hearts, it will hinder you from holy a&ivity, bind you up from duty both towards God and man. He that is onlyLuke-warmwill do God little fervice, can do none that is pleating and acceptable unto God ; but he that is key-cold, as we fay, neither will, nor can do any thing at all, that may becalled Service. _ TheApoffle Paul (AEís zo. az.) was bound in the Spirit to go to Jerufalem, which was a great fervice for Chrift ; that is, The heat of true affe&ion, which the inftinEl of the ho- ly Spirit caufed in him, engaged him beyond all power of re- vocation to undertake that hazardous journey. But wheti anyare bound in fpirit by the coldnefs of their at%&ions to Chrift, they always prove hand-bound and foot-bound, I may fay (without affe&ation according to the ufe of that word in our language ) hide-bound alfo, as to any thing that is good ; efpecially, if it be (as it was in the Apoflles cafe now mentioned) either daa- gerous or colily. And when a foul is in thofe bands of the My- fliedOrion, the evil fpirit, finely none but God can lode them, fetingnone but he can lode thefe in the Text. Canfit thou loofa thebandsofOrion, the Winter bands î Hencenote, Secondly, It se not in the proof manta loofa what Godbinds. TheLord put tke queflion to yob about his works, that he might fee his own weaknefs and utter inability toundo his pro- vidential workings t WhenGodhad ß`ób' in bonds, it was not in I i his

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