476 Chap ro. AnExpofition upon theTi)ok of I O Be Verf:7a' Thirdly,that we {hall be well accepted and rewarded. Though men make ill requitals, and pay in bad,yea in bale coyn, yet every roan hhall receive of God according to what he is, and what his works are (Gen. 4. 7.) If thou daft well, Shalt thou not be ac- cepted? Lathy, It is a comfort to us, while we are uncertain about out own eílates, to know that God knoweth us. God hash a better opinion pf [bale men then they have of themfelves. Sonic do not only think, but judge and conclude themfelves wicked., when God knoweth that they are not wicked. The foundation ofGed ftandeth lure, baying this feat, The Lord knoweth who are his. Fourthly, Thou ksomeft that I am not wicked. Then obfcrve, To do wickedly, or to be wicked is inconfiftent withgrace. If Job had been .a wicked man, he had been a loft man. Sin is not inconfiflent with grace, but wickednels is. But youwill fay, What is WickedneCs ? And when is a man fo finful that he is to be numbred among the wicked ? To clear that, becaufe fob ventures all upon it. I anfwer , fir a, In every wicked man fin reigneth, that is,lin. !lath not only a being in him, but dominion over him ; he yield- tth ready and free obedience to it, as to his natural Lord, 'not a forced and involuntary obedience only, as to a tyrant. Our corn- rnittingof fin gives not the rule to fin : but our fubmitting to it. As a man may domany good things, and yet grace not reign and rule in his heart, fo it is poble for a man todo many evil things, . and yet not have fin rule in his heart. Aman may lay by the At. 'jogs of a Lin, and yet that be a reigning fin,and a man may fall in- to the ad of fin, and yet that no reigning fin.The reign offin or of grace are chiefly feen in that profeffed fubjefuion or religna- tion of our feives to the diL1ates and commands of grace or fin. No man can br at once Gods Son, and fins ferwant ; no nor at once a fervant to both. Secondly, A wicked man is a cuftomary firmer, he driveth a trade in fin. A godly man (pofhbly) may commit the fame fin again, yet the cuf'toen is broken, becaufe he putteth in a plea againfi fin, and often movcth God for power, not only againfi, but over it : if he attainnot this blared vif ory, yet he ceafeth not to complain, and pray, 0wretched man tthat I am, who
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