236 yap. 22. 4n Exp-¡ítiorruptn theBook,sf JO B. Verf. 2;. meaning is, thy ruindRate (halt be repaired, and thou (halt have not onely a beautiful', but a wel foundation'd felicity. Hence note ; It is no vain nor unprofitable thing to repent and turne to the. e4llmight y. lfwe by repentance pull downe the ftreng holds of fin, if we forfake and lay wafte our lints, the Lordwill build us up, he will . build us up with all manner of Wettings; repentanceis fruitful' There are many who profeffe they repent,but they doe not bring forth fruits meet for repentance; hut as true repentance is accom- panyed with our fruits ofholineffe and obedience towards God, to with Godo fruits, the fruits of his love and r'herey towards us,' There is a kind ofrepentan:ceio hell, there's weeping, wailing,and gnafhingofteeth, but that's a fruitlefle repec:tarce, as well as a f;ai:hleffe repentance; the damned are under chains ofeverlafting darkneffe. U.lfound repentance, or the repentance of hypocrites in this life, is like ti e repentance ofthe damned in the next life, but true repentance is fruirfull. If we as the Baptift exhorted the. 7erxes (Math. 3.) Bring forthfruit meetefor repentance, out re- pentance will bring forth fruit meet for us ; u e!hall have good things of all forts, if we forrow (as the Apofile faith the Corin- shia*s did)after a godly fort;godly forrow is rewarded with joy., ifwe humble our !elves, God will lift us up. The forrows ofGo. fix' repentance, are like the forrows ofa woman in trnvaile, who (as Chríft fpeakes ?oh. 16. 2t.) flraight wayforgets her paint for joy that a man is borne into the world. The pangs and throws of godly forrow are therefore fail by the Apoltle to caufe repen. tance not to be repented of, becaufe that repentance brings forth joy to be rejoycedin, a mafeuline joy, joy that a man-childe of Grace to build upour fpirituall houle is brought into the world, 1fthou returne to the Allmighty, than!halt be built ill)., And Thou ¡halt put iniquityfarrefrom thy tabernacles. Theword imports, firft, putting away with indignation : fe- condly, puttingaway to the utmoft diftance : therefore we tran. ilate, put atvayfarce ; 'tis but twowords in theOriginal!: Them (halt put iniquitie farce, &c. Iniquity may betaken either for in s or for the.effeçftsof fin that is,punifbment,if we take it in the firkt
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