Downame - BV209_D69_G6_1640_v1

The fixth petition expounded. 391, care to prevent finne, and an endeavour to refift it and the provocations thereof. Art thou waíhed from finne:' take heed thou be not again defiled therewith : As the Spoufe faith in the Canticles, chap 5.3. I have warned b my feet; how /hould l again defile them:' Hath Chrifl juflified and freed thee from the curfe of thy finner fl'and fafl in this liberty which Chrift bath purchafid for thee, and be not again intangled in this yoke ofbondage, Gal. 5. I. For he that committeth finne is a fervant of finne. Far be it from us to abufi this liberty as an occafion to the f efi, Gal. 5. r 3. as though being freed from finne we might finne morefreely.No,we are taught the con- trary I. Pet. 2.24. Luke i. 74. Neither may we think, as fecure men do, that ahoi becaufe we are perfwaded that our finnes are for- aom tithe given by Chrift we are fafe from finne and need not devil tempt! fear the allurements thereof, and therefore not cth. Oland upon our watch and ward, but live in fecurity. For tentation unto finne is a confequent of remitli- on of finne: Whom the Lord loveth the devil ha- teth: whom the Lord draweth unto himfelf and pulleth into the kingdome of grace, him the devil laboureth to pluck back again by all means. There- fore if a man be not tempted at all, it is a fearfull finne that the Throng man poffeífeth flail his hold, becaufe all is in quiet : Whereas contrariwife, to be troubled with tentations , is an argument of Gods favour, if alfo we have grace to refift them. Satan fighteth not with thofe that be under his bondage and fight as it were in his camp ; but thofe that are fouldiers under the banner of Chrifl, they muff C c 4 look