Durham - BV4615 D87 1732

z o: sermon 5. and Iipned to, if any might be fb; but, all flefh is gra frq faith the Holy Gholt, which holds true in tome refpeet even of believers, as well as of others : This preacheth ,end proclaimeth man's infirmity, when moti eminent be- lievers are not exeemed from falling into mdfakes, and from continuing therein. zdly, Jr may be fo ordered, to make all others walk in fe <,r, and to ttudy watchfulnefs, the more, and withal to lippen let's to themfelves, and more to God : Theft things (f Sys the apoff le, i Cur. io, (peaking before of the mifcarriages of God's profeflìng people ; from every degree whereof it is hard to fay, that the godly themfelves were abfolutely exempted) were written for our admonition ; wherefore let bim that thinketb be flandeth, take heed left he fall > in his fecret and deep wildom he letteth fomething be difcovered, and emerge, as well as written, that all, even believers as well as o- thers, may take warning, left they flip and lofe their feet when they are not taking heed. idly, The Lord may have fome more particular defigns in this, tho' they may be much out of our fight ; and tho' men be under the rule of his word, and fhould not walk by thefe things as rules ; yet he will exercife his fpntlefs adorable rove reignty in profecuting his own holy ends and defigns by mens flips, errors and failings, without being reached with any the leaf tinaure or touch of pollution by them, or of culpable acceffionto them : As in that failing of the Patriarch.r,he often holily promoved the accomplifhment of his promife to dbrahanm, concerning the multiplication of his feed, tho' that end did not warrant them in their ptherwife unwarrantable practice ; for he made the pro- mile of iNcreafe and multiplication, when there were but two : And it is not unworthy the remarking, that even there who had manyeff wives had feweft children fume- times as we may fee in Solomon ; tho' yet at forme other times God promoved his promife that way, even as fome- times from other things fulfill, as in Judah's falling in inceff with rlhamar his daughter -in-law, he promoved moved the performance of the promife concerning the Leff ah his incarnation. zdiy, For the exercife of his Peo- ple, and particularly of his minifters, he will fometime* fur_

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