Edwards - BX7230 .E4 1746

PART III, of gracious Off? lions. 289 vour beJhewed to the Wicked, yet will he not learn Righteoufnefs ; in the Land ofUprightnefs will he deal unjujily. Ifai. 35. 8. ./Ind an High- way(ball be there, anda Way, and it Jhall be called the Way of Holinefs, the Unclean(hall not pats over it. Hof. 14. 9. The Ways of the Lord are right, and the yuft(hall walk in them ; but the Tranfgreffrs (hallfall therein. Job 27. 8, 9, io. What is the Hope ofthe Hypocrite ?---- Will he delight himfelf in the 1llmighty? Will he always call upon God? An unfanctified Man may hide his Sin, and may in many Things and for a Seafon refrain fromSin ; but he will not be brought finally to renounce his Sin, and giveit a Bill ofDivorce : Sin is too dear to him, for him to be willing for that : LL'ickednefs is fweet in his Mouth ; and thereforehe hides it under his Tongue ; hefpares it andforfakes it not ; but keeps itJlill within his Mouth, Job 2o. 12, 13. Herein chiefly con- fills the Straitnefs of the Gate, and the Narrownefs of the Way that leads to Life; upon the Account of which, carnal Men will not go in thereat,viz ; That it is aWay of utterly denying,and finally renoun- cing all Ungodlinefs, and fo a Way of Self-denial or Self-renunciation. " one is as much as ever they can follow or tend ; they are 64 forced at laft to put off one, and they muff neglea one ; fo " here.-----That Spirit of Sloth and Slumber, which the Lord " ever leaves the belt Hypocrite to, fo mightily oppreffeth all " their Senfes, that they cannot ufe effectually all Means to ac- " complilh their Ends. And hence a Man defires the End, " but has it not ; Prov. 13. 4." Shepard's - Parable, Part I. p. 15o, 151. gg Read thro' all theScripture ; conflantly, never any Hypocrites " but they had this Brand, Matth. 7. 23, You Workers of hi- " quity." Shepard's Parable, Part I. p. 195. c' A carnal Man may hit upon fome good Duty that God corn- " mands, and refrain fome Sin that God forbids ; but to go 44 through, he cannot to take up Reproach and Difgrace, to Gt lofe his Credit, to forfake his Friends, to lofe Honour, and 44 Riches &Pleafures ; this he will not do,'till he be humbled." Dr. Prefion, on Paul's Converfion. g So it is with Men, becaufe they want Humiliation. Therefore " their Profefon and They do not continue, but part willingly " one from another. They will do fame Things, but not all Things : And they will forego fome Things, but not all cc Things. And therefore our Saviour faith, Luke 14. He that 44 will notforfake allfor my Sake, is not worthy of Me. He is cc not worth the laving, that prizes not me above all Things " whatfoever. And a Man will not prize Chrift, nor forfake `c all Things for Chrift, 'till he be humbled." Ibid. U Many

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