Clods Jim in his C orredions. 3 4.7 ButI Gay ( brethren ) this is that which God bath refpeft unto in all his provi- (ionsforhis p'eople,in the Inftitution ofall his ordinances ; their profit and benefit: and when he findeth any ordinance that is not for the benefit bf his people; though they be of his own inflitution, yet he takes them away ; therefore the Apoltle (peaking concerning theMofaical Rites and inftitutions of the Ceremonial Law , he calletn them uprofitable , and beQearly rudiments , and fo God himfelf counted of them, and for their uprofitablenefs, there was a gracious difanulment of them. But efpecially and above all, this will bemoll apparant ifwe cafl our eyesupon the a- Sending of Lord Jeliis, who is indeed ehe fubfiance ofourpreaching; and ofourreceiving the Ch into,ire Sacrament,and of all the ordinances of God,and of all his promifes:it is with refpeft natete.. to our profit that the Lordbath been pleafed to ordain him, both in refped ofhis perfon,and theconfiitutiön of that and in refped ofhis offices,end all his fatherly adminiftrations concerning him : a graciousorefped he hath had in all to the profit of his Church, as might appear in the feveral particulars. A body haft thou preparedfor me, ( faith he in the Pfalm ) why ? That Chrifl might be the more profitable to his people ; fitted thereby to convene with, and to communicate himfelf unto them. The wordmat madefefh, and therefore made 'fief', that be might dwell among us ; that there might be a meet cohabitation with him. , And as this was therefpedGod had in his incarnation, fo it was in all his humi- liation. What was the reafon that he was acquainted withforrows andgriefs, and miferies, both from God and men a but that he might be the more for our profit; that we might have a mere:MH hPriefl,thathe might the better know from expe- rience the:way to commiferate, andcompaffionatc his peoplein their diflrefs. Yea inhis death, in his reftirredion, in his-afcention, in his preferment at Gods right hand'; in all thereadminiftrations of God the Father concerninghis Son, he had a gracious refped to the good and profit, andbenefit ofhispeople. Again fecondly, confider all the appointments of God,his injundions,and com. a Io his corn. mands to his people ;' hedoth in all aim at their profit ; as it is in Dealt. AUthefe mand and so- thin s 1 command theefor thy good. TheLord re uireth nothing at his peoples ryn 8 f y 8 9 g P P Dcuc.to., ;. hands but it is for their profit : He calleth upon us to believe, it is that wemight have the profitofhis word and promifes. Hecalleth uponus to repent and to leave our finful wayes, ifthine eye offendthee pluc(it out, ifthine handoffend theecut itof, Mat Ç. 19. for it isprofitablefor thee that one ofthy membersfhouldperifli, andnot that thywhole body Jh000ldbe caJt into hell; he path an aimat our profit, we think hard of it (as we are naturally apt to do,through a deep affediou we bear to our bale lofts) that God fh ould come fo near tous and deal fo fiddly. withus, and to commandus to pluck out our eyes, and cut off our hands, that is, to part with ourdearefi corruptions; Alas (my brethren) ifGocrtaw that it were good for us, that it were for our profit to keep our lufls,be wouldnot take away one of them from us,but we Ihould have them (as I may fay ) with all his heart : but he knoweth that as they'are not for his glory,fo they are not for our profit,heteeth that there is not anygood to begot- ten by our retainingof them; therefore it is (I fay) that he is fo flrid inhis impo- fitions , that he fo often calleth upon his people to repent and to raft away theirfins. Thirdly and laftly, confiderall the adminiftrations ofGod to hispeople, and we 3. In his feve- fhall fee that in them all , he bath a refped to their profit. As for inftance : heis sal adrnioifica. pleafed to fullerfirtand corruption to remain in his fervants all the while they are bons. in this life, he could wholly take itaway and free them fromit, even in this world: r. Permitting tin to remain. But heknows thatit is for their profit to fuller theft In- mates, theft E'ananiter to remain that they may be as pricks in their eyes, and thornes in theirfides ; to make them the morewearyof the world, and the more defirous ofheaven. He is pleafed many times toifutfer his people to have fin not only tyranizingand z. Toprevail. ufurping, but prevailing againfl them ; but it is that thereby theymay, attain to a greater degreeofhumiliation. He fuffereth them fometimes to fall,for this very pur- pofethathe mightexalt them.He is pleated to permit theDevil to btiffet them,andto ufe
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