A Treatife of the AeíEions, 371 as ever ye be rifen with Chrift, do it, as he befeeches the Philipians. If there be therefore any confolation in Chrift, if any comfort of love, if any fellowfhip of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, Phil.z.r,z. q,d. as ever ye acknowledge any comfort in Chrift, as ever ye beleeve any communion of the holy Ghoft, any mercies and bowels in God, fulfill this exhortation : this is a firong perfwafion indeed, for if this cannot prevail with you, ye deny all the comforts of Chrift, ye deny all communi- on of the Spirit, ye deny all the mercies of God, and there- fore it is ftrong; as a mother counts it a ftrong entreaty to her childe; as ever thou art my childe, as ever thou takeft me to be thy mother, obey me in this; for if her childe will not yeeld,he muft needs deny the womb that bare him, and the paps that gave him fuck. Wilt thou deny the Lord Jefus ? wilt thou deny his refurreetion, and all intereft in it? if thou wilt not deny it, fet thine affections on God, as e- ver thou art rifen with Chrift, be Pure for to do it. Wilt thou fet thine affations upon the things of this world,when Chrift entreats thee as ever thou art his, to fet thine affe, h- ons on him ? Secondly, The Apoftle here perfwades by a ftrong argu- z. mentation ; for ye are dead, fayes he, verf 3. Set your a f e- Beczufe fiions on things above, not on things on the earth, for ye are we are dead, ye are dead to the thin s.of this life ; will ye fet your dead to ' g ' Y the chinos affections to thofe things ye are dead to ? ye are dead to of this the things of this life, if ye he Chrifts, and therefore fet world. not your affections on them ; mortati non mordent, as we fay, dead men bite not one another with flanders and re- proaches; did ye ever fee a dead man go up and down chin- king and howzing, whoring and gaming, and carking and caring ? I'le affoon beleeve tha t a dead man can do this as a true Chriltian. I confeffe that corruption may carry a good Chriflian into fin, but he is dead to thefe courfes, he I cannot fet.his affections hereon, he is .dead ; and will ye! fet your affections on the things of this world, now ye are Z 2 deadh v
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