Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5037 .F46 1651

The ,yrof eft Self-murder. 43 thou canft not quicken thy felfe,bút wilt thou not fet a -' bout the means? This turneth the Lords anger, and his an- ger is very reafonable. Fourthly, Gods offer of his Kingdome to the wicked is 4 "bps. . ferious ; if they were fenfelefs and quite dead, and could do nothing, his offer were not ferrous : fhould a man offer a hundred pound to a dead carcafs, here is a hun- dred pound for you ; if you'l take it, I'le give it you. This offerwere not ferious, becaufe the dead carcafs is not able to flit, but is fenfelefs. True, in matter of con- verfion it felt, a mars is as dead as a carcafs. Neverthe- lets he is not abfolutely a dead carcafs to all ufe of the means; he bath the life of nature, and reafon, and of fenfe and therefore when God offers his Kingdome in themeans, this offer is ferrious. Turn you at my reproofe; behold, I will pour out my fpirit unto you, Prov. 1.23. He fpeaks there even of and all, and he ferioufly offers them bis.fpirit; and .therefore they might have gone about .the means, but they would not; Vocatio Dei eft feria, as our Divines do all fay; and therefore the means he appointeth may be ufed. Fiftly, becaufeGods reproofs are very equall. Should a 5 Arga. man reprove a triple for not running, this reproofe were not equall, becaufe he is not ,able to do it. I grant, when God reproves the wicked for being fsnfull, filch reproofes are all equall though they be not able to be Note, without fin: butthenequality is grounded upon fom- thing before, namely, upon their voluntary apo ftacy and inability in Adam. But when God reproves them for not Petting about the means, his reproofes then are very equall,and the equality is grounded upon their wilfulnefs prefent. Willye not fear me, Cayes God ? I do this and this; marke, his reproofe is very equall. God reproves Ifrael for not obferving his Statutes,faying, TheStatutes ofOmri are kept, cfrfic. 6.16. You can obfervekis fa- tutes ; why cannot you fet about mine ? he Pets up a Temple, you can go conft antly to it, why cannot you H '- go

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