168 A SERMON on And this God exped~ ere he deliv~rs you. In Jer.29. he had promifed to keep them fafe m the Captivity, yet he bids thero pray to the Lord for it,v.7. and that after 70 years he would return them,v.ro. yet fays he, 1o~jhallgo a11d call upon me, mtdpray to me,aNd I will htarken; )"M,)'ejha!! jrek me, mu/findme, whm yrfoal! Jeekfor mrwith a!Jyour hrart, v.u,q. And fo much for jeelung the Lord. The.Second Gene~al Head commended to t~e Godly, is, [eeki11g Righteouji 11 (s, winch IS meant of R1ghteoufnefs of Ju!bficauon · which is called the Righteouj1/t{s of God, that t;f Chrift It is moft nece!fa;y to get a!furance of that, and to get your ConfCience fpnnkled With his Blood, as the Doors of the People of I{rael were with the Blood of the Lamb, and fo God paft them by when he de-. !lroycd others; for that pacifies the wrath of God only. Ifai. 32. r. Behold r1 Ki11g {halt rttg11 m rzghttot~{iufs,f!ic. A11d a man, namely Jefus Chrift, jhalt be as art hid111g plact from the Wmd, a covert from tht Tempefl; M Rtven 0 ( waters i11 a dry place, a• the fhadow of agreat Rock i11 a weary Land, to lhel– ter thee, and cool thee, and cover thee from God's wrath, when he rains down Snares. Kifs tht So11, as well as the Father, tejl ye perijh, Pfal.2. Or, Secondly, if meant of the Righteoufnes of Sandilication : Tt is alfo need– ful, to pradice the Duties of Repentance and new Obedience more than ever; for overflowing, it jholt ovrrjlow with Righteott[nejs, as he faid, Iji1i. 10: 22. Ezeko14·•+ As, Fi>·J1, To turn from fin, put a flop to that; for this is that which makes God angry, lfai. 42. 11ft. why is .'facobgiven up to fpoil, and God's jitry bttrtl M fire, is it. not becaufe they have finned; Si11 is the fuel of this Fire, and makes a man Tinder to aJudgment, that the lea!l: fpark take prefently. And, Seco1tdly, The end why God affiids us is, to take away the Sin. Ifai. 27. 7,8,9. By this it jhatl be pttrged; therefore make ufe of le!fer affiidions afore– hand, .as Purges to work it out, that God may not be provoked to give a fironger, both to take away the humors and purge alfo. You fee that is all his end to take away fin, this is all the fruit, Do it aforehand, and you prevent him. And if you will not take your fins away, know God will take you away, for cleanfe a Land at one time or other he will, Ezek. 23, 48. Atthe 47th verfe, they fhould bef1o11ed, C!lc, and Thtu wilt I caufe lewdtufs to ceafe ottt of the Lmtd. If you will not caufe it to ceafe by fevering it and your perfons, God will take the Perfons themfelves away fo to purge the fin away. And fo I{ai, r 42 3.if they would not fweep their hearts themfelves, but let heaps of filthy Thoughts, Speeches,Defireslie, T will come with my Bejom and cleanfe all for you; but it !hall be the Bejomof 'Dejlruf1io11. Let every man therefore put a !lop to Sin; as they reafoned, 2 Cor.28. q. have we notji1l fltottgh alre<Idy; Efpecially preferve thy felf from the fin thou art moft addided to, whether by cuftome or inclination, be it a difpofition of Pride, Worldly lufts, Uncleannefs, Idlenefs. As 'David in the 18thPfalm, which he makes in the day that he was delivered from all his Enemies, as appears by the the Title; and v.•7,•9· He delivered me from my f1rong EIJe· m,., ~c. and why, becaufe he kept clofe to God, did not wickedly depart from him, if he did, It was wenknefs rather than wickednefs, v. 21. I have put away none of his Statutes, and I have ktpt my(elf from my l11iq11ity. And fothe King of Ni11iveh, Jo•wh 3.8. bade the People turn everf one from his Evil way; and becaufe OpprejJio11 was the chiefeft /in, he mentions that; Violence in their Land. And God delivered them you know. Worldlioefs and Unjuft dealing, and feeking Riches and Honours, and Great things, is of all other the moft vain at fuch times as thefe; when as thou knoweft not how foon it may be all one with the Bt')'tr and the Set/er, as !{at. 74.2. that is, both have a like bargain, for the Enemy comes and rakes away both. And dojl thofl ftek great thi11gs for thy jdj? fays .'ferernJ'tD Barttch, 'jer·45·5· projeding great matters, when T am a rooting up all thrngs 111 the Land, Is this a tmte, as he faid to Grhczai, 2 Ki11g. )· 26. to rectt'Vf Vmr· .J'ards, C!lc. Take
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