Z EPH. lL 1, 2, ~· confefTing that if he will hang thee up, hemay. He !hall need no other Judge to condemn thee th tb,y felf; no other lndtctment, but thtne own confellton; and to !hew, that h ed'ed not to fend for thee and hale thee to Execution, thou prefenteO:thy If to him. Tell him, that he may /hew Ius Julltce on thee, if he will; and prefent thy naked BreaH, thy hateful Soul~. as a But and Mark for him, if he picafe to /hoot his Arrows tnto, and fl1eath _Ills Sword 10. Only de– fire him to remember, that he fl1eathed IllS Sword lirll tn the bowels of IusSon, .zacb.r l·7· when He made his Soul rm offeringfo~ Si11, Take words tmtothy[elf, as Hofeah bids, Chap.r 4· 2.(he)oves to be entreated.) That if his end be, that his Jullice !hould be fatislied on thee; fay, that his Son bath done it, and that more fully <than thou ever lhalt, if thou go prefently to Hell. He may caO: thee into Prifon; but fay, T ilqu art not able ever to pay the debt: fo as he may, if he pleafe, lofe nothmg .by thee tf he faves thee. Na)', . he !hall advance the glory of hts Grace 10 one that wtll be evet· thankful, and is already ferry for offending him. Plead for thy felf, .it is tor thy life, That what lhall he do in dr1mniug of thee, but break a leaf t hr1t is brokm already, as Job pleads. Job 13. 25. 'Pttrjue dry Stt1b6le, as there; Chaff, as here in the Text. Say, Thou art not a lit match for him to 01ew his power in. Urge him , That there are but few in the World that do feek him, ~nd if he rum away thofe that do, he {hall have fewer. Who would fear him, if there were not Mercy with him. Soft wordspaczfie wrath, Prov.rs.r. aud[oft tongt:es bre,rk tbe bones; and fo a meekned Spirit, a heart of Rocks; much more his who bath bowels of CompafTion in him. Oh! fc:>r God to hear a poor broken Soul thus truly bemoa11i11g it felf,how doth it O:ir him, make his bowels work within him! See what himfelf faies Jer. 31. ,g, 1 9, 2o.Whm I heard Ephnzim bemoaui11g himfelj; I rmumber him fli!l,my /;oweIs are troubled for him. Every groan went to the heart of him; if he ·1hould have damn'd him, it would have troubled him all his daies. But withal, youmuO:befure (which is the Fourth) to feek Righteottfoufs : Both of Jullification, God'r Righteou{ilffs, as 'Davidoften coils it,CllriO:'s Righ• teoufnefs, The Lord ottr Righteoufiufs, as the Prophet. A Righteoufnefs out of thy felf, and laid hold upon by Faith, as Rom. J, 4, and 5th Cbapters, you have .urged as being wirnelfed unto both by the Law and the Prophets. And m!IJ~ this is God's flrmgtb, whereby his Heart is O:rengthned to forgive and receive Sinners. So in l(ai.Jl. 1. To whom is the Arm of tbe L ord rev ealed , that is Chrifl, of whom he fpeaks throughout that Chapter. This Righteoufnefs,whe~ revealed by an Interpreter, 1ob.JJ. 23. to a poor Soul, and fought by him, and pleaded by him; then God is gracious to him , and faies, Deliver him, for 1 have found a Rrmfom, which this Soul feeks m0 in; for he will render tmto mafl his Rigbteonfnefs which belongs to him, and was wrought for him to juO:ifie him. Secondly, Of Sanctification. For, l fay, The work of Rigbteoufnefs is peace. For fo long as thyfins rrmailz how can there 6e peace. And lfai. 5'i· 6. Seek ; ·e the Lord,f~c. but let the wicked man forfake hzsway; that is, clunge his out– ward converfc and courfe; and unrighteous man forj,zke biJ thouf!.hts, that is, get his heart changed alfo to have new dcfires, purpoles, ends and affections, and he will h.1ve mercyupon him. And get a Righreoufnefs contrary unto thy former waies and thoughts; which if you ask, what that true Righteoufnefs is? l An• fwer, r. That true and newRighttou(izef< i1z tby heart thou muO: fcek, is, a new bent bias and temper of heart, rightly difpofing, fwaying all the faculties and powers of ir, to hate whatfoever is known or fufpected to be a fin; and on the contrary, inclining them to love and delight in thofe contrary waies of Holi– nefs and Righteoufnef• God hath chalked out in his Word, and all this tor God's Caufe; hating the fin, becaufe he hates it; loving the R.ighteoufnefs, becaure Le loves it. This is that which in•your Hearts is required; and therefore to feek it Secondly, l11 Lz[e, is to endeavour to the utmol\ of a man's !\rmgth to yield conO:ant obedience to all. God's Commands, and avoid the_ contrary. To fecit after and dehght m nothtng more than when thou·canO: av01d fm, and do what is acceptable
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