Book IV. WICKED MEN COMPARED TO CAPTIVES. s A I N T s COMPARED TO p R I E s T s. And bath made us unto our God Kings and Prie.fts, &c. Rev. v. 10. But ye are a chofw Generation, a boly Prie.fthood, &c. 1 Pet. ii. 9· GOD's People are called l'rie.fts, and an holy_ Prie.fthood, as appears by thefe Scrip– tures. That of Kings fhews forth the D1gmty of the Samts, and thiS of Pne.fts refpects their Ol!ice and Work. P A R A L L E L ~ I. THE Priefts under the Law were fet apart, or confecrated to God, to attend him in his Service: So every true Chnft1an, God hath fet apart for hunfelf; he IS feparated from the World, and worldly Worft1ips, and finful Cultoms, to the holy Service of God. 'rhe Lord bath jet apart him that is godly for bimfelf, Pfal. iv. 3· 11. The Priefts under the L aw were admitted to approach near unto God; they had more perfetl: Knowledge of him, and holy Intimacy with him, than others: So the Saints are a People near to God: Ye who Jometinzes were afar off, are made nigh by the Blood of Chrift, Eph. ii. I 3· T hey have more perfetl: and clear Knowledge of God than others, and mor,· precious Fellowfhip and Communion with him. Ill. The Pricfts offered Sacrifices to Gocl : So the Saints offrr up fpiritual Sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jefus Chril\. I. They offer up their Bodies and their Spi– rirs, a broken and a contrite Heart. 2. They offer up their Prayers upon that golden A ltar, which is as fw eet lncenfe in the Nnftrils of God. 3· They offer their Sub– fiance as God calls for ir, which is a Sacrifice well-pleafing in his Sight. 4· T hey offer up Praifes: Whofo offereth Praife, glorijieth me; and to him that ordereth his Conve~fation aright, will Ijhe-w the Salvation of God, Pjal. 1. ult. N F E R E N C E S. I. SAINTS are Priefts, not typical Priefts, but a royal Priefthood, better than the Prielts under the LaVI ; they arc fpiritual Priefts, they offer up fpiritual Sacri– fices, &c. 11. Their Perfons, as well as their Sacrifices, are accepted of God, through Jefus Chrift; if the Perfon be not fantl:ified, the Offering is not accepted: For their Sakes Jantlify I >nJ'fe!f, that they alfo migbt be Jantlijied through the Truth, John xvii. ' 9· lll. Let all take heed they offer not the Lame and the Blind, when they have a Kid in the flock. My Sou, git•e me thy Heart, Prov. xxiii. 26. WICKED MEN COMPARED TO CAPTIVES. Proclaim Liberty to the Captives, !fa. lxi. I. For I perceive that thou art in theCal! of Bitternefs,and in theBond ofIniquity, Ailsviii. 23; Even fo we, when we were Children, were in Bondage under the Elements of the World, Gal. iv. 3· For this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and anf.vereth unto Jerufalem, which is, and is now in Bondage with her Children, Gal. iv. 25. And that they may reco"Jer lhemfelves out of the Snare of the De·vil, who are taken captive by bim at his /J?i/1, 2 'l'im. ii. 26. And deliver them, who through fear of Death were all their Life·time Jubjec7 to Bondacre, Heb. ii. 1 5· " While they promife themfolves Liberty, they themfelves are the Servants of Cormption ; for of whom a Man is overcome, of the fame is he brought into Bondage, 2 Pet. ii. 1 9· CORPORAL Bondage or Captivity is as much as to fay, Slavery ann Thraldom under fome Tyrant, or cruel Enemy, that oppreffeth : And irom thefe Scriptures it is evident, that wicked Men, or fuch as are in the State of Nature, unconvered, are in a State of Bondage, they are fpiritual Slaves or Captives. And in opening the Bondage.ftate the Ungodly are in, I fhall fhew, ( 1.) To whom they are, or may be faid to be in Bondage. 9 H (2.) How
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