X46 SERMONS upon Serm.41. the are the Children of God. The Sp'y;it obeyed as a Sanaifier, will loon become a Comforter, and fill our Hearts with a fence of the Love of God. 3. Take heed of all Sin, efpecially hainous and wilful Sins. Ifa. 99. 2. Tour Iniqui- ties have feparated between you and your God, and your Sims have hid his Face from you that he will not hear. EpheC 4.30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are foaled to the day of Redemptive. Otherwife you may lofe the fenfe of God's Love once evidenced. Men that have been lifted up to Heaven in Comfort, have fallen almoft as low as Hell in forrow, trouble, and perplexity of Spirit. One Frown of God, or withdrawing the Light of his Countenance, will quickly turn our Day into Night ; and the poor forfaken Soul, formerly fealted with the fence of God's Love, knoweth not whence to fetch any Comfort and Support. Secondly g i (hall leek to comfort them that have but the Effets, not the Senfe. For many ferious Chriftians will fay, Bleffed are they who are in Chrift, whom God loveth as he loved Chrift; but what is this to me, that know not whether I have any part in him or no ? To thefe I will fpeak two things. :. What Comfort yet remaineth. 2. Whether thefe be not enough to evidence they have Come part in Chrift. e. What may yet ftay their Hearts. (1.) The Foundation of God fäll ftandeth Cure. The Lord knoweth thofe that are his, 2 Tim. 2. 19. He knoweth his own, when fome of them know not they are his own i he feeth his Mark upon his Sheep, when they fee it not themfelves. God doubteth not of his Intereft in thee, tho thou doubteht of thy Intereft in him ; and you are held fatter in the Arms of his Love, than by the Power of your own Faith; as the Child is furer in the Mother's Arms, than by it's holding the Mother. (2.) Is not God in Chrift willing to thew Mercy to Penitent Believers ? or to mani- felt himfelf to them, as their God, and reconciled Father ? Did not his Love and Grace find out the Remedy before we were born ? And when we had lived without God in the World, he fought after us when we went aftray t he thought on us, when we did not think on him; and tendred Grace to us, when we had no mind and heart to it. Ifa. 65. t. I am fought of them that asked not for me, I am found of them that fought me not. (3.) Haft thou not vifibly entred into the Bond of the Holy Oath, and confented to the Covenant, ferioufly at leall, if thou canft not fay f ncerely ? Or dolt thou refolve to continue in Sin, rather than accept of the Happinefs offered, or the Terms required ? then thou haft no part in Chrift indeed. But if thou dareft not refufe his Covenant, but chearfully fubmitteft to it, then God is thy God. Zech. 13. 9. I will fay, It is my People; and they fhhall fay, The Lord is my God. If thou confenteft that Chrift (hall be thy Lord and Saviour, thou art a part of the renewed Eftate, whereof Chrift is the Head. (4.) If thou wanteft a fence of his Love, becaufe of thy manifold Failings, it is unreafonable to think that all will end in Wrath, which was begun in fo much Love. If he expreffed Love to thee in thy unconverted Eftate, and bath brought thee into God's Family, will he deftroy thee, and turn thee out again upon every atual un- kindnefs ? The Lord doth gently queftion with Jonah in his Fret ; Dolt thou well to be angry a Jonah 4.9. When the Difciples fell afleep in the Night of Chrift's Agony, he doth not fay, Ye are none of mine, becaufe ye could not watch with me one hour; but rather excufeth it, Mat. 26.4x. The Spirit indeed is willing, but the Flefls is weals, This great Love of God overcometh all the unkindnefs of his Children. 2. What may evidence they are concerned in this Love. (1.) There is force change wrought in you ; thou art now no defpifer of God and his Holy Ways ; the Heart of thy Senfuality, Pride and Worldlinefs, is broken, tho too much of it 1ä1l remaineth in thee. Now it is good to be in the way to a further Progrefs; and we begin with Mortification : 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any Man be in Chrift, he is a new Creature : old things are pad away, behold, all things are become new. Every change for the better, is either the New Creature, or a Preparation to it. (2.) TheGift of the Sanaifying Spirit is more prized by thee, than all the Riches and Honours in the World. Now without Holinefs, we cannot efteem Holinefs, and pratically prefer it above other things. God loveth Chrift as he bore his Image ; fo he loveth us, we are fealed by the Mark of the Spirit. Pfal. x06. 4. Nemember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearefi unto thy People : 0 vilit me with thy Salvation.
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