.Vert. 14. thefzxth Chapter of the ROMANS. g 5 he was to dwell alone till he was healed, v. 46. that is, he was deprived of Communion with God, till a through Cure was wrought in him. As it was in the Ordinances of the Law, fo it is true alto in the Gofpel : there is a difference between fins and fins, and fingers and fanners ; there is a difference between dimnefs of fight and blindnefs, between num- nefs and death, between want of fenfe and want of life, between flumbering and fleep- ing, between flipping into a ditch and tumbling our felves headlong into the mire : fo there is a difference between infirmities and iniquities , a failing out of ignorance and weaknefs, and force powerful temptation, and a running headlong into all ungodlinefs. Gods Children have their failings , but a burning and earneft defire to be freed from them , in others there is a wallowing in fin without any care of remedy ; in the one it is a failing in point of particular Duty; in the other a Rebellion. Judas and Peter both finned againft their Mailer , the one denied him , the other betrayed him, the one was overcome by fear, the other inclined by covetoufnefs of a little money, the one plotted, the other was furprized : a purpofe and a furprize are two different things , the one went out and wept bitterly, the other was given up to raging defpair. David did not make a trade of Adultery, nor bathe himfelf in filthy lufts. Noah was drunk , by not knowing the force of the juyce of the Grape : they do not lye in this (late, but feek to get out of it by Repentance : clofer difcoveries I referee to the Ufe. 3. My next Argument is the unfuitablenefs and uncomeline(>, that fin fhould reign in Chriltians who are Chrifts, and fhould live to him , and for him. It misbecometh them as they profefs themfelves to be Chrifts. We have no power to difpofe of our felves, being wholly his by Purchace and Covenant. Firfi, By Purchace, i Cor. 6. i9, 20. Te are not your own , ye are bought with a price. &uod vend,tnr tra41 in poteflatem ementis : The buyer hath a power over what he bath bought. We were loft , fold away , had fold our felves againft all Right and Juftice 5 but Chrift was pleafed to redeem us, and that with no flight thing , but his own Blood. Now how can you look your Redeemer in the face at the la(t Day ? If you have any fenfe and belief of Chriftian Myfteries,you fhould be afraid to robChrift of his Purchace, r Cor. 6. Is. Shall I take the members of Cbrifi , and make them the members of an harlot, Godforbid I He bath bought us to this very end, that you may be no longer under the (livery' of fin, but under his bleffed Government , and the Scepter of his Spirit, Tit. 2, 14. He hath redeemed us from all inryarty, that was his end to let us at liberty, and free us from our fins; and therefore for us to defpife the benefit, and to count our bondage to be a delight and priviledge, this is to build up again that which he came to deftroy, to put our Redeemer to titanic, to tye thole cords the fatter, which he came to unloofe, and fo it is as great an affront and difparagement of his undertaking as pofübly can be. Therefore let not fin live and reign. Secondly, We are his, not only by Purchace, but by Covenant, Ezek 16.8. I entred. into Covenant with thee, and thou became/I mine. We wholly gave over our (elves to his ufe and fervice; this Covenant was ratified in Baptifm, wherein we were planted into the lilbeneft of his death, Rom. 6. 3, 4, 5. How into the likenefs of his Death? To dye un- to fin, as he dyed for fin, that is explained by the Apatite, ver. 9. Cbriff being railed from the dead deeth no more, death bath no more dominion over him, his Refurrel ion in- flated him in an eternal Life, never to come under the power of death again: fo are we to rife to a new life , never to return tò our fins again. No ,v (hall we refcind our Baptifmal Vows, and after we have refigned our (elves to Chrift, give the Soveraignty to another; the hands ofConfecration have been upon us, and therefore to allow our felves in any courfe and way of finning is to alienate our (elves, and to employ our (elves not only to a common , but a vile and bate ufe. When Ananias had dedicated that, that was in his power, and kept back part for private ufe , God (truck him dead in the place, AZ 5, And if we alienate our (elves , who were not in our own power, and were Chrifts before the Confecration , of how much feverer vengeance (hall we be worthy ? God complaineth of the wrong of Parents , Ezek i6. so. that they took fons and daughters born to him, and faerificed them to be devoured by Moloch. Children born during the Marriage- Covenant were his, they were circumcifed, and fo dedicated to him, yet they gave them to Moloch; as many Parents dedicate their Children to God by Baptifm , and bring themup for the World and the Flefh. This is verily a great fin in Parents, but we are more anfwerable for our own Souls , when we have owned the Dedication, and ratified it by our own profeffed confent; and if we (hall willingly yield to the World and the Fle(h and Coffer them to have a full Power and Dominion over us , how do we defie Chrift , whom yet in words we profefs to be our Lord ? It is laid, Gal,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=