Verf I 8, i 9. the firth Chapter to thé Rd M AN s. 129 in the Service of God feemeth irkfom and grievous to us. Thofe that do not take nc . tice of the inconveniences of fin , but will eafily take notice of the troubles of afilined Godlinefs : What iniquity have you found in me ? Jer. 2. 5. Alas ! that we cannot more deny our (elves for God , who gave us all that we have, and can give us greater things, than ever we loft for him. Fifthy, They flopped at no fin : Te yielded your members to nncleannef , and to inc, pity unto iniquity : from habitual fin they próceeded to anual, from one kind to ano- ther, rated not in the loft or purpofe, but were flill accomplifhing what their lefts crab ved at their hands: So will you count your felves fervants of Righteoufnefs , becaufe you have Tome purpofe to do good, or have fome wifhes to be better , thóugh they never come into an and effen. Alas ! a Chriltian is to be determined not by knowing; or withing, and Moulding, but by doing : He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them , he it is that lovetb me, Job. 14. 21. And whofo /eepeth my words , in him verily is the love of God perfeaed, .1 ph. 2. 5.. The carnal Nature venteth it . (elf not in Lufts only , but Prahices 5 fo doth the new Nature, it is an Habit and Principle that influen- ceth your daily courfe of life ; the fame God that ruleth the Heart , doth alto rule the Life, the root is for the fruit, and the life within to finable us for anion without; fo we have the root and life of Grace and Holinefs, that we may bring forth th'e fruit , and do the works of Grace and Holinefs. Therefore whatever willies and defires men have; if they live as they did before, neither God nor any wife man will judge, that they are freed from fin, and become the fervants of Righteoufnefs. .Sixthly, The Progrefs, they went forward from one fin to another , and never (top- ped. Now as they heaped up fin upon fin, fo fhould we add to Grace Grace : 2 Pet. r; 5, 6, 7. Add to your faith vence, to vertue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance , and to temperance patience, and to patience godlinefs, and to godlinefi brotherly kindnef , and to brotherly kindnefs charity. You (hould always grow more pure and holy , and aim at ánhigher degree of Sannification, till all be perfened in Heaven, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Perfeaing holinefi in the fear of God. The more Grace overcotneth Nature, the more comfortable every day will your lives be , and Religion will grow a more eaftte and delightful thing to you 5 the compleat fitbjedion of our will to the Will of God is the health , eafe and quietnek of our wills, therefore fludy to be perfect. 2. The Reafons, why it mutt be fo. r. From the Love and Goodnefs of God (hewed in our Change, which should con -_ (train us, and awaken in us principles of gratitude towards him: 2 Cor. 5. 14, it 5. For the love ofChrifi confiraineth us, &c. Lake 7. 47. Her fins, which are many, are forgiven her, for fie loved much. It is a trouble to them, that God hath been fo long detained out of his right , that the Devil bath ingroffed fo much Of their choiceft time and be($ fhength , and therefore now they would make tome recompence 5 as Travellers that fet forth late, ride the. falter. Efpecially doth this hold good of them that have.beeo reat finners : it is poffrble that (ome have (luck at no villany, but have ingulphed themfelves in all manner of diffolutenefs 5 Ohow zealous Ihould they be for God for time to come, and beftir themfelves that they may (hew forth the facred influence of Grace, as they have done the curled rigour of Nature! 2. By Grace we have received a new Principle and Power. Now Principiata repots. dent Pis principiis, a new Heart (heweth it felf by newnefs of Life; therefore the pow- er and effen of Grace mull much difcover it felf as formerly we bewrayed the power of fin, otherwife why is this new Principle planted in'our hearts. It is dangerous to re- ceive objective Grace in vain , 2 Cor. 6. r. We then as workers together with him befiech you , that you receive not the grace of God in vain. We fruftrate the Method of God, when we Puffer the Gofpel to be call away upon us : but to receive fubjenive Grace in vain is worfe, as this is a clofer Application, as a Power put into our hearts, and we make the choiceft gifts of the Spirit idle and unufeful. T1fe. Is ,to perfwade us to make our new Obedience more clear and explicite. r. By manifeftrng the Change, 2'Cor. 5.17. If any man be in Chrifi he is a new crea- ture, old things are pad away, behold all things are become new. 2. By our Growth and increafe, r The; 4.1. Furthermore then we befeech you, B - thren, and exhort you by the Lord Jefus Chrifi, that as ye have received of us, how ye outt to wall, and to pleafe God, fo ye would abound more and more. 3. By exceeding in a courfe of Holinefs, as ye did before in Sin, 1-Cor. s5, la Pa- Gauped more abundantly than they all. R r r r r Keafons.
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