Verf. 20. the fzxth Chapter to the ROMANS. 13 3 experience we have felt the evil of fin, and why (hould we indulge it any longer F lYé have alto rafted, that the Lord is gracious, t Pet. s. 3. And why fhould we not prize and love him , and value his fervice? The Lord our God is the belt Mafter and therefore we (hould ferve him chearfully ; he is not true to God , and bath not a due fenfe of his Mercy , that is indifferent and cold in his fervice. We are bound to ferve Clod with gladnefi of heart for the abundance ofall things, Deut. 28.47. that is, becaufe ofour ob- ligations from common Providence; but how fhould we ferve him for his Mercies in Chrift, wherein he is infinitely good to us ? Rom. ra. 1. I befeecb you therefore , Bre- thren, by the mercies of God, that ye prefent your bodies a living f cr fce, holy , acceptable unto God, that is your reafonable frnece. 2 Cor. 5. e4, is. For the lave ofCbrifd con_ fdraineth us, becaufe we tour judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. And that he died for all, that they which live , fhould not henceforth live unto themfelves , but mad him which died for them, and rof again; there the obligation is much greater. Nature will teach us to love thofe that love us , and who loves us better than God , who hath provided Pardon and Life for us ? Shall we go about his work with backwardnefs and wearinefs ? You fhould ferve him after another manner , with more zeal, diligence and exaétnefs. Secondly, The Work , which on the one hand is Sin , and on the other Righteouf- nefs ; to be hot and earneft in Sin , and cold and negligent in our Duty , when God hath fet thee in a better work , how can this be. uftified, not only before the Bar of God, but of any found Reafon ? Surely the belt work requireth the bell ftrength 5 now which is better, to be rebelling againft our Creator , and violating the rectitude and harmony of our own Natures, or to be ferving our Creator, and regulating our Facul- ties in their due order and proportion to the great ends and ufes for which we were made ? There is a great deal of difference between the way we have left, and the way we are put into by Grace, the one is our diftemper, the other is proper work for a man, that our endeavours fhould (hew , how much v$e prefer the one before the other; for Curtly it is better for us to live as a Man, than to live as a Bead, Pfal. 119.140. Ihy word is very pure, therefore thy fervant loveth it Thirdly, The Wages, which is eternal Life. Now the Qieftion is , Whether you will leek Heaven as fervently and diligently as before you fohght the World , and the fie(hly pleafures thereof? Will you now be contented with a (luggifh with , and lazy, dull endeavours, whereas before you thought you could never do enough in the pur- fuit of your Lugs? Will you not bid as much for a Jewel, as you would for a Bead, or a piece of Glafs ? In all reafon more , if you laid out your ftrength before for nought, for that which fatisfieth not, will you now (laud bucking, when a.bleffed Inheritance is offered to you? Who can excufe you from folly? We are bidden to Peek after there things in the firft place, Mat. 6.33. Seek ye firfl the kingdom of Heaven, and the righte- oufneft thereof t Cor. 15. 58. To abound in the work of the Lord.. Phil. 2. 12. To work out our falvatinn with fear and trembling. We are on the other fide bidden to efe the world; as if we ufed it not, t Cor. 7. 3r. Now then, what will you do ? 2. The Necefíty in point of Evidence, hereby we thew, that we have utterly fba- ken off the yoke of fin ; otheewife it will remain as a nice dà,bate, whether your change be lincere or no. It is certain, you did much for fin,. Con cience is fenfible of that, the only fenfible evidence of your change is , when the vigour and fervency of your fpirits is turned into another chattel, and you are as earneft to pleare God , as ever you were to ferve your Lufts, otheewife you never fenfbly and plainly diftingui(h your felves, as renewed, from your felves, as carnak There is noqueftion then, but that there is a thorow change wrought in you. Therefore that your fincerity may not be a doubtful thing, and hard to interpret, you fhould be as free from fin, as formerly from Righte- oufnefs. When men are unlike ehemfelves, there is no doubt, e Cor. 6. 1 r. Such were fame of you, but you, are- wafhed, but ye are fantlifed, but ye are juflifted , in the Name of the Lord fefur, and by the Spirit of our God. Philen t t. Which in time paid was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me. This is no fault or obfcure change, but fuch as may be. felt of our felves, and difterned by others. Paul a Perfecutor, and Petal a Preacher (heweth the fame fervour , but his earneftnefs was imployed about other mat- tem, therefore plainly different from himfelE 3. It is convenient it (hould be fo, that we ( hould do as much good, or far more good, than we have done hurt by our ill Example; therefore the worfe we were before our calling., the better, we muffbe afterwards. This was that which. made Paul go beyond the relt of the Apoilles in pains and zeal, becaufe of the hure he had done by the fins of his
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