Ver.to. the 8th Chapter of the ROMANS. 91 life is afi eternal principle of happinefs;as foon as Chrift beginneth to dwell in us,eternal life is begun in our fouls, 1 John 3. I 5. The immortal feed, t Pet. I. 23. 2. The meritorioto caaf is the righteoufnefi of Chrìfl ; +or the pardon of our fins,-and the juftification of our perlons by the Blood and Merits of Jelin Chrift ; when once forgiven, we are out of the reach of the fecond Death, a Cor..14. 56. The fling of death isfn. We are freed from the damning ftroke, not the killingflroke of death. Chrift having freed us from the curfeof the law, and merited and purchafed for us a blelled Refurreftion,Heb. 2. 14, 15. The V S E is to enforce the great things of Chriflianity. There are but two things we need to regard, to live hohly, and die comfortably ; thefe two have a mutual refped- one to another ; thofe that live holily take the next courfe to die comfortably, the end of that man is peace 5 and toknów how to die well, is the bell way to live well, both are enforced by this place: . t. Tcrlive bolily ; There are feveral Arguments from the Text. 1.. The comforts of Chriflianity are not promifcuoufly difpenfed, or common to -all in- differently, but fufpended on this condition, If Chrifl be in you, by his fantifying Spi- rit 5 if ou bedeceivéd in your foundation, all your life, hope andcomfort,are but delu- fory things; but when quickned by the renewing Grace of the Spirit of Chrift, and made partakers of the Divine Nature; you have then the earneft of your inheri- tance, Eph. t. 4. 2 Cor. 5. 5. He who path wrought us to thisfame thing,ìs God; who bath given us the earneflof his fpirit. Others die uncertain of comfort, or it may be molt certain of condemnation. 2. From the concellion, The body is dead 5 fentence is paft, and in part executed this awakeneth us to think of another world,and to make ferious preparation ; when the walls of the houfe are thaken,and are ready to drop down, is it not-time to think of a removal ?the body is frail and mortal,and that's enough to check fin, Rom.6. r z. Let not fin reign therefore in your mortal bodies,that ye fhould obey it in the lulls thereofBut'tis made more frail by atyual fin, Gal. 6. 8. If we fow to the flefh of the flefh we (hall reap corruption: Shall we low to the flefh, and pamper the which mutt foon be turned into [tench and rottenefs ? Man confulting with prefent fenfe,carrietbhimfelf as if he were a body only, not a foul, and therefore out of love to fenfual pleafures he maketh no account óf any thing but fenfual pleafures and fatisfa &ions; but (hall we bellow all our time and care upon a body that was duft in its compofition, and will (hortly again be duft in its diffálution ? The body is not only dying, but dead; you think not of it now, but this death cometh before 'tis looked for. Saul trembled when the fpirit anfwered him, 1 Sam. 28. 19, zo. To morrow thou and thy fans ¡hall be with me. Would you (port and riot away your time, if you fhould receive Cuch ameffage ? Sorely the duct, and (tench, and rot - tehefs òf the grave, if we thought of it, it would take down our pride, and check our voluptuoulnefs, for we do but pamper worms meat ; it would prevent our world - linefs ; all a mans labour is for the body, and ufually in a body overcared for; there dwelleth a negle&ed foul: The body is not only the inftrument;but the incitement of it; the foul is wholly taken up about the body, but Both the dead body deferve fo much care ? Death dothdifgrace all the feducing pleafures of the flefh, and the profits and ho- nours of the world : Who is fo mad, as wilfully to fin with death in his eye? Alas! All the pleaCures and honours of the world will be vanity and vexation of fpirit to us when we come to die. 3. Come we now to the correhlivé affertion,and there's the life promifed for body and foul ; this breedeth the true fpirit of faith, 2 Cor. 4. 13, 14. We having the fame fpirit of faith, ( according as it is written, I believed, therefore have 1 fpoken) We alfo believe, thereforefpeak, knowing that he that railed up the Lord Jefs,¡hall raife us up alfo. The true diligence and godlinefr, t Cor. 15. 58. Be liedfafl and senmoveable, always abounding in the workof the Lord, for your labour (hall not be in vain in the Lord. And patience, ftomr 2. 7. Who by patient continuing in well doing le' ekfor glory, immortality,eternal lofe. Chrifti- ans ! We that have fouls to fave or lofe, and have an offer of happinefs ; fhall we come fhort of it for want of diligence,and fpend our time in eating and drinking,and fporting? or in the fervice of God ? 4. 'Tis theefèhi both of the fpirits renewing, and the righteoufnefs of Chrift: Both call for holinefs at Our hands as the effeft of-the renovation of the fpirit, and our title to therighteoufnehs of Chrift; fo that this life doinot belting to us,unlefs we are inChriff, .8 M 2 and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=