140 S E R M O N S upon Serm. XX. tive to keep us in the truelove and obedience of God, Gal. '6. 8. He that fometh to the frith, fhallof the fpirit reap lifeeverlafling; fo Ezek. IR. 18. Becaufe le confidereth, and turneth away from all his tranfgreffons, which he bath committed, he fhall live and not die. The one is removed, theother afferted ; the one is the wages of in the other the fruit of Gods Mercy,and free Gift ; death wt naturally abhor, and life we naturally love, therefore the one is threatned, the other promifed. z. Toprove it by reafons. r. If we partake with Chrifi in one all, we 'hall fhare with him in all: If dead with him, we Shall live with him, Rom. 6. 8. If we be deadwith Chril, we believe that' we jhall live with him. That is, if we imitate Chritt in his Death, then we have lure grounds of be- lieving, that after his example we {hall have a joyful Refurre &ion to eternal life; he had laid before,' v. 5. If we be plaited int the lil<enefs of his Refnrredion: That is, be aril railed from the death of fin,to then& of Grace; and then the Life of Grace (hall be fwallowed up the Life of Glory. 2. The mortified foulis prepared to enjoy the heavenly life ; as being weaned from world- ly and fenfual delights, Col. I. ra. lYha hath made us meet to be partakers of the Saints in light. There is a double meetnefs; fish, a meetnefi in point of right ;fecondly, a meet - nefs in point of congruity and preparation of heart; the one refpetls Gods Appoint- ment, thofe who are qualified according totheCovenant;the other the fuitablenefs of our affeílions. r. They are in refpef of God deemed meet and worthy, whom God vouchfafeth to account worthy: Thus he loth the mortified, as we proved before ; he then that would live when he is dead,muf die when he is alive. 2. Preparation of heart ; Heaven would be a burden to a carnal heart, that hath no delight in, Communion with God, or the company of the Saints, or an holy life : What would he do with Heaven ? A Turkifh Paradife would fuit better with fuch fenfual and brutish fouls ; now thofe who are dead to the flefh and the world, do the better relit: thofe things which are heavenly : Tis not their trouble, but their happinefs ; they have the confummation'of their hopes and aims. 3. They defre this life, andgroan and wait far it ; Which delires, groans, and longings, being furred up in them by Gods Spirit, will not be in vain : They cannot be fatisfied with theWealth, Pleafures and Honours of the World ; they muftenjoy fomething be- yond all thefe things, and that is God ; and here they enjoy him but imperfetlly : The more the flea: is mortified, our delires to love, know, and enjoy God, are more kindled in us : Now by this thefe are marked out as heirs of promife ; for God infufeth the deliire, that they may be fatisfied; and where they are laborious, they will certainly be fat isfied, for otherwife God would intice us to the purfuit of an happinefs, which he never meaneth to give. 4. God promifeth it tithe mortifled, the more to fweeten the duty. Thofe that think it is eafie to forfake fin, never tried it ; Mortification is of an bath found in a carnal ear; to contradict our carnal defrres, and difpleafe the flesh, which is fo near and dear to us, will not early down with us ; God might exalt it out of Sovereignty, but he pro - poundeth rewards : If we mutt pafs thorough a freight gate and narrow way, it leadeth unto life, Matth. 7. 14. Sin is loch a diforderly thing, and doth fo invert the courfe of a rational nature, that we Should part with it by any means; but efpecially when the cafe is fo fated, that we mutt live or die for ever. This motive ( hould work upon us, be- caufe of our Deliires and Fears. r. Our del; es. Corrupt nature will teach us to love our (elves, and fo to defire hap. pine(.<, which we cannot enjoy, if we live not ; for the dead are neither capable of hap - pinefs nor ender"; tho we are unwilling to deny the flefh, or renounce the Credit, Pro. fit, or illeafure of fin, or grow dead to the world, or worldly things, yet we are willing enough of life and happinefs ; therefore God promifeth that we deliire, that we may fub- mit to thofe things which we are again[; as we fweeten bitter Pills to Children, that they may (wallow them down the better ; they love the Sugar,tho they loathe the Aloes. So God would invite us to our duty by our interef ; if Mortification be an unpleafing task, it conduceth to our life,Prov. Si. 35, 36. He that frndeth me, findeth life, ( faith Wifdom) and he that fnneth again{[ me,wrongethhis own foul; and he that hateth me, loveth death. Who would be fo unnatural as to wrong his own foul ? To murder himfell, to court his own death and defrutlion? 'Tis not only again[ the Dilates of Grace, but the defrres of Nature : There is nothing canbe fuppofed to enfeeble thisArgument, but thefe
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