Vèc.13. the 8th Chapter to the R O MA N S. rq, benignity and bounty, his offers of pardon and life; and we mutt look at thole, or we fliall never begin with God; but afterwards we love him upon other reafons; and Ho- linefs its felf bath our heart and love. To bring it to the cafe in hand. That hatred is molt pure, which is carried out a- gainft fin, as fin: becaufe of the contrariety that is in it, againft the Pure and Holy Nature and Law of God; Pfal. 159. 140. Thy word is very pure, therefore thy fervant loveth it. And fo by confequence to hate fin as 'tis ?rrfa, a tranfgreffaon of this pure and righteous law ; but this is not our firft, nor only motive of our obedience, and thankfitlnefs toGod: Surely what things were neceflary to preferve man in his n atural frame, aretìeceffary to reduce and bring him back again into it, and to preferve him in it; when once reduced : fuch were penalties and rewards , life and death; yea, much more now the enemy bath invaded us. Therefore betides the inclination of the new nature; which carrieth us to God,and Holinefs, and Heaven; our happinefs,well- being,and perfon- nalbenefit, are good and powerful motives. 4. There is a threefold refe of the rewardof life in this work of mortiftcatiou. I. To quicken a backward heart, which hangeth of becaufe me are loath to come under f á fevere a difcipline. Sorrow for fin is troublefom to the fleth, but the reward fweetneth it. A carnal min thinketh that if he fhould give ,up himfelf to this courfe, he fall never fee merry day more, and grow mopifh and melancholly. Now when the flefh paints out the fpiritual life in fuch black and dark lineaments, 'tis good to retied upon the Glorious life that than enfue. There is tome difficulty at firft, though not fo much as the flefh imagineth; but it will turn to eternal life and peace. 'Chritt keepeth the bell at lati; Satan may fet out his belt commodities at firft, but the wont come after. Chrift may begin with you roughly ; but the longer you are acquainted with him, the better. When you come to die, you will not repent that you have not pleated the flefh, and fatisfied your carpal delires. 'Tis good to confider what things will be at the end, either of the carnal or fpiritual life. The Devil feeketh to glut men in their belt days with the fwreteft pleafures and contentments 5 but at !aft, oh the mifery, the fbatne, the horrour ! Therefore 'tis good to refle& upon the illue of things, that we may not ftand off from God : confider not what they are now, but what they will be hereafter, 2 Cor. 7. ro. For godly ferrose morketh repentance to falvatiori, not to be repented of. Many have repented of their carnal mirth, never any of their godly forrow. s. fn your confliEk, to baffle a temptation.. Heaven and Hell fhould always be before the eyes of a watchful Chtiftian, but efpecially in a&ual confli &s, that you may de- clare your higher efteem of your hopes, than all the baits that are prefented to you in the temptation. God bath promifed better things. Mofes counterballanced the plea- fures of fin, with the recompense of reward, Heb. st. 25, 26. The Devil offereth you to your lofs; the glory fet before you doth outweigh all. 3. To put us upon a conformity, and greater fuitablenefs to pur hopes, t John 3.3. He that bath this hope in him, purifleth himfelf a, Chrifl is pure. I hope for fuch a pure ettate; titan I allow either trains in my foul, or fpots and blemifhes in my converfation ? 2 Pet. 3. t4. Seeing ye look for fuch things,. be diligent, that you may be found of him in peace, without fpot, and blañselef. They dó not look for fuch things, that are not careful to clarify and refine their fouls for the prefent. Fourthly, 1fmall Ihero the fisificiency and powerfulnefs of this motive. t. Becaufe of the certainty of this life promifed- Surely there is a life after this life is ended : Nature gueffeth at it, but Chrifi hath'brought it to light, 2 Tim. t. to. The Scripture revealeth it as the great benefit promifed by Chrift, t John 2. 25. And this is the promife, that he bath promifed us, even eternal life ; it argueth for it, t Cor, t 5. 19. And if in this life only we have hope in Chrifl, we are of all men mofi mil rable. God would not profelite us to a religion that thould be our undoing, and make us ¡pore miferable than other men, by a. voluntary denying of the pleafures of the flefh, and expofing us to fufferings from others: it giveth us a vifible demonflra- tion of it, by Chrifts refurre &ion and afcenfron. He is gone into that Glory which he fpake of, .1 Pet. t. 2. Who by him do believe in God, that raifed him up from the dead, and gave himglory.Gods exprelCions about it,are ftrong and clear,but our perfwafions of it are too weak, os-elfea fmall contentment would not fo often perfwade us from our duty, Surely we doubt of the reallity of the world to corne, or elfe we would be fooper per - fwaded
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