Jbiret. II: OfSanEiffication. 49 he fbould be left to his own corruptions, becaufe he had no coricuptions in hire, until he had pro- duced them in himfelf by finning againft ftrength and, when he had loft that ftrength, he could not recover the praetice óf holinefs, until he was ac. quainted with a better ftrength, whereby the head of Satan fhould be bruifed, Gen. iii. 15 Our Lord Chrift, doubt?eîs, knew the infinite power of his Deity to enable him for all that be was to do and fuffer in our nature. He knew the Lord God would help him, " therefore he fhould not be con 'c founded, Ifaiah 1. 7." The Scripture fheweth what plentiful affurance of flrength God gave to Mofes, Jofhua, Gideon, when he called them to great employments: and to the Ifraelites, when he called them to fubdue the land of Canaan. Chrift would have the fons of Zebedee to confider whe- ther they were able " to drink of his cup, and to " be baptized with the baptifm that he was baptized s' with, Matth. xx. 22." Paul encourageth believ- ers to the life of holinefs, by perfuading them, that fin (hall not prevail to get the dominion over them, becaufe they " are not under the law, but under grace, Rom. vi 13, 14:" And he exhorteth them '' to be ftrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, that they might be able to Rand a- " gainft the wiles of the devil, Eph. vi. to, 11," )ohn exhorteth believers " not to love the world, it nor the things of the world, becaufe they were 6' ftrong, andhad overcome the wicked one, i John i 5.' They that were called of God here- tofore to work miracles, were firft acquainted with the gift of power to work them ; and no wife man will attempt to do them, without knowledge of the gift ; even fo, when men that are dead in fin are called to do the works of a holy life, which are in them great miracles, God rnaketh a difcovery of the gift of power unto them, that he may encourage them inarational way to fuch awonderfulenterprize.. G
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=