434 TheNATuRE andPoWER that frame of heart which is moft accepted with God in any finner, is the humble, contrite, felf abating frame, Ifa. lvii. 15. Thus faith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, mhofe name is holy, I dwell in the high and holyplace, with him afo that is of acontrite andhumble fpirit to revive the fpirit ofthe humble, to revive the fpirit of the contrite ores. See alfo, Luke xviit. 13, 14. This becomes a fanner, no garment fits fo decently about him. Be cloathed with hostility, faith the apolile, 1 Pet. v. 5. It is that which becoms us, and it is the only fafe frame. He that walketh humbly walketh fafely. This is the defign of Peter's advice, 1 Epifi. i. 17. Pafr the timeofyourfojourninghere infear. After that he himfelfhad mif- carried by another frame of mind, he gives this advice to all believers; it is not a bondage, fervile fear, difquieting and perplexing the foul, but fuels a fear as may keep men conflantly calling upon the Father, with reference unto the final judgment, that they may be preferved from fin whereofthey were in fo great danger, which be advifes them unto. Ifye, call on the Father, who without refpeE1 ofperfonsjudgeth according to every man's work, pafs the timeofyourfo7ourning here infear. This is thehumble frame of foul, and how is this obtained? how is this preferved? No other- wife but by a conflant deep apprehenfion of the evil, vilenefs, and danger, offin. So was it wrought, fo was it kept up in the approved Publican, God be merciful, faith he, to me a finner. Senfe of fin kept him humble, and humility made way for his accefs unto a teftimony of the pardon of fin. And this is the great prefervative throughgrace from fin, as we have an example in the inftance of fofepb, Gen. xxxix. 9. Upon the urgency of his great temptation, he recoils immediately into this frame of fpirit; How, faithhe, can Ido this thing, andfin againfi God ? A conftant Reddy fenfe of the evil of fin, gives him fuch prefervation, that he ventures li- berty and life in oppofition to it. To fear fin, is to fear the Lord; fo the holy man tells us that they are the fame, Yob xxviii. s8. The fear of the Lord that is wifdom, and to depart from iniquity that is underflanding. This therefore in the firft place, in general, Both the law of fin put forth its deceit about, namely to draw the mind from this frame, which is the flrongefl fort of the foul's defence and fecurity. It labours to divert the mind from a due apprehenfion of thevilenefs, abomination, and danger of fin. It fecretly and in fenfibly infinuates leaning, excufing, extenuating thoughts of it; or it draws it off from pondring upon it, from being con- verfant about it in its thoughts fo much as it ought, and formerly bath been. And ifafter the heart of a man hack through the word, fpirit and grace of Chrift been made tender, foft, deeply fenfible of fin, it be- comes on any account, or by any means whatever, to have lefs, fewer, or fighter, or lefs affecting thoughts of it, or about it, the mind of that man isdrawn away by the deceitfulnefs of fin. There are twoways amongftothers, whereby the law of fin endeavours deceitfully to drawoff the mind from this duty, and frame enfuing thereon. (I. It doth it by an horrible abufe of Gofpel grace. There is in the Gofpel a remedy provided againft the whole evil of fin, the filth, the guilt of it, with all its dangerous confequents. It is the doctrine of the deliverance of the fouls of men from fin and death. A difcovery of the gracious will of God towards briers by Jefus Chrift. What now is the genuine tendency of this doârine, of this difcovery of grace, and what ought we to ufe it and improve it unto ? This the apoftle declares, Titus ii. II, It. The grace of God that bringeth falvation, bath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodlinefs and eoorldly his, we f ould
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