Owen - BS1450 130st 093 1669

68 Mifcarriage.r in perfus Pfal.130. Firft, A fruit of felt-righteoufneß. For a foul to place the fpring of its peace or comfort in any thing of its own, is to fall thort ofChrift, and to take up in [elf. We muff not onlybe juftifted, burglary in him alto, Ifa. 45.25. Men may make ufe of the evidence of their graces ; but only as mediums to a farther end; not as the reft of the foul in the leaft. And this deprives mens very humiliations of all Go#el humility. Truehumility confitis more in believing, than in being fenuible of fin. Thats the fouls great felt'- emptying and abating ; this may confift with an obftinate refolution to feamble for tomething upon the ac- count of felt' endeavours. Secondly, Though Evangelical fenfe offin, be a Grace, yet it is not the uniting Grace,it is not that which interefts us in Chrift, not that which peculiarly, and in its own nature exalts him. There is in this fenfe of fin, that which is natural, and that which is fpiritual; or the matter of it, and its fpirituality. The former confi(is in farrow, trouble, felf-abafement, dejecti- on and anxiety of mind, with the like pallions. Of thefe I may fay as the Apoftle ofAf hidions, they are not jryous but grievous. They are fuch as are accompanied with the aver- Cation of the object which they areconverfant about. In their own nature they are no more but the fouls retreat into it felt, with an abhorrency of the objc is of its forrow and grief. When thefe Affections are fpiritualized, their nature is. not changed. The foul in and by them, acts according to their nature ; and doth by them as fuch, but retreat into it fell with a diflikeof that they are exerciftd about. To take up here then, mutt needs. be to fit down thort ofChrifl ; whether it be for life, orconfolation. Let there be no mif}ake. There can be no Evangelical finfe of fin, and humiliation, where there is not Vnion. withChrift, Zech. 12. to. Only in its fell, and in its own nature it is not availing. Now Chrift is the only re(f ofourfouls : in any thing, for any end or purpofe, to take up fhort of him, is to lote it. It is not enough that webe prifoners. ofhope, but we mutt . *en to our flung hold, Zech. 9. 12. not enough that we are ary and laden,. but. we muff come to /ohm, Matth. i Y. 27, 28. It will not fuáhce that ',wrw are weak , ,and know we are. weak,

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