No approaching unto God, Pfal. i3 o: 4. That this H a" ¡table fupportment unto a fin difireffed foul, (hall be manifefled ; and the whole applyed,according to the fe- veral concernments of thofe who (hall confider it. No ap- Firfl, There is not the legit encouragement for the foul ofafanner, proaching to entertain any thoughts of approaching unto God without this dip unto God, covert'. All the reti of the world, is covered with a deluge of without a only Ar . whereunto the f i wrath. This s the ereunto te oul may difcovery wr Y re- of forgive_ pair and find refl. All without it, is darknefs , curie and refs. terror. We have an infiance and example of it, beyond all excepti- on in Adam. When he knew himfelf tobe afanner, and it was impoffible for him, as we (hall (hew afterwards, to make a di¡- covery of any fuch thing as forgiveneß with God, he laid afide all thoughts of treating with him ; the bell of his foolifh contrivance was for an efcape; Gen. '3. io. I heard thy voice ( faith he toGod) in the Garden, and was AF KA ID, becaufe I was naked ; and I HID my feelf. Nothing but thou (halt dye the death, founded in his cars. In the morning of that day, he was made by the handof God : a few hours before, he had converfeand communion with him, with boldnets and peace ; why then doth nothingnow but FEAR, Flying and HIDING pot, fs him > Adam had finned, the Promife leas not yet given, no Revelation made offorgivenefl in God, and what other courfe, than that vain and fooli(h one, to fix upon, he knew not. No more can any of his Pofterity without this Revelation. What elfe any of them hath fixed on in this cafe, hath been no lets foolifh than his hiding ; and in mofl, more pernicious. when Cain had received his fentence from God, it is faid he went out Tiro >>9L70 from the prefence or face of the Lord, Gen. 4. 16. From his providential prefence he could never fubduá hímfeff: So the Pfalmift informs us at large, Pfal. 139. 7, 8, 9. Thevery Heathenknew by the light of nature, that guilt could never drive menout ofthe reach of God. nu
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