ON HOSEA ,XIV. -VERSE 9. 291 rain will hasten the growth as well of weeds as of corn, and make them ranker than in a dry and barren ground, John ix. 41. xv. 22. 24. 2. It doth superadd many more and greater ; for the greatest sins of all are those which are committed against light and grace ; sins against the law and prophets, greater than those that are committed against the glimmerings of nature, Ezek. ii. 3. 5 -7. and sins against Christ and the gospel, greater than those against the law, Heb. ii. 2: x. 28, 29. Such are, unbelief, impenitency, apostacy, despising of salvation, preferring death and sin before Christ and mercy ; judging ourselves unworthy of eternal life, &c. 3. It doth by these means both hasten and multiply judgments. The sins of the church are much sooner ripe for the sickle than the sins of Amorites ; they are near unto cursing, Heb. vi. 8. Summer fruits are sooner shaken off than others, Amos viii. 1. Jer. i 11, 12. Christ comes quickly to remove his can- dlestick from the abusers of it, Rev. ii. 5. The word is a rich mercy in itself, but nothing makes it effectually and in the event a mercy unto us but our walking in it. 2. We learn from hence, that we never make the scriptures our rule to live and walk according unto them, till we be first justified, and made righteous. Our obedience to the rule of the law written in the scriptures, proceedeth from those suitable impressions of holiness wrought in the soul by the spirit of rege- neration, which is called the writing of the law in our hearts, Jer. xxxi. 33. 2 Cor. iii. 3. or the casting of the soul into the mould of the word, as the phrase of the apostle seemeth to import, Rom. vi. vii. We are never fit to receive God's truth in the love and obe- dience of it, till we repent and be renewed. If God, 2n2
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