Opened and Applied. SECT. II. l N regard·of the foolitb, there is no reafon, .but the Lords piety and co :npaffion to a finful people ; he bath compaflion on them becaufe he wlll; for h~ dorh not pity people only in refpeet of their miferies,buc in refpeet of their fins,· 2 Chr•n. u!t. I 6. he fent his Prophets among them (and they defpifed them) 6ccaufe he ""d c•mpa/Jion on his peep!e; the cords of grace are let do;m to all li.nners, Blafph<!mers, Oppofers of God,& c. · . . In regard of the w~fe Vir-gins, becaufe his Muiage-covenam.with then~ is not fufpended on any chmg on hts. peoples-~art ;. f~r though there IS a condmon which the Lord clo th reqUire of his pe_ople m Manage-covenant, yet the Lord. fo requires it,. as that he inte~ds to w~rk i~, an~ undemkes to mainrain it; a~d there is no evrlm them,bur he promifeth m chts Covenant to remove. ; he wtll heal chemof ir, but he will not cah them,off for it; hence Ephe[.~.25. Chrill loves his Church; what, becaufe it had lovelinefs? no, but chat hemi ght walh it , and if he loves it to this end, that he might walh it, then no pollution can m~ke the Lord unerly eo call it off; if he loves becaufe of deformities, that he might walh them away, then none can quench his lov~; hence no fecurity, no care ~ efnefs, though deep, though long,fo long as cheMmage-bond bet1veen man. and wife continues,· fo long as no fin is committed chat can break this Mariagebond, fo long infirmities or other diflempers never feparare. Now, no fin in them that are given to Chrifl can break t}Je Mariag:-bond, becaufe it is wholly underraken on the Lords part; women may commit Adultery, and b reak their . Mariage-bond, becaufe they are not kept by their Husband from that; but ., the Lord undertakes this for his people, t• pm his fear in their heart, that they jhA/1 never depart from God. Ho[.2.1 9,20. I will betroth thee unto me for ever, and )'Ou.fha!l kJt•w ~he .Lord; hence the Lord may humble, but never ntterly rejeCt hts, for fecumy m a lult. ·. --------~--~--------------~-------~- S E C T. III. 43 Reafon :i. :OF Direetionar.d rhankfulne(s to the people of God; Oh! do not always ' ' . ~all tp fits of doubts after fe.curity, tho~gh deep and !ong (as many Uj'e r. Chrilhans do) and fo are ever laymg and pulhng up foundauons; after molt peace of confcience, mofl fecuricy, and then the Sea rageth again, a~d it is hard for any man to keep his peace; have you had fuch mercy, and.IoveJ and · will you thus be carelefs and loofe again? believe it, the Lord will br~ak your . bones if. you love your beds, and not give you re!l ti ll you finde iron another pillow; but yet do not deny his love, though you have forgot it; do not. fay you are not Virgins, becaufe fallen a!leep; and that eh~ ,Bridegroom.will never come to meet you, becau[e you have lingred in meeting him; for 6ehold he cometh: I know rhere is a difference b~tween the fecurity of the wife and f~olilh; of which hereafter: The Difciples fall a!leep in the ga~den after a trebble warning, yerit was againH much relueta 1cy; hence Chr~t pitied : them; the&pirit u wi!li,g;bm the flejh h· weak; and 1vhen they were awakened, I their vdfels were not found empry; Peters veffel w.as full of love to Chril.t before, and when rhe Lord awakens him, he tells the Lord he loved h im; and : his fall and r~curiry in it for a time made him more humbk, and lov~ the Lord ' :vith lefsfelf-confidenc.::, and morepuriry: But oh, 1yonder ,arit, r ejoyce in l ' It, and b~thankful for it! efpecially you thlt havefalkn into any [ecure frame ! ! 1 !. . F f f 2 fince , I I I 11 li
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