Shepard - Houston-Packer Collection BV4500 .S43 1657

far a timeofLiberty. ordinances, and broken the éverlajling Covenant. A people chat might have had everlafling mercy , they would nor ;abmit to the Lord, they have broken this everlafling Covenant of the Lord : Nowwhat followes ? Theearth ú defiled under the inhabitants thereof; and hence heavy things that are there written,fhal befall the whole world; It is a fin tbat defiles the earth men tread on, and the houfes men inhabite in, for it is a fin againfl moll light They which make Covenants have a great deal of light, and alfo moll will. And that do's aggravare a fin ; when the whole heart, as it were, do's give up it Pelf to a lufl, and breaks hereby all bonds. And it is a fin that men might avoid, if they would be watchful! againfl : For it is a finfull thing to make a Covenant of impofl'ible things, therefore it lyes heavy on the cor.fcience of men after wa-ds;I might have been better,& might have walkedbet- ter;Nay,it is a fin that do's deflroy the Law of the Lord : this fin it do's deflroy the very will ofChrift. Had'fl thou never beeu bound in Covenant; hadfl thou laid by this Covenanr,the wit of Godhad been kept whole. As cords not ufed,arc kept whole;bur when broke,are utterly fpoi= led. When a man do's bind himfelfby a Covenant to the Lord, and then break it ; he do's as much as in him lyes, to deftroy the Lord from being King. 'Tis true, the Saints and people of Godmay be faid in. fome cafe to break Covenant, but yet they never impeni- tently break Covenant with the Lord; they may break Covenant with theLord very often, but yet it is with themas thole in Judges g. 1, 4. When the Angel of the Lord came to them, and they were under grievous fad bondage ; faith he to them from theLord : I have brought you up out ofthe land ofEgypt, andl have brokeyour bonds; and I havefaid, I would never break Covenant with you: & I faid,you jhould makeno League with theCanaanites,but ye have not obeyed my voyce; why have yedone this ? And alt the peopleheard this ; and it is faid, All the people wept. Doubtleffe fome were fincere,though happilymany were full of hypocrifie; and fo the fincere heart laments it,aud renewes his Covenant. The poor foul hashnothing to fay many times, though the Lord Ihould bringxiever fo much mifery on it; yet the foul fluidsweepingbefore the Lord, that it bath broke the Covenant of the Lord, and made void tINCovenant of the Lord ; yet the Saints they never break it` iholly, they never depart Wholly from the Lord, 14o* 33 -= . ,F--.

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=