for a timeofLiberty. can plot and fpeak againft them, and in time come to cafi offche Ordinances of the Lord Jefus; It is certain the Lord hath bondage for fuch foules, sad you will certain- ly find this true one day. Mal. 3. 14, r j. Thepeople, they fay ; What profit is it that we have fervid the Lord, and that we have walkedmournfully before him? and hence, they forfook the Lord ; Hence, Chap q. i. the Lord threatens, that He will burn them up, both root and branch. The Lord hath confuming fire for fuch one day. The Ordinances of the Lord were too cofily for you. Marki a. 7, 8. The Lord bath his Vineyard, he lets it out to husbandmen, andhe fends for the fruit ; and at laft the Son bimfelfcomes to call forfruit. Now fay they ; Here is thefon, let us killhim. Why, what is thematter ? out of gain,that is the bufinefl'e ; That the inheritancemay be ours. Here is this gain to be without them, and therefore to c fl offChrift : What will the Lord do to thefe husband-men he will take awayhis Vine«yard frrom them, &c. It is the fpeech of Luthrr, Venter in omni religione poten- tiffimum Idolum : When the Belly is ferved, Chrift muff be defloyed. Men mayhave this quiet life without thefe Ordinances ; and hence men bear a privy grudge againft the Ordinances of the Lord, becaufe the belly is not fer- ved. Look as it was with theJews; they looked for a glorious King to come to them, and Chrift came ; and though they were told ofit before; when he came, he had nothing but his Croffe ; and he tels them, If they will be his Difciples, they muff take his Crepe. But now, becaufe he came not with pomp, but only with hiscrone, this is the great reafon,why to this day the Jewes do fet themfelves againft the Lord Jefus Chrif'c ; the Croffe came with Chrift, that's the caufe of it : So when men (hall look for great things from the Ordinan- ces of Chrift, and when they come to enjoy them, they meet with nothing elfe but Chrift and his Croffe, and difappointments, and defertions ; when they meet with this, then Chrill is cart off, and theyprofeflè he is no King, and Cefar is our King : and if we take this man to be our King ; the Rornanes will mine us. I know it is a hard, trial for a man to be put to Inch a firait; for the Lord to advance the price ofhis Ordinances at that high rate, that all muff be parted with for the enjoyment of them. But yet notwithflanding, he is for aver unworthy to have the Lord Jefus t(;) rule l h that 37 i.i.y..+f4 -.«.e3r.
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