An Expofation upon Chap. which renders loch deadly and damna- nable wages.For the performance wher- of,let them confider thefe four things : Firft,that in refpeht of their fins paft, it may move in them a great grief to think that they have earned and wor- thily deferved fuch a ftipend. Secondly, a fèarching ourand particular confefli- on of fuch tins as have raigned in them, and made them worthy of fo deep a punithment.Thirdly,great care and en- devour to refrain from occafions of loch wickedneffe in time to come : and laftly,to ask earneftly of God forgive - neffe through Chriff, and the grace of true repentance. The fecond inftrulti- on doth concerne filch as have repen- ted, and left the fervice of fin; they are firft to be thankfull to Chrift, who hath freed them from filch a wretched wages due to their fins, himfelfe taking the wholepunifhment upon him.Secondly, itprovokes them to humbleneffe, to re- member what mifery they have efcaped. ThirdIy,it doth admonifh them never to return again unto the fervice of fin, but to ftudy rather how to pleafe inch a Redeemer, which hath forgiven them fuch a debt: after the example of the woman,Luk. 7.47. who loved much, becaufe much was forgiven her. Now the third and lalt generali inftraétion, is,that which concernes all men both good and bad, who may !earn from hence what a dangerous thing fin is, to To the be* which fuch wofull wages of due doth leeving pe belong.Secondly,what a terrible thing it[fm- nets,all fins Gods juftice is, whichdoth repay loch and alllbee bitter recompence to filch as offend a. ßÿe gain{ tit.Thirdly,whatcaufe there isfor rcc.cra, all Chrifüans to tremble at the leaft motion of fin in themfelves, and to a- void all occafions of finning with all their power. Finally, this proveth all fins in their own nature,to bee mortal. and none to be venial!, for he (peaks of fins generally,that death is their wages, T e )t. T ell ue WOW how the doth prove that eternall life loth belong to good ror/tet. S r L. Becaufe the gift of God is eternall life through Jefus Chrift our Lord. The which words do afford us Part. 2. this reafon : God doth freely give eter- nall life to fuch as live well,and Chrift Jefus hath merited it for them,therefore they mutt at the Taft be brought to it. T t td. But why doth not the Apoßle fay, that eternall life it the wages of righ- teoufnefre, as be laid before , that eternall death is the wages of fin? S r L. 1f we had perfe& righteouf neffe,eternall life fhould be rendred un- LOpjC,ss to us as wages, becaufe God hath raid, om Ìàs D, this, and lives but we have it not: for 6 . our own righteoufneffe is unperfe&, and therefore in rigor of juftice de- fects rather death then life. T r M. But ere we gee any further, fa- tiefre r aee I prayyou, bow the fe word, ought to be read. S r L. They have thefe two fevera.11 readings : Firft, Eternal! life is the gift of God, and then they teach us this leffon;that eternall life doth follow our good works and holy life,as death fol- lowes fin,yet not as a due debt, but as a free gift. The fecund reading is thus: The grace ofGod is eternal! life ; and then it hath this meaning,that true ho- lineffe which God of his grace and free gift giveth us,is eternall life; (that is to fay,)leadeth and bringeth unto eternal life, as a way bringeth a man to the place where he would be ; and as one muff pats through the running place to the goale, fo by holineffe muff all true Chriffians pats unto life eternall : that latter is the fitter and better reading, more agreeing unto the phrafe & (cope. s T1 ra. What doyou call eternall life? S r'f . The full fruition of celefliall ¡oyes, without any poflbility of lo- ling them,fo long as God himfelf lives. And therefore they are called eternall, becaufe there is no end of them : and they have the name of life put upon them,to teach of what great value and price they be;of all earthly things, life being molt pleafant and precious. T r at. What inffruliionr are wee to learne from hence? S t L. Firft, we learne, that our fal- vation is, Gods free gift,both as touch- ing the beginning and end of it, and comes not by our merits either in whole
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=