06 An Expofit whereby our fouls live to God. Alfò the more we do live to God, the me fin is killed : righteous perfons aloe are fit to offer this facrifice; for they alone live to God, Pcm.1.18. Gal. 2. 20. unregenerate men cannot facrifice them- felves to God, for they be dead in fin, Ephef..2. i. they do not live by faith. Fourthly,it muflbe holy,that is,pure and feparated from all earthlineffe and tinfull corruption ; fo is this facrifice in part: the fanâification of the Spirit, which caufeth the faithful' to offer up pure hearts to God, in a good meafure feparated from mixture of fin. This was reprefented in the fpotleffe facrifice of the Law : therefore wicked men can- not offer this facrifice, for they (fill live in their fins without holineffe, and fo themfelves and thtir offerings are abo- minable,7it.1.5. Fifthly;it muff be reafonable, that is, fpirituall, fo expounded by Peter, r Fet. 2. 5. Our facrifices may not be mailing, Popi(h, or Mofaicall outward ones ; but inwardof the fpirit and minde, Yoh. 4. 24. For this is reafonable,becaufe a rea- fon of it may be given out of the Word, for God is a Spirit ; and they be of our felves which are reafonable, and offered to Chriff our Redeemer, as a reafonable thing. More particularly our reafona- ble fereice be our Theological) vernies, faith, hope,love,i Cor. i 3.13. Theorical gifts, knowledge, wifdome, &c. Our Morali gifts,meekneffe,mercy, chaffity ; our Politicall venues : all thefe are rea- fonable facrifices. T 1 ai. What if the ftrfl reafon whereby thin facrifice it confirmed and urged to as in our Text ? S r L. From the mercies of God, even his fpirituall mercies, which are called mercies in the plurali number, becaufe theyare many (to wit,)ele&ion ofgrace, calling to Ch rift, juffification by faith,fan &ification by the Spirit : by all thefe mercies (which are every one of them more worth then a tho worlds) he bcfeecheth them t God by mortification ofrheir lu T 3 M. What it ourpoflrine? S i L. That the meditation of Gods ton upon Chap. i 2, mercies in Chrift are a molt effe &uall motion and Tharp fpur to a godly life. As ifa mother Thould befeech her childe to do fonrething by the wombe that bare him, the paps which fuckt him, the knees which dandled him, and all her entirecompaffions towards him : how flinty fhould his heart be, not to yeeld to her 2 fo we fhould (hew our (elves more then flony-hearted if we yeeld not to God, when he that might condemn, doth befeech even by thofe tender mercies whereby he begat us,par- doned us, called us, renewed, and laved us. For this is the main end why he be- flowes his mercies : fee Pfal. 13o. 4. Al- fo Luk.1. 73,74. Secondly, whatfoever we are or have, bodily or fpirituall blef iings,.it is all of his mercies. Third- ly, there can be no found obedience given unto God,but that which fprings fromthe fenlè of his love and mercy: for that which is conflrained by fear is hypocriticall. T 1 M.What ufeare we to make of this Dotirine? S it L. It condemns fuch as By Gods mercies are the more emboldned to of- fend : it is a fearful! fìgn of a defperate wicked man, when by the kinde ufage of God he is made more wicked: as he is a bad fon which is worfe by his parents love. Secondly,fuch as forget this mer- cies : whereofgood Chriffians ought to keep (as it were) a Regifler; that as they are tempted to any fin, they may check it with remembrance of Ionic mercy, as yofeph did ; or as they become dull and flow to good duties, they may quicken themfelves with meditation of force mercifilil kindeneffe,and with thoughts of Ionic mercy; alwaies refolving that the more deeply they have drunk ofthe mercies of God, the more they be bound to live well and godlily : as our Savi- our faith, God will require much, wherehe hath given much. It is by Ezra to the Jew, and by the Prophet Efay to Hezekiah, imputed as a fault, that they forgat his mercies, and rendred not to God according to his great goodneffe. T l M. What if thefecondrea fon ? S i L. It is taken from the effe& of this Sci ffral. a3ó,whole.
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