Imatges de pàgina
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a promile of mercy in the general, and that not particularly to thofe that keep that command, but all the commandments.

Queft. 2. But does the law promise any thing but to perfect keeping of its commands? and if fo, what are we the better?

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Anf. We muft diftinguish betwixt the law as a covenant of works, and the law as in the hand of Chrift for a rule of life to believers. As it is a covenant of works, nothing lefs than perfect obedience can intereft men in the promife; for the leaft failure knocks off the man's fingers from the promife by virtue of the curfe, Gal. iii. 10. Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. So that we can be nothing the better of this promife. But Chrift being the Surety of the better covenant, having made a new covenant of grace in his blood, he takes the fame law in his hands, and gives out the commands of it as a rule of life to his covenanted people, and renews the promises of it to their fincere obedience of them, 1 Tim. iv. 8. Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promife of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. As for the curfe of it, they hear of it no more, he having borne it away himself. And fo he crowns the fruits of his own grace in them with bleffed rewards. And as all thefe promifes are yea and amen in him; fo for his fake, through faith in his blood, they are obtained.

In the words we may confider thiefe three things; the blefling promifed, the place where it is to be enjoyed, and the regard the Lord allows his people to have to that blefling to further them in obedi

ence.

FIRST, The bleffing promifed; that is, long life; that thy days may be long. It is a temporal mercy, a mercy much defired ordinarily by all men, and

promised to them that keep this commandment. There are four things here to be confidered.

First, What is meant by mens days being long. It denotes two things.

1. Long life, Prov. iv. 10. The years of thy life fhall be many. Death in its beft colours has fomething frightful about it. It is a diffolution of foul and body, which nature shivers at. But there is no eviting of it; all muft die; they must go through that dark valley to their eternal ftate. But the best that can be made of it is promised here, viz. that fuch fhall be full of days, and not be taken away till they be ripe for the fickle.

2. Profperity to accompany that life; for non vivere, fed valere, vita eft. Long life in miferies is a continued death rather than life. So that the nature of the thing teaches us, that a profperous long life is here promifed. It is a good old age, Gen. xv. 15. And thus the apostle explains it, Eph. vi. 3. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayft live

long on the earth.

Secondly, That long life is in itself a mercy, and therefore is promifed. There are many things that may mortify mens defires of long life. Old age is

ordinarily accompanied with a train of miferies; and the longer the godly live, they are the longer kept out of heaven. Yet there are four things that make this long and profperous life here promised to the godly's keeping of this command, a great mercy.

1. A good old age is an honourable thing, Prov. xvi. 31. The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteoufnefs. God commands a particular reverence to be given to old men, Lev. xix. 32. Thou shalt rife up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man. It is true, fin and wickednefs fpoils the greatest glory, and no man is more like the devil than a wicked old man, lf. lxv, 20. The finner being an hundred years old, shall be ac

curfed But it is an honourable character which the Spirit of God puts on Mnafon, Acts xxi. 16. an old difaple. And old godly men are molt like God, Dan. vii. 9. Rev. i. 14:

2. It is profitable for the exercise of godliness, in fo far as it makes them proof against many temptations which youth often carries men headlong unto, 2 Timii. 22. The frothiness and fire of youth dying out thro' time, their grace is the better it wants them. Young people's grace may be more bulky, but old people's grace, though of less bulk, is more worth, because it is more folid. Though new liquor may work and fwell up more, the old is better. John was the longeft lived of the apoftles, and wrote laft of them. In his younger years he could have burnt whole towns for Chrift, Luke ix. 54. ; but if ye will look to his epiftles written in his older days, they breathe nothing but love, and meeknefs, and folid godliness.

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3. Long life makes way for the more proofs and experiences of the goodness of God on the earth, John 13. The young foldier may be more mettled and venturous; but the old foldier is more to be trufted, because of his experience and skill. It is no small advantage to have been an eye-wit nefs of the feveral appearances God has made for his church, and of feveral forms that have gone bver her head...

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4 Lastly, They have the larger opportunity of glorifying God here, and being ferviceable in their generation, the longer they live on earth; and therefore fhall have a larger measure of glory hereafter, as they have been more ferviceable for God, than others, 2 Cor. ix. 6. How many are cut off in their early days, while they were juft budding for the honour of God and the service of the churchd It is better for themselves, that they are foon taken away but the church is lefs the better of them, Phil. in 23. 24. The Spirit of God takes VOL. III.

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abroad their own fhame in fpeaking to the difcredit of their relatives; contempt of and defpifing one another, All these are quite oppofite to conjugal love.

12. Against that faithfulness they owe to one another in respect of their bodies, is infidelity in the grofs breach of the marriage-contract, deferting and leaving one another, and defrauding one another. In refpect of their means is all idlenefs, mifmanagement, and waftery. And in refpect of their fouls, is unconcernednefs about them, being at no pains to inftruct, admonith, and watch over one another; and if at any time they tell them of their faults, it is to their reproach, being before others, or in their paffion, fo that it can do no good. And much more then whey become fnares and hinderances to one another instead of meet helps, leading and provoking their relatives to fin againft God, and ruin their own fouls.

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Wives particularly fin against their hufbands, by casting off all reverence to them, carrying themfelves imperiously towards them, being difobedient, wilful, and intractable, and like Vafhti, Efth. i. 10. 11. 12. who would not come to the king, when fent for by him, will not go an inch by their own will to please them. It is not their honour to command, whofe province God has made it to obey, Ezek. xvi. 30. Eph. *V. ult.

Hufbands fin against their wives in dealing untenderly with them, tyrannifing and domineering over them in a masterful way, not protecting them from the infults of others, nor providing for them; giving them that are their wives no truft, but making them like Nabal accountable to the utmott farthing, nor encouraging and praifing them when they do well Cowell; most of all in beating them, in ute only with furious or mad men, Eph. v. 25. 29.

Secondly, As to parents and children :

1. Children fin againft their parents by difobedience to them. Such are in the midft of the black roll, Rom. i. 30. and are in a near way to ruin, Prov. xxx,

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17. So do they by all irreverence to them, and flighting and difhonouring them in word and deed, Deuts xxvi. 16. and much more by curfing of them, Exod. XXI. 17. Many again fin against God and their pil xxi. rents, being unteachable, and will not hearkens to their inftruction, Prov. v. 7. ; they will not take a harp word from them, but their hearts rife againft them and it too, Prov. xiii. 18.; and others, though they will bear with words, yet they are stubborn, and will not fubmit to correction, Deut. xxi. 18. 19. And what will we fay of thofe that like curfed Ham make a jeft of their parents infirmities, wafte their fubftance, and prove unnatural and hard-hearted to them when they are old and in diftrefs? Prov. xix. 26. Finally, they in by difpofing of themfelves to callings or in marriage without confent of their parents, Gen. xxvi, 34-35.

2. Parents fin against their children. many ways, white they are not concerned for them while infants but many are careless as to the bringing up of their children to fome honelt employment, but by encou raging them in idlenefs, prove a fnare to them. Moft men, if they bring their children to be able to fhift for a livelihood to themfelves, think they have done enough, while they have been at pains to bring them up for God. Many will learn them to work that will not learn them to read, pray, &c. What fhall we fay of thofe that will learn them to ban, fwear, lie, pick and fieal, and encourage them in fuck things? Some kill their children by cockering of them; they indulge them fondly to their ruin. And how indifcreetly will parents dote on one child by another, where it is not grace but mere fancy that makes the difference? Gen. xxv. 28. Some, on the other hand, are wofully harsh to their children, and break their fpirits, by holding them to fhort by the head that they are driven to extremities, ufing them as drudges rather than as children, immoderately beating them when they are in a fault, and inveighing againd them

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