lOG THE NATURE AND POWER
from sin. And both these considerations, even the sove- reignty of God, and the punishment of sin, are put together by our Saviour, Matt. x. 28. 'Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.'
(3.) The consideration of all the love and kindness of God, against whom every sin is committed, is another thing that the mind ought diligently to attend unto. And this is a prevailing consideration, if rightly and graciously managed in the soul. This Moses presseth on the people, Deut. xxxii. 6. ' Do you thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise 't is not he thy father that bought thee ? hath he not made thee, and established thee?' Is this a requital for eternal love, and all the fruits of it ? for the love and care of a father, of a redeemer, that we have been made partakers of? And it is the same consideration which the apostle manageth to this purpose, 2 Cor. vii. 1. * Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse our- selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.' The receiving of the promises ought to be effectual, as to stir us up unto all holiness, so to work and effect an abstinence from all sin. And what promises are these ? namely, that God ' will be a father unto us, and receive us,' chap. vi. 17, 18. which compriseth the whole of all the love of God towards us here, and to eternity. If there be any spiritual ingenuity in the soul, whilst the mind is attentive to this consideration, there can be no pre- vailing attempt made upon it by the power of sin. Now there are two parts of this consideration.
[I,] That which is general in it, that which is common unto all believers. This is managed unto this purpose, 1 John iii. 1 — 3. ' Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God ! therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God ; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be : but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth him- self even as he is pure.' Consider, saith he, the love of God, and the privileges that we enjoy by it: ' Behold, what man- ner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
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should be called the sons of God.' Adoption is an especial fruit of it, and how great a privilege is this? Such love it is, and such are the fruits of it, that the Avorld knovveth no- thing of the blessed condition which we obtain and enjoy thereby : * The world knoweth us not.' IN ay, it is such love, and so unspeakably blessed and glorious are the effects of it, that we ourselves are not able to comprehend them. What use then ought we to make of this contemplation of the excellent unspeakable love of God ? Why, saith he, * Every one that hath this hope purifieth himself.' Every man who being made partaker of this love, and thereupon a hope of the full enjoyment of the fruits of it, of being- made like to God in glory, purifieth himself, that is, in an abstinence from all and every sin, as in the following words is at large declared.
[2.] It is to be considered as to such peculiar mercies and fruits of love, Ss every one's soul hath been made partaker of. There is no believer, but besides the love and mercy which he hath in common with all his breth- ren, he hath also in the lot of his inheritance, some en- closures, some especial mercies wherein he hath a single propriety. He hath some joy which no stranger inter- meddleth withal, Prov. xiv. 10. Particular applications of covenant love and mercy to his soul. Now these are all provisions laid in by God, that they may be borne in mind against an hour of temptation, that the consideration of them may preserve the soul from the attempts of sin. Their neg- lect is a high aggravation of our provocations. 1 Kings xi. 9. it is charged as the great evil of Solomon, that he had sinned against special mercies, especial intimations of love ; he sinned after God had appeared to him twice. God re- quired that he should have borne in mind that especial fa- vour, and have made it an argument against sin. But he neglected it, and is burdened with this sore rebuke. And indeed all especial mercies, all especial tokens and pledges of love, are utterly lost and misspent upon us, if they are not improved unto this end. This then is another thing, that it is the duty of the mind greatly to attend unto, and to oppose effectually unto every attempt that is made on the soul by the law of sin.