First,1 it is a cause of just humiliation to us, whose sins were so out of measure sinful, as that there is no ransom to be given for them, but such an invaluable price, as the blood of the Son of God. All the Gold of Ophir; all that the world can give, what is it, to this invaluable blood of the Son of God? Yet this was our case, and estate, that if we had had many worlds for our inheritance, and given them all for the redemption of one soul, it had not been sufficient. ⟨p. 177⟩This was our estate, and this is the estate of all such as yet live in sin to this day. It is a desperate estate that cannot be repaired, nor themselves rescued from by ransom, but the blood of Christ. If our sins had been of a less nature, a less price might have made satisfaction: And yet such is the pride of the hearts of the sons of men; that because we live civil lives (though yet natural) we have good natures, are so well bred, do so many good offices, that we think it is not so dreadful a matter, nor that we are so dangerous for our estate as others: If it go ill with us, what will become of desperate roaring ruffians? whatever becomes of them, it is a frivolous matter to you, or to such as are civil, and hinder the free passage of the grace of God: but if our natures be so good, and our carriage so comely, I pray you what need such an invaluable price be given? If a small matter would have saved us from the world, what need such an invaluable price be given to rescue us from it? You will say, I hope I am not so addicted to the world, I would drive a bargain home to the head, and would not be cheated. But is that all you know by your selves? certainly there is more; for if the Lord did not see that inveiglement which the word hath of us, and that close combination of us to it, the Lord would not have thought it needful to send his only Son to redeem us from this present evil world. Frugality is not a vice in any, but a virtue; and if there were no more but good husbandry, surely there need not such a price to be paid to redeem us from the world: But certainly the Lord sees such power of worldliness, and untemperance in us, and such power of passions and lusts, that no means would rescue us therefrom but the power of the blood of his Son:
First,1 it is a cause of just humiliation to us, whose sins were so out of measure sinful, as that there is no ransome to be given for them, but such an invaluable price, as the blood of the Sonne of God. All the Gold of Ophir; all that the world can give, what is it, to this invaluable blood of the Sonne of God? Yet this was our case, and estate, that if we had had many worlds for our inheritance, and given them all for the redemption of one soule, it had not been sufficient. ⟨p. 177⟩This was our estate, and this is the estate of all such as yet live in sinne to this day. It is a desperate estate that cannot be repaired, nor themselves rescued from by ransome, but the blood of Christ. If our sinnes had been of a lesse nature, a lesse price might have made satisfaction: And yet such is the pride of the hearts of the sonnes of men; that because we live civil lives (though yet natural) we have good natures, are so well bred, do so many good offices, that we think it is not so dreadful a matter, nor that we are so dangerous for our estate as others: If it go ill with us, what will become of desperate roaring ruffines? whatever becomes of them, it is a frivolous matter to you, or to such as are civil, and hinder the free passage of the grace of God: but if our natures be so good, and our carriage so comely, I pray you what need such an invaluable price be given? If a small matter would have saved us from the world, what need such an invaluable price be given to rescue us from it? You will say, I hope I am not so addicted to the world, I would drive a bargaine home to the head, and would not be cheated. But is that all you know by your selves? certainly there is more; for if the Lord did not see that inveglement which the word hath of us, and that close combination of us to it, the Lord would not have thought it needful to send his onely Sonne to redeeme us from this present evill world. Frugality is not a vice in any, but a virtue; and if there were no more but good husbandry, surely there need not such a price to be paid to redeeme us from the world: But certainly the Lord sees such power of worldlinesse, and untemperance in us, and such power of passions and lusts, that no means would rescue us therefrom but the power of the blood of his Sonne:
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