An exposition upon the thirteenth chapter of the Revelation by that reverend and eminent…

How came it to pass that Joseph was able to overcome the strong and subtle temptations of his Mistress, in Gen. 39. 9. How shall I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? Can he mortify a lust by any power of his own? No, let the Apostle answer it, in Gal. 5. 29. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts; for so it is, it is not affections, but all the sinful passions that hang about the souls of men, the Lord frees us from them all by the blood of his Son: So that if you see Joseph crucified to his lust, and Abraham […] from his fathers house and justified; if you see Abel offering a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain: Look at all these as lively fruits of the blood of the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, whence also springs their faith? heavenly mindedness, their sanctification? their power of godliness was as great (and in many things greater) as in those that have lived since his crucifying on the cross.

How came it to passe that Joseph was able to overcome the strong and subtile temptations of his Mistresse, in Gen. 39. 9. How shall I do this great wickednesse, and sinne against God? Can he mortifie a lust by any power of his own? No, let the Apostle answer it, in Gal. 5. 29. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts; for so it is, it is not affections, but all the sinful passions that hang about the soules of men, the Lord frees us from them all by the blood of his Sonne: So that if you see Joseph crucified to his lust, and Abraham 〈…〉 from his fathers house and justified; if you see Abel offering a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain: Look at all these as lively fruits of the blood of the Lamb slaine from the beginning of the world, whence also springs their faith? heavenly mindednesse, their sanctification? their power of godlinesse was as great (and in many things greater) as in those that have lived since his crucifying on the crosse.

Now if it had not been as effectual and real before his coming, as when he did come, doubtless the efficacy of his death would have been less powerful and more weak in them that lived before his coming; but when you see such liveliness spring from the virtue and power of it, then you see the efficacy of it from the foundation of the world, only the manifestation of it was not so clear as afterwards, whence it comes to pass that the generality of Christians now are,