Obs. 2. Grace teacheth us, both to depart from Evil, and also to do Good. Psal. 34.15. Depart from Evil, and do good. Isa. 1.16, 17. Cease to do Evil, learn to do Well. We must do both, because God hates Evil, and delights in Good; we must hate what God hates, and love what God loves. That is true Friendship, eadem veil & nolle, to will and nill the same thing. I durst not sin, God hates it; I durst not omit this Duty, God loves it. Again, our Obedience must carry a proportion with the Divine Mercy. Now God's Mercy is not only privative, but positive; God not only spares and delivers us from Hell, but saves and brings us to Heaven. The Lord God is a Sun and Shield, Psal. 84.11. Not only a Shield to keep us from Danger, but a Sun to afford us Comfort and Blessing. Therefore it is fit our Obedience should be both privative and positive; not only cease to do Evil, but learn to do Well; as the description of a Godly Man runs, Psal. 1.1, 2. Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the Counsel of the Ungodly, nor standeth in the Way of Sinners, nor sitteth in the Seat of the Scornful: But that is not enough, but his delight is in the Law of the Lord. Again, we must have Communion with Christ in all his Acts, in his Death, and in his Resurrection; and therefore we must not only mortify Sin, but be quickened to Holiness of Conversation. He that hath Communion with Christ in one Act, hath Communion with him in all; and therefore if we have been planted together in the likeness of his Death, we shall be also in the likeness of his Resurrection, Rom. 6.5. We shall be dead to Sin, and alive to God. The same Divine Power that kills the Old Man, quickens the New. Again, I might argue from the Word which is our Rule, for there we have not only Restraints, but Precepts; therefore we must not only escape from Sin, but delight in Communion with God: We must eschew what God forbids, and practise what God commands.
Obs. 2. Grace teacheth us, both to depart from Evil, and also to do Good. Psal. 34.15. Depart from Evil, and do good. Isa. 1.16, 17. Cease to do Evil, learn to do Well. We must do both, because God hates Evil, and delights in Good; we must hate what God hates, and love what God loves. That is true Friendship, eadem velle & nolle, to will and nill the same thing. I durst not sin, God hates it; I durst not omit this Duty, God loves it. Again, our Obedience must carry a proportion with the Divine Mercy. Now God's Mercy is not only privative, but positive; God not only spares and delivers us from Hell, but saves and brings us to Heaven. The Lord God is a Sun and Shield, Psal. 84.11. Not only a Shield to keep us from Danger, but a Sun to afford us Comfort and Blessing. Therefore it is fit our Obedience should be both privative and positive; not only cease to do Evil, but learn to do Well; as the description of a Godly Man runs, Psal. 1.1, 2. Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the Counsel of the Vngodly, nor standeth in the Way of Sinners, nor sitteth in the Seat of the Scornful: But that is not enough, but his delight is in the Law of the Lord. Again, we must have Communion with Christ in all his Acts, in his Death, and in his Resurrection; and therefore we must not only mortify Sin, but be quickned to Holiness of Conversation. He that hath Communion with Christ in one Act, hath Communion with him in all; and therefore if we have been planted together in the likeness of his Death, we shall be also in the likeness of his Resurrection, Rom. 6.5. We shall be dead to Sin, and alive to God. The same Divine Power that kills the Old Man, quickens the New. Again, I might argue from the Word which is our Rule, for there we have not only Restraints, but Precepts; therefore we must not only escape from Sin, but delight in Communion with God: We must eschew what God forbids, and practise what God commands.
