This is certain, when the soul will not subject it self to God, he goes about to subject God to him, nay to his lusts, Isa. 43. 24. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins. For one of them must stoop, and a man would have the Lord be merciful, patient, and pitiful to him, when he is in ⟨p. 4⟩league with his lusts, now this the Lord will not do: And hence, if he does not destroy him, he with-draws himself from serving of the creature, and hence other evils take hold of it, and bring it under. When Adam stood, and was for God, all creatures served him, and the riches of Gods goodness preserved him, the Lord communicated the sweet of his government or service to him: but when turned away from the right ways of God: Now if the Lord should serve him by governing of him in goodness, he should serve a lust, and bow to the creature, nay to a lust, which is a viler thing, then for one creature to fall down and worship another. Therefore now hence it comes to pass, because the Lord will not be a servant to any mans lust, there must be some other government that must seize upon them. Hence set all the Saints in the Churches with their faces subjected to the Lord, his good will and righteous ways, and then his goodness shall flow down upon them in a through Christ, for otherwise we have nothing to do with good, but when we are set right for God. Hos. 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever, yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, in judgement, in loving kindness and mercy, &c. The Lord will then command all creatures to be serviceable to his Church and people; Vers. 21, 22. But on the contrary misery must needs seize upon the soul that doth cast off the government of the Lord Jesus: Thus much for the general explication of the point.
This is certain, when the soul will not subject it self to God, he goes about to subject God to him, nay to his lusts, Isa. 43. 24. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins. For one of them must stoop, and a man would have the Lord be mercifull, patient, and pittifull to him, when he is in ⟨p. 4⟩league with his lusts, now this the Lord will not do: And hence, if he does not destroy him, he with-draws himself from serving of the creature, and hence other evils take hold of it, and bring it under. When Adam stood, and was for God, all creatures served him, and the riches of Gods goodnesse preserved him, the Lord communicated the sweet of his government or service to him: but when turned away from the right wayes of God: Now if the Lord should serve him by governing of him in goodnesse, he should serve a lust, and bow to the creature, nay to a lust, which is a viler thing, then for one creature to fall down and worship another. Therefore now hence it comes to passe, because the Lord will not be a servant to any mans lust, there must be some other government that must seize upon them. Hence set all the Saints in the Churches with their faces subjected to the Lord, his good wil and righteous wayes, and then his goodness shall flow down upon them in a through Christ, for otherwise we have nothing to do with good, but when we are set right for God. Hos. 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever, yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse, in judgement, in loving kindnesse and mercy, &c. The Lord will then command all creatures to be serviceable to his Church and people; Vers. 21, 22. But on the contrary misery must needs seiz upon the soul that doth cast off the government of the Lord Jesus: Thus much for the generall explication of the point.
