And they rebel against me. Prae frumento, when they are fed like unto the Ox when it is fed fat it kicks against the Master. Or 2. they rebel after they have assembled themselves, when ⟨p. 692⟩once the duty is over, they go to their old courses again, and undo all their prayers: as Jer. 5.3. Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. We should from hence learn, That duties should mightily engage us against sin. Hast thou in prayer, either confessed sin, or asked mercy of God to pardon thy sins? Know, there lies a great engagement upon our hearts now to be humbled for our sins, and to walk according to our prayers: Dost thou in prayer beg power against thy sins? and in thy life dost thou rebel against God? Are there not many who will be long in prayer, and very earnest, and judg themselves for their sins, yea and in words justify God if he should for ever condemn them for their sins, and yet afterwards rebel anew against God? Oh! may it not be said, What is this the man that even now was in Heaven in prayer, and is now as it were in Hell in his conversation? Me thinks the very next time thou goest to pray to God, thy mouth should be stopped and not able to speak unto God: as we read Origins was, when he had apostatized,1 and coming to preach again, and reading that text in Psal. 50. What hast thou to do to take my Word into thy mouth, and hatest to be reformed? his mouth was presently stopped, and he was not able to speak a word more. So thou prayest to God, and after thou hast prayed, thou goest and sinnest freely again, Oh thou wretch, tremble at this, go and humble thy soul before God for thy sins, and tremble at coming into Gods presence in this kind. I put this dilemma to you; Either you pray against your sins, or you do not; if not, Oh consider how thou art departed from God; if thou dost pray against them, then how darest thou live in those sins which thou hast prayed against? Tertullian 2hath an excellent speech to this purpose: he saith, That prayer must always be with remembrance of Gods precepts, lest we are as far from Gods ear, as his precepts are from our hearts. It follows.
And they rebel against me. Prae frumento, when they are fed like unto the Ox when it is fed fat it kicks against tht Master. Or 2. they rebel after they have assembled themselves, when ⟨p. 692⟩once the duty is over, they go to their old courses again, and undo all their prayers: as Jer. 5.3. Thou hast striken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. We should from hence learn, That duties should mightily engage us against sin. Hast thou in prayer, either confessed sin, or asked mercy of God to pardon thy sins? Know, there lies a great engagement upon our hearts now to be humbled for our sins, and to walk according to our prayers: Dost thou in prayer beg power against thy sins? and in thy life dost thou rebel against God? Are there not many who will be long in prayer, and very earnest, and judg themselves for their sins, yea and in words justifie God if he should for ever condemn them for their sins, and yet afterwards rebel anew against God? Oh! may it not be said, What is this the man that even now was in Heaven in prayer, and is now as it were in Hell in his conversation? Me thinks the very next time thou goest to pray to God, thy mouth should be stop'd and not able to speak unto God: as we reade Origins was, when he had apostatized,1 and comming to preach again, and reading that text in Psal. 50. What hast thou to do to take my Word into thy mouth, and hatest to be reformed? his mouth was presently stopt, and he was not able to speak a word more. So thou prayest to God, and after thou hast prayed, thou goest and sinnest freely again, Oh thou wretch, tremble at this, go and humble thy soul before God for thy sins, and tremble at coming into Gods presence in this kind. I put this delemma to you; Either you pray against your sins, or you do not; if not, Oh consider how thou art departed from God; if thou dost pray against them, then how darest thou live in those sins which thou hast prayed against? Tertullian 2hath an excellent speech to this purpose: he saith, That prayer must alwaies be with remembrance of Gods precepts, lest we are as far from Gods ear, as his precepts are from our hearts. It follows.
- 1Origin.
- 2Tertull.
