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Sermon XXXVIII.
—My mothers Children were angry with me.
I am now come to the 2d cause, which the Spouse of Christ here assigneth of her appearing blackness. The Anger of her Mothers Children. My Mothers Children (saith she) were angry with me. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which the Septuagint translateth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They fought in me, or they fought against me. In my explication▪ of the verse I told you that some by Mothers Children under∣stand those lusts and corruptions, which are members of that bo∣dy of death, which yet remain in the best of Gods People; those members mentioned by the Apostle Col. 3. 5. which we have while we live upon the Earth for our exercise to mortify, these lye in the womb of the same Soul, together with our habits of grace; these are those which the Apostle calls the flesh, which lusteth against the Spirit, These cause that war in our members mentioned, James 4. 1. they war against the Soul. 1. Pet. 2. 11. Others 2. understand by the Mothers Chil∣dren mentioned in the text, False brethren, such members of the Church as are indeed the Children of the Church, our visible Mother, but not the Children of our heavenly Fa∣ther. Tho in my own judgment I rather incline to the latter as the sense of the Text, yet I shall give that deference to those worthy Interpreters that have mentioned the former, that (there being a truth in that) I shall take both senses into the Proposition which I shall law down thus.
* 1.1 The conflict which particular believers have with their own in∣bred lusts and corruptions, and which the Church hath with false brethren, will often make them appear black to the Eye of the World.
Here are two propositions wrapped up together.