On Gods part {I. The offer of Chrift and Grace. they are thefe ~. The condition of this offer. 3 . The eafindfe of this condition. On Mans part, two things are confiderable : · 5 I. That corruption doth oppofe this Grace. . ( 2. That God will remove this corruption. . .. .. The !lrft general circum(bnce of the fouls Prepar~tion, .. is on Gods ~art; Wherein IS The offer ofChrijf Jefus, The condttwn. ofthu offer~ ··an:dThe eafinej{e of t.hu conduzo': ; we may have all in this one companfo~: As .w•th .a M~lefa<'l:or CO!)Vt<'l:ed of Htgh Treafon, for plotting ~ome wtcked prac'bce ~gamft hts Prmce, tf (after the dtfc?very of all paffag~s) the Kmg make a ProclamatiOn, That upon the furceafing of hts En– terprifes, he !hall be pardoned; nay, if the King !hall contin?e to fend Mdfage after Melfage fecredy to tell him; that would he yet lay down hts arms and take apar– don, he'fhall freely be rem.itted, and gracioufly accepted into favour again: if this Traitor now !hould rather fling away his P1rdon than his Weapons; then fhou1d the King raife an Army and overcome him, and take him, and execute him without any pity or mercy, I appeal to your own Confciences, is he not j~ftly rewarded? \Vhat will the world fay? He had a fatr off~r of Pardon, and the Kmg fent Mdfenger after Merfenger unto him; feeing therefore he refufed and negle:'l:ed fuch offers, it is pity but condemnation !hould befall him : thus would all fay. Why, this is the conditiorj of every poor foul under heaven; we are all Rebels and Traitors; by our Qathes and Blafphet:nies, we fer our mouth againfl: heaven; and yet after all our pride, and fl:ub– bornnelfe, and loofenelfe, and prophanelfe, and contempt of Gods Word and Ordi– nances, the Lord is pleafcd to proclaim Mercy fl:ill to every one that will receive it: Aft you that have dijhonoured my Name, .Allyou that have prophaned my Sabbaths, tmd con– temned my Ordinances, All yottcurfed wretches, Come; Come who will, and taks Pardon; therein is the Offer : Onely let them lay afide all their weapons; therein is the Con– ditions, and then have Chrifl: forthe taking; therein is the Eaftneffe of the condirion, Bleffd God, (may every foul fay) if!will not do this for Chrift, I will do nothing: had the Lord required agreat matter ofme to have attainedJalvation ; had he required thou– Jands of Rams, and Ten thoufand rivers of Oile; had he mptired the ftrjf-born of my body for the fins ofmyfoul; had he req~tiredme fo have k_neeled and prayed ltntil mine eyes had failed, until my hands had been wearied, umill my tongtte had been hoarfe, and until _my heart had fainted, one drop ofmercy at the laftgafp would have quit all thir coft: But what goodneffe is this, that the Lor2tjhould require nothing ofme, but to lay down my weapons, and to receive Chrift offered?Lo,the Lord this day hath fent from heaven,and offered Sal– vation unto you fons of men; the Lord Jefus is become a fuitor to you and I am Chrifis fpokefinan, to fpeak a good word for him: 0 that we may have ~ur errand from you ! 0 that there weref~~eh an heart in my people (faith God) to fear me, .and ksep Deut. s. 291 my Co~nmandments always! Sh~ll the Lord and his Melfengers thus wooe arjd intreat? and wtll any yet ll:an~ out agamll: God, ,and fay, !wilt none ofChrift, I wilt try it oltt to the !aft? 0 then, tf the great God of heaven and earth !hall come with !en thourand. thou~and of Ju~gements, and execute themupon that man;. It he lliall ~ring a whole Leg10n of Devtls, andlay, Taks htm, Devtls, andtorment hmi Devils in Hellfor ever; Becaufe he Wo~t!d not ha'!'e mercy .when it was offered, he jhAII not have mercy; becaufe he wouldnot haveJalvatton when tt was tendred,let him be contemned: IfGod !holild thus deal wttb that man, the Lord!hould be jufi in fo doing, and he jufily miferabl_e. s'eCl. 2 . Thegene>'al Circumftances of Pr.paration on MAt1S pt~rt. THhe fec~nd general circumllance of the fouls l'rebflration is oil Mans part· an~ erem ts obfervablc .c ' ' ' ~ I . !hat C·mu~ti~n oppofe't~ Gr~~e'. • F' ll: h 2, That God wtl( remove th 1 s Corrupt 1 ori. S ir:~ ;ft ~ ~fi is dear, I Cor. 2, I 4· The naturt<l man r~ceivet~ not the things •/the P . . ~ ~ ~esther can he k_now th,en• ;· and, .Af1s 7· S 1. re ftiffe-n8<·k[d., and ~nctrcnG~ife m eart and ears, ye do always reft{f the Holy Ghojf" asyourf,.thers did fo 0 Y'· tvc us aman in the !late of Naturt::>'l md though all the MiniO:ers under hea~eit Gz lhoulll i Cot. ~.14. Aai 7· sr.
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