of Sacred Truth. andaffeCl:ions,the Confolation of our fouls with their Edifica· tion in all the Parts ofthe Life of God, and the like, are the things thatGodhath defigned to effeCt by his Truth, Joh. 17.17· Whence it is able tobuild us up andg,i·ve us an·lnheri~ tanceamong,fzll them t.hat are Sanflijied, At!:. 20. 52. But it is from their Relation unto the Perfon of Chriil:, that they have any thing of this Power and Efficacy. For they have it no otherwife but as they are conveyances of his Grace unto the fouls ofmen, So 1Joh. 1. r,2. · Wherefore as Profefiors of the iruth,iffeperated from Chriil: as unto real Union, are withermg, branches; fo iruths profef fed if docrrinally feparated from him, or their refpecr unto him, have no living Power or _Efficacy in the fouls of men. ' When Chriil: is formed in the Heart by them, when he dwe l– ·leth plentifully in the foul through their Operation, then and not elfe do they put forth their proper Power and Efficacy. Other'wife they are as waters feparated from the Fountain, they quickly dry up or become a noifom puddle ; or as a - beam interrupted from its continuity unto the Sun, is imme– diately deprived of light. 2. All Divine Spiritual Truths aredeclarati-ve either of the Grace and Love ofGodunto us,or ofour Vuty, Obedience and Gratitudeunf(} him. But as unto thefe things Chrifl is All and in All. We can have no due apprehenfi.ons of the Love and Grace of God, no undedl:anding of the Divine Truths of the Word wherein they are revealed, and whereby they are ex- · ' hibited unto them that believe, but in the Exercife of Faith on Chrifr himfdf. For in, by and from him alone it is, that ·they are propofed unto us, 'that we .are made partakers of them. It!s from 'his fulnefs that all Gr:;tce is received. No T tuth concerning them can by any Imagination be feparated from him. He is the life andfoul of all foch Truths without · which as they are written in the Word, they are but a dead Letter~
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