Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT300 .O9 1679

tl)e Nature andCaufes ·ofit. 121 • Hereinn0 fmall part of the Life of Chrifrian Religion cloth conftfi. The humbling of our fouls before the Lord Chriil: from an apprehenflon of his Divine Excellencies, the Afcrip-. tion of Glory, Honour,Praife, with thankfgiving unto him on the great Motive ofthe work of Redemption with the bief– fed effecls thereof~are thipgs wherein the Life ofFaithis con– tinually exercifed. Nor Cil.il we have any Evidence ofan In· treil: in that bleti~dnefs which conftfis in the eternal Ailigna~ tion ofall Glory and Praife unto h_im in Heaven, if we are not exercifed unto this worll1ip of him, here on Earth. In·vocation is the fecond general Branch of Divine Honour, of that Honour whjch is due and paid unto the Son, as unto the Father. This is the £rfr exercife of Divine Faith, .the breath of the fpiritual Life _And it conftfieth in two things, or hath two parts. (r .) An Afcription of all Divine Proper– ties and Excellencies unto him whom we invocate. This is effeRtial unto prayer, which without it is but vain babling. vVhoever cometh unto God hereby, mufl: believe that he is and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently feek him. · (z.)There is initalfo a Reprefentationof our \Vills,Affeetions and Defires ofour fouls unto him on whom we call, with an expeB:ation ofbeing heard and relieved, by vertue of his infi– nitely DivineExcellencies. This is the properafring ofFaith · with refpeB: unto our felves ; and hereby it is our Duty to give.Honour unto the Perfon of Chrifl:. . When he himfelf died in the fldh, I1e committed his de– parting foul byJolemn Invocathn 'into thehands.of his Father, Pfal. p. )· Luke 2 3. 4· Father into thy hands I commit mv Spirit. And to evidence !\hat it is the Will of God, that \.\-;e fflould honour the Son, as we honour_the Father, even as the Son himfelf in his Humane Nature, \Vh.o is our Example, honoured the Father. 1-: e who firfl: died ir) the Faith of the Gofpel, bequeathed his departing foul into the h2.nds of ~~ Jefos Chrift by jolemn btvocation, A cts · 7 59· 7/;ey fionetl R - Ste-

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