Webster - BX9318 W43 1654

W TheFathers great Love , betides him : Oh Beloved,this is not tobe done without the drawing of the Father ; or not but in a Fatherly way, fencehe is the fountain ofeternal love ; the Father or Fountain of love that hath madeout his eternal Love hamPelfin the fimilitude offlefh:for God was inChrift (faith the Text) rrconciling the worldunto himfelf, not imputing to them their trefp.i fes. It mull be the love andgoodwill ofthe Father made out to the foule that mutt call it andwill draw it, and caufe it tocome in, to be atpeace with him and be reconciled, onely by his owne making out his love in Chrift. So I fay this Eternal love that fent out Chritt, and that gives with Chrifi auigood things, it is the fame eternal love andpower, and everlafting goodnefs andgood will of the Father that draws and brings the fpirits ofmen unto Chrift, elfe they come not. Draw them ; how is that ? with filch a drawing as mutt be efelival.As then din falleth not in vain,but the earth bring- ethforth fruit meet for them for whom it is appointed : So the e- ternal wordand power ofthe Father made out through the flefh ofChrift to the foul, calls, invites, draws and works ef- feaually andbrings home the foul; and this drawingof the Father is theeternal and everliving power of the Godhead or fpirit that wonderfully draws the foules of men : and when they are thus drawn, they cannot but follow; andbe- ing thus drawnby him, this is thejoy, life, wifdom, and righ- teoufnefs ofthe foule, here it dwels,refls, recreates it felfe; ha- ving loft its own life, it lives anti receives full fatisfa&ion in the life, and power, and wifdom of Chrift. Then, it is the office of theSon whom the Father hath Pent to quicken it,and raife it up at the laJt day, and make it like himfelf, even to fi t together with him in heavenly places. The point I fhall offer to your Confderations is this. That the drawing, ofthe Father only leads thefouls ofmen unto Chrif,otherwifenone can come unto him.Before this truth can be beleived inw,or be ofbenefit unto us, it muff become a truth ofevidence and manifeftation and experience in our hearts ; yet to witneffe this from the litteral word, that this is truth, you may be pleafed to look upon a placeor two;yetthey can make out nothing to us except the fam be made out by the e- ternal

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