The N~eture of Converfton. Zech. 4· 7. Hear and blufh, you childrenof theMoff high: 0 you unthankful Generation ! that free · Grace is no more in your mouths, in your·rhoughts ; nomore adored, admired, cornmended by fuch as you. Oue would th~nk you iliould be nothing but praifingand admiringGod, whatever you are. Ho\v· can you make a fhift ·to forget fuch grace, or to pafs it over with a flight and feldon1 m~ntion? What but free Grace fhould move God to love you, un1efs enn1ity could do it, or deforn1ity could do it, unlefs vomit or rottennefs. could do it? How ~,tfeftionately dothPeter lift up his hands? Bltf{ed he the God and Fatber of our Lord :fe{t~.-s Chrift, who of buabundant mer– cy batb begotten ~ .again, 1 Pet. r. 3. How feelingly doth Paul n1agnifie the free mercyof God in it ? God, who u rich in mercy, for hk great love wbtrewitb be lor.·ed r.u, h~th quickned ~U together with Cbrift,; by grace ' e a~e faved, Eph. 2. 4, 5'. Tbe external MtJver is tbe mErit·a!2d interce.ffion of. t~e hlef{ed :fe(rA He h~th obtained gifts for the rebel– lious, Pjal. 68. 18. and through hitn it is, th~t God worketh in us what is well pleafing in his fight ; Heb. 13. 2. r. Throughhi1n are all fpiritual bleffings be– ftowed upon us in heavenly thing~, Eph. I. 3. He in– terceedeth for the Eleet that believe not, :fob. I 7· 20. Every Convert is the fruit of his travel, I{a. 53. 1 r~ Oh, nevetr was Infant born into the world with that · .difficulty that Chrifi: endured for us! flow empha. tically he groaneth in his travail ! All the pains that he fuffered on his Crofs, they were our birth-pains, .Aels 2; 24. d/Jlva~, the pulls and throws that Chrift endured for us. He is made fanetification to us, 1 Cor. r . 30. He fanCl:ified himfelf (that is, fetapart himfelf as a facrifice) that we tnay be iancti·fied, Job. 17. r9· ·we are fanctified through the offering of his Body once for all, fleb. Io. ro. 'Tis nothing then without his own bowels, but , the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=