BookVI. JLt;Olitng unto jjefu5. Chap. 2.sea. 9· -I-n--th-i-sm_o_r_e_e-:fp_e_c.,-ia-::11:-y.:l,.--yes fdf-condem;atloO;it make~ a ma~ample upon his - - own felf, it makes a man free! y to accept of damnativn ; They Jball ae<cpt of the p~<nifb- Lcvir. ,5, 4r, ment of their iniqnity, an~ the:z will ]remember my covenmn with Jac.ob; they flVe God 42. (as it were) a labour, Judgmg themfelves, thatthey may not be JUdged. 4 . We mull: plead pardon, and cry mightily to God in CHri!l, for the remiffion of all our fins. This is the way of judging our felves, we fee nothmg but Hdl and dam– nation in our felves, but then we fling down our felves at God's gate of mercy; we de– fpair not in God, thoughjn our felves; God in Chrifl is gracious. and merciful, for– giving iniquity, tranfg~efhon, and fin; a.nd h:nc: we make bold to mrre~t the Lord for Chrifl's fake to be merctful to us; furely heretn hes the dtfference betwiXt nature and grace; che natural man may fee his fins, and confefs his fins, a~d judge himfelf for his !ins, ehus Sa11l did, and thus JudM dtd, but ehen they defpmed tn God, and were dam– ned indeed . now tl.e gra<ious man bath aconfcience within that reprefents to him his damned efl;te, but withal it reprefents to him the flee grace of God in J efus Chrifl, aud fo be ondy defpairs in himfdf, and not in his God, now thus far good; come Chrifti– ans! dow~ defpair in our felves? do we fling off all our own hopes, and our own de– pendencies. hangings, holdings on ducies, purpofes, graces, performances? and do we go to God in Cbrift, and cell him, We hang upon nothing but the mere m«cj, the free grace of God in Christ, and therefore Lord pardon, Lord forgive for thy Names fqf<.t, promife faf<.t, mercies fak!, and for the Lord [eJMf<k.t; 0 let free grt~ct r.ave his work..; LoYd gl rijiethy Name, and glorifie the rlhesof tf,y grace.infavmg u;: Why, this is che befl hold in the World, though the World cannot abtde1t; furely if we thm ju~~e our[elves we jh01<ld not be j~<dged.. · 4 · Chrift at his coming will be glorified i~ his Saints; not onely in himfelf, but in his Saints alfo; whofe glory as it come• from htm, fo it will redound to him : Oh let him now be glorified inus,. let us no":' in fome high way conform to tbe im>ge of his glory, let uslook on Chnft ttll.we are hke Chnll, not :oncly 10 ~race, but in glory ; and this gloryasitcomesfrom htm, f?letitredoundiolum:. I will not fay, char the Kingdom of Heaven and·glory !S 10 tlm ltfe, I lea,-e. tins op1010n to the dreamers of >his time, I mean to the Familifls, Q!!akers, and fuch ltke; but thtsI fay, that even in this life tlte Saints of God enjoy a begun and imperfeCI: conformity to Chrifl's glory; and this is that I vtould now prefs upon us ; let us fo behold theglory of the Lord in the gla{s of the GoJPel, 2 Cor. 3· 1i. .u that we may be changed into thefame image from gl.ry to glory; from a lelfer meafure to an hioher meafure of glory. The day is a coming that Chrift will be glorified in himfelf and 1~ will be glorified in his Saint,,O the glories chat will then be accumulated and heap: ~d upon J efus Chrifl!. come now let us beh~ld this ~lory of. ~hri!t till we are changed m fome lugh meofure mto the fame glory With Chn!t; Chrt!t s glory nghtly viewed is achanging glory: And herein rhe v.iews of Chrifl furpafs all creature-views, if we behold the Sun, w_e cannot pofllbly be clJan&ed into another Sun, but i_f with the eye of knowledge and fatth we behold Jefus Chnfl, we fhall be changed mto the glorious image of jefus Chrifl ; .if the Sun of righteoufnefs ca!t forth his golden beams upon us, and we enjoy this light ; why then, Who u jke that lookerh forth Mthemorning ( "'.A11- Canr.'6. 10. rora, the first birth of the day) fair Mthe Moon, clear M.the Stm. I know this glorious change is but a gro.yin& change by. d.egrees, from glo1y to glory; and yet who can deny but there 1s fome conformity eo Clm(\ s glory even in this life? do notthefe very Texts fpeak the felf fame ~hing? Thefe things have IJPokfn to you, that John I). I I. my JOY mtght remamm )''"• and that your .JOY mtght be {11H. .And thefe things write we I John 1, . untoyo~<, that )'OilY joy may befull. .And Mk..., and ye jl.·all receive, that yo11r joy may be John !6 4 full• .And rejoycc with [erufalem, and be glad with her all ye that love her,-- that Ifa.66.;:,t~. ye may fuclz. and be fatujicd with the brefts of her confolations, that ye may milk.._out, and • be delighted with the abtmdance of her glory. .And the God of all hope {ill )'Oit with all Ram. 5• 'l· joy and peace ;, believing. Surely all joy, and peace, are fynechdochically put for all other ind10ations of glorification. But how is a Saint in this life filled with all joy? I anfwer, I. In regard of the objeCI:, God and Chrift. 2.. In regard-of the degrees; though not abfolutely, yet fo far forth as the meafure of joy is in this life attain~ble · I might infiance. in rhe joy of Mr. Peacock,_,. Mrs. Brettcrgh, and of fome Martyrs: who fungtn rh~ fires. l· In regard of duratton, tejoycc allvays, noconelyinthecalm Plri!. 4•• of peace, but tn the florm of vtolem oppofitton. ASatnt may have his troubles, but 4 thefe troubl_es can never totally or finally excinguifh his joy, yo11r joy no man tafeth from John 16.22. yeu. He re)oyceth always, A aaa 0
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