-- 11 The evening is a fealon to confider my Priviledges m Chrift. When David Pf•/.48. wa~·ready for his Brd,J will lay me down in peate,and fleep (faith he,)for tho>t Loraonly makeft 1111 dwell in f-fety. See how he fpeaks ofpeace, and rejf, •nd fleep, andpftty: 11 thcfe wue Privilcdges. Me rhinks it is a fweet conclu!ion of a good dayes work, :nda bldfed farewel to theWorld ifthis evening were myhfi, and that,immediat_ely I mut\ go ro God,to confider of fome.ofthofe glorieus PrivJiedges m God and Chn t!. I might infiance in my peace, . andreft, andjleep, and{afety ,'· by vetU\e of.a pror~aCe,_ or ovenant of Grace; or I m•ght mfiance m my Eletrmz, RedemptiOn, Reconctlzatzon, ~doption, SdJ<trificat!on, Glorification : But bec~u_fe thefe _are_ commqnly handl~d; •nd our communi01< wzth God and Chrzft; andthe fpmt of Chrift IS the mofi ravrffirng I?rivf!edge in this World, .my f0ul carries me out for the prefent _to pitch on this. . *One ofout Worthies hath wnt emmenly on 1t ; and for • tafie 0fhts excellent work,* Dr. Owens the [weeting dfmy lafi thoughts with fuch an excdlent fubjdl,I !hall contraCl it thus, ~dm~m~n_ r. 1 v. 7011 1d confider my commu>tion with God the Father in love. This the Father pt. th~r ~0~ a~ culiarly fixes upmthe Saint!; •nd this thry are immediately to rye him i11, God is love. Holy Gh~fi. Chrillians walk,_ of times wit b exceediHg troubled hearts con<etni11g the thought~ of the Fat her towards them ; they a~e well per/waded of the Lard Chrijland his goodwill; the difficulty lies ilt what is their acceptancr w!th tl" Fathtr, what rs bit heart toward J them? Now here it rhe worb,_ofthe Gofpel to difcover tbe love ofthe Father: thi1 i1 the will of God, that he may alwayes be eyedas being. kjpd, tmder, loving,yeaas the Foun• tain'alld Spring of all gracious Communication! and fruit! oflove; a>t d when Chrijliant appreheud this, tb~t God is love, aP-d(o refl "P'" bim, and delight in him a1[ucb, tbm have they commtmzon wtth the Father •n love. N ow fa< the exercifeofmyfoul in thi1 ble.Jfedcommunio11,the dirctri•n~are fuch as tbefe.•• I. I muf! rye the Father,as Love. I mujt not look,.on him asane that i1 alwayes angry, but a! one malt kind and tender ilt himfelf, and as'"' that bath had thoughts of~inrimfs towards his Saintsfrom tvtrlafling. ' . . 2. •I mu(!fo eye the loveofthe Father, u to receive it by faith; I muft belitve this lov~· ofGod as for my/elf Certainly his lovei1 not mine, nor will it be mine in tbe{wwnefr sfit, until/ it be fo received. Either I mu~ ~{_now it, a.Jfent to it, <mbrace it, and bave alt my affelJionsfilledwitb it,or it wilJ be in vain asto my Communion r¥ith God the Father.' r 3· 1hislove muft have its proper fruit and </ficacy upon my heart in a r<turn of love to bim again.To thispurpo{eGodloves,thathemay bt beloved:this is tbe return tb.t hedemands, Pro. 23.26; My fon,give me thy heut,thy ajfdiions,tby love.OthePriviledge•/Saints!thtyhavemeat to •at·th~t th• World i{nawflrot ofthey have clo[e communien andfello.. jhip with tit Fatberi · they de•lwitbbimin th• interch•Hgeoflove;fo that every oneofthemmay{ay.lfi have hatred in the World, I will goe where I am furc oflove; though all others arc hard to me,yct my Father is tender and full ofcompaffion,I will goc to him,and fatisfie my felfin him. 4; . I would confider of_ my ~om":uni011 wit~ God the Son i11_gr.t.'. So theApojlle {peakJng of our commumon wzth hzm 01 Medzator, coucludu hzs Ept/lleJ, The grace of ourLordJe~usChrifi be w!thy~uall.Not to_menzion anyo~hergraoe,"!'t hi<perchafedgrace ~~~\~_">· of~uj/ificat,ton,or •.ccep~atzon wzthGod_the dzretrwnJfor thuCommunzon are(ucb as the/e.-. Ephef. 6. 24,– . '. muft eye Chrt!ls dozngs and fuffer"'(gi; 1101 aJ for hi mfelf butfor hisSaims, andfor Pl11l. 4· 23. thetr Rrghteoufnefs. He was made tihder the Law, that we might receive the adopti- Gal. 4- 4, S• on ofSons, Andhe bare our fins in his_ body on the Tre:- Tbi1 was tbeend ofcprifl's ~ i~~[~:2,8g. lzf~ •nddeath, to wsr~ out acomple.t Rzghteoufnefs for btlzever 1, as to aperfe[i acceprati- Gal. 4 . 2 • n~~ '~* I muft approve of this ll..igbteou[nefi of Chrijf as that alone which ;. ab{olutely cornpleat,. and able to mak$ me acceptabli'hefore G•d. Of tbi.t I am c01rvi11ced, that if I dte tlm nrgbt, th{~t lS anccef!ity ofaRighteoufnr{s, wherewith I mu!f appear before God; andtfi b,ve nothz~g to commend ~e umo Gad but my own Righteoufue(s, oh how jhould I appear before huglory? _there u 110 other tume bttt Chrift whereby I call be f•ved; and thert tS no other Rzghteou{nefs but {hrifts whe reby I can be jttftified. S"rely lh•ll tlne fay, tn the Lerd have lRighteoufoefs and llrength. · 3 I muft m 1.. a 1 · . rra. 45- "4- , a.._e au a ua commu on wzth theLordJt/uJ as to myji11J,1>1dbis Rigbleoujnefs. A11d to thaapurpofe r. I mu{t heari{en la the voiee ofChrijt calling me tohim wuhmy burthw, Come to me thou poor foul with thy guilt of!in, for that rs mine : thts agreement I made wuh my Father from all Eternity, that I lhould come, and take thy fins and bear tl)em away; they were my lot, gi•e me thy burden, give me' all thy lms, thouknowell not what to do with them, I know how to difpoie of th'em well enough, fo rh~t God lh11l be glori!ied, and thy foul delivered, 2. Vtrn tbif D c>JI
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