Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

uo Book Ill. :t.lroltmg unto 'jtfus. Cbap.<.SccL6. Pfal. 6S. ;. Pfal. 10). 3· Pfal. I49•l• Pfal.>3· 'z, God, yea let them exceeeding!y rejoyce, p[,!:-68·. 3~-(;J;.jy;-;;his hoiy N~;;;:t;;t/,; heart of them>·cjoycethat fcekthc Lord, Pfal. I05. 3· Lrt Jfrael rejo)'CC in him thatmaae him, let the Children of Zion be joyf~tl in. their King, Pfal. I49, 3· R' glad in the Lord, and rejoyce 0 ye riglmous, arf'~jhout for ;oy all ye that arc upright in heart, Pfal. .z 3. I I. 0 what preffing Comman~s- ~e,thefe? SECT. VIII. Of calling on [e(us in that refpefl. r.VVEmu~ call~" JcjiH, or on God the Father in and through [efu; in reference to tlus graciOus Covenant : Now this calling on God contains Prayer and Praife. ' Jcr.;r. , 6, I. Wemuflpray; we mull: ufe Arguments of Faith challenging God, Tum thoume; and I jha/1 be tterned: \Vhy? forthouartthe Lord my God. This Covenant is the ground on wh1ch all Prayers mull: be bottomed; the Covenant we know contains all the Pro– J 4 2 2 , mifes, and what is Prayer but Promifes turned into Petitions? Thus prayed the Pro– ''·' • 1 ' .. phet Jeremy, Do not abhor us for thy Nar,;esfa/,s, do not difgrace the Throne of thy Glory, remember, break__ not thy Coven"nt with tu. --Why? Art not thou he the Lord our God? I fa. 6;. 9• And thus prayed the Prophet I(aiah, Be not wroth very (ore, neither remember iniquity forever, beholdwebefccchthee; andwhyfo? weareallthypcoplc; q. d. Everyonedoth for its own; the Prince for his people, the Father for his children, "and the Shepherd for his !l1eep; and will not God do for his own in covenant with him? He thy foul in th~ faddefl defertion, yet come and fpread the Covenant before God : A Soul in the great– ell: depth, fwimming on this Covenant of Grace, it keeps it from linking; whence Chri£1: in his blackefl, faddefl hour, prayed thus, My God, my G'od, why haft thoit for[a/,sn me ? Be thy foul in trouble for lin and prevailing corruption ; yet go to God , and plead his Promife and Covenant: fay as lchojhaphat, Lord, I am fo born down by the power of my fin, that I kzrow not what to do, only mine eyeJ are umo thee; 0 do thou fubdue mine ini– quitin. Be thy foul troubled for want of 1hength to do this or that dmy; yet go to God and Chrifl in the Covenant of Grace, and fay, Lord, thou k!:owefl I have noftrcngth of my fe!f, I amaba-rren wilde-;nefs, bm tlnm h;.~ftemred imoa Covenant of Grace withme, that th01< wilt pm thy Law into my inward parts, thd" wilt caufc me to ksep thy _i11dgmems, j~~-. ~:·,;?· anddo them, Ezek. 36. 27. As fometimes thou faid£1: to Gideon; I have {cntthee, thm. fore I n-il! bewith thee, J udg. 6. I6. Many are apt to fee upon their dutie~; in their own ftrength; but Ohmy foul, look thou to the promife of Grace and ofthe Spi1 it, and jlm them in fuit, and alledge them unto Chrifl. Many are apt to work out their fanc'tilic:tri– ons by their warchfulnefs, refolurions, vows, promifes made unto God; but alas were there not more help in Gods promifes which he makes to us, then in our promifes which we make to him, we might lie in our pollutions for ever. 0 here's the way; in every want, or ftrait, or necefilty fly to God and Chrifl:, faying, Tho11 art our F_ather, and we are thy people , 0 break.. not thy Covenam with 11s. I confefs flrong exprcll10ns and af– fections are good in prayer, but furely flrength of Faith in the Covenant of God IS the grearen flrength of our Prayer. , Objefl. Anfiv. Ha-55· 2. Here it may be fome Soul will object, 0 if I were aiTured that I were in Covenant with God, thus would I pray; but alas, I am a flranger, an Alien, andfo have been to this ve;-y day, I have no part in the Covenant. · . . . I Anfwer, If thou art not aCtually in Covenant, y-et thou ma•fl be m Covenant mre– fpect of Gods purpofe and gracious intention. Howfoever, to encourage all to feek unto God, confiderthefe Particulars.- · r. The Freenefs of rhe Promife in this Covenant of Grace: Come andb1ty l'Vine JVith· out money or money-worth; co'11e, ":nd drink_ of the waters of lifefreely: .. 1\cv. a. ' i· 2. The extent of the Prom1fe m tins Covenant of Grace: I wdl po""' out my Spmt upon ,,/l jlejh; hence•the Gofpel is compared to a Feafl:, and God invites u~iverfally' Mat. ,, 9 . As many ap01e find, bid ~o the Marr~agc. As perfons are m efl:ate, fo rhey mv1te, and fo they feaft: now Chr1fl: IS a great Kmg over all the Earth; /le bath one Houfe that w1l~ bold all; he bath one Table that will hold all ; yea, l1e bath one D1ll1 that will ferve all, and anfw.erably he invites all: Ho every one thatthtrfteth. . i '. The forwardnefs of Chritl:, . that gives to every one that asketb, accordmg to h 5 John'· 1 o. Promife. Hadft thou but asksd (faid Chrifl to the Samaritan Woman) I would havegt– , ven

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