114 nook Ill. 1Lrolung unto jlcftt.S'. Chap. 2 .sea. 9 . -----S-ce_p_r-er_?_w_h_y_t_h-en-is-_r_h_y_h_a-nd given to- God:~he~ .;;--;-1;;;-;;;-t;~d in;~-:;-c;;,;,;~ peace, Chrifi'sofferiog, and thy receiving the Covenant of Grace, bears a fweer a– greement, an harmonious conformity. 2. God in Chrift keeps Covenant with us; fo we through Cluilt llwuld be careful and diligent to keep Covenant with God ; in the things of this life a flrict eye is lud to the Covenants we make : now it is not enough for us eo enter into Covenant with God. but we mull: keep it ; the Lord never will , never bath broken Covenants on his part : but alas, we on our parts have broken the firfi Covenant of works; take heed we break not the fecond ; for then ther~ remains not any more place for any more Covenants: as the Lord keeps covenant with us, fo let us keep covenant with l1im; and therein is the Pf•l... ~ 17,18 Bleffing; The Mercy of the Lord u from ever/afling to everlafting--· to fu•h d& ktep his CDvenant. There is much alfo in this keeping of the Covenant, and therefo- e gi,c me l"eave alittle to enlarge: Sundry acts of Fai1h are required to this keeping of the Covenant. As thus,-- r. Faith in keeping the Covenant, hath alwaies an eye to the Rule and Command of God ; as in things to be believed, faith looks on the Promife, fo in t!!ings to be prac'li– fed, faith looks upon the Command : Faith will prefenr no flrange Fire betore the Lord. it knows that God will accept of nothing but what is according to his own will. ' 2. As Faith takes dire<'! ion from the Rule, fo in keeping of the Co;enant, it dire<'ls us to the right ~nd, that is, to the glory of God: we are of llim, and live in him, and R't. 1 4 7 S. by faith we mufi live to him and for him; for none of us/ivethtohimfelf, and no man dieth Pfal~;~.'; '~· to himfe/f; for whether we live,we live unto the Lord,a11d whether wedie,we die unto the Lord; I' fa!, 86. :,. wh,ther \VC live therefore or die,we are the Lords. Again,He died for all,tiMt they which live Jhould ~<~ot henceforth live unto tbemfelves ,but unto him which died for them.Tbis God claims as his right and due; Tho" Jhalt glurifte me, faith God: yes, faith Faith, I willglorifte thee for~~~·ithin keeping the Covenant fhields the foul again!l all hinderances that it meets withal: as for inClance, fomedmes we are tempted on the right hand by the baits an~ allurements of the world; .All thefe will I give thee, faith the world, if thou wilt be mitte; bm then Faith overcomes the wgr/d, by fetting afore us better things thantbefe: fometimes we are tempted on the left hand by Croffes, Afflictions, Perfecurions, and Sulferings for the Name of Chrifi; but then Faith helps us to overcome, and makes us ·· Conquerors through Chrifi chat loved us, by fetting before us the end of our faith and Hcb. "· 2. patience: it is faid of J efus, that for the joythat w:u [et befon him, hecnd11red the Crofs and defpifcd the jiMme. 4· Faith encourageth the foul that the Lord will have a gracious refped unto its A<'h 10. 35. keeping Covenant: In every lV<ttion he that feareth him, and worktth righttoujnefs, is ac– cepted with him. Surely this is no fmall encouragement to well-doing: Whal: would no< a Servant do, if he knew bis Lord will rake it in good part? Now fli rh atfares tl1~ foul, there is not one Prayer, one holy De!ire, or one good Thought, or Word _wlllch 1s fpo– ken or done to the Glory of God, but God takes notice of it, and accepSit tn good parr. Mal. 3· 16. Tlm1 they that Jrared theLordJP~kt often one to another, and the Lord heark?;ed, ~ndheard it, ~tnd a Book_of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that tho~<ght ~<p•n his Name. Col 1 '9· Juhn J• 34· 5. Faith furnifheth the Soul with firength and ability to keep the Covenant; by faith we get a power and flrength of Grace: as thus,-- . . r. By faith welookat Chrift as having all fulnefs of Grace m_lumfelf; It plea(rd the Father that in him jhoulda/1fulne{s dwell: All others ha~e but the1r ~eafures, fome more, fome lefs according to the meafure of rhe gift of Clmfl; but Chn!llmh recetved the ... Spirit, ffo~ by meafurc, but in thefulnefs ofit. . . . . . 2. By faith we know that whatever fulnefs of Grace 1s tn Chr~fl, he had tt ~ot for btm– j;~~~.8 ;2· felf only; but for us; He receivedgifts for men, fat,d tbe~fai1m1tfth; no 1 t for~lf<lfelfmeekrly, butfor men ; of hufulnefs we receivegrace f•r gr~ce. 1att 1 o n: 11~ Wlluom to m• e u~wife • his meeknefs to mlke us meek , and Ius pattencetO'mlke·us pauem. . . Heb. 4· >· 3. By faith we look at Chri!l as faithful to difiribu~e fuch Gr~ce unto us, as be recei– ved for us; he is ft~ithful in all the h~ufe of God; he ts fatthful tn dtfpenfing all the tr<a: fures of Grace committed unto him , for his Churches good : he keeps not~mg · back : his faithfulnefs will not fuffer hi(ll to keep that to himfelf which he bath rece;td PI•'· 68 , , 8 , .fOr us: hence as the Pfalmift faith, he received gifts for mm; fo the Apol!le ren ';~:
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