f-,-v-er_a_l-ti_m_e_s_c_on_v_e_r_t-:-fc_v_e_ro-:-1-o-::fhis fervants, yet moll, and mo!t ufually be(onnheir old age; and that fame Interpreters wittily obfervc out of the Parable of ;he V>neya,rd, M at. 20 . 3, +> 5· T'he M aifenfthe Vmeyttrd(falth the TcJ:Ct) wmro11tatthc tmrd, ftxth awl uinet/; hour, and[a IV fomeJfailding idle, aYJd ,he f~nt the1n mto h~& ~meyard: He went then (fay Interpreters) on purpofc to fee, and h~te, and.to fepd m labourers to work in this Vineyard; but he went out at the eleventh hot}r, not to bnc-qrrlf, · h~ expeCted not then to have feen any idle ; he went outupon fome other oq:"afiop, ,aQd therefore feeino them lbndmg, he wondered at tr, (aymg, Why flandye /Jere all t~e day idle ? as if he"lhould fay, No man will hire you now, it is b1,1t an hour to jltgh\, -and therefore rather a time to leave workmg, then to be&m to work. .. "'. . ' 0 Ict.this provoke us, that while the flower 1s mprune, we woyld ufe all !'J.r~'!s for . our good; let us now in the heat and fumrncr of our dayes, Hl.1prove our fel.ves 1J1 goo(i works, rhat fo when the harvefl comes,we may be-gathered l!JtO0;ods .I;Ior11: ~,would we be exhorted to take the bc(l: time and opportunity of falvatton, thep m1~t we receive the fruits of our labours, the falvation of our fouls . ,.. ' i . V[e. ;,. \ .. , .... ( ... . ... C HA P. IlL T'hc fubf!antial p~rts tf Prep•r:<tion on Gods part ; or bis difpen[afi"''~ . of hi; work.. on the So~tl. Hitherto of the gcncralCircumftanw of the fouls preparing fo.r Chrifi. J;'l'ow the Subflarttial parts of thts !,'reparation are generally two: . Th ) Difpenfation of Gods work on the foul. e? Difpofition of th,e foul by Gods work. . The difpenfation of Gods work difcovers it fdf in drawing the ;foul j From finne. 1 To himfeii. But becaufe thcfe two are made up by one action and motion, we Jhall therefore handle them together: and the fumme is this, that God by an holy kjn,d ofviolence (which i; called Drawing,John 6. 44.) doth pluck_the[oulfrom thofefins that ha.xbour iT~ it John 6. 44,1 1111ro himfelf: whcrem we may confider two thmgs; 5 1. What the nature of this drawing is, ~ 2. The means whereby God draws. Fir!l:, for the nature of this dralving, it is of a double kind : ·r . There is a Moral drawing, when by Rcafons propounded, and good thing~ offered to the Underll:anding and Will, a man comes thereby to have his mind enlig4tned, and his will moved to embrace things offered: Thus was it with Pau}, whet)'he w~s .. conflrained by Lydia to abide in her houfe, ACls I6. J 5· 2. Th~rd~ a Phyjical drap;,it~g, Alllt6, '>·l when the Lord is pleafcd to put a new power into the foul of a Goner, and,with:.l to carry the will to the object propounded, that it may embrace it; when t~~,J,.qrd not oncly offers good things to the foul, but enables the foul to lay hold up<i>~ t~e things offered : And thus the Lord drawes a /inner from fin unto hirnfelf. .... S~condly, for the means whereby he draws, they are thcfl! four: .,.... · ., . F1rfi, the Lord lets in a light into the foul of a poor finner, and difcovers pnto h(m that he is in a wrong way: This the foul marvels at, becau[e ufpa\ly it comes on a Ifl. 66 , i•, · fudden, the finner perceiving nothing leffc, Ifai 66. 1. . . S~condly? though a man would defeat the power of this light, yet God ftil\. fo))qw~s tt Wtth forctble .t\rgumcnts, and drawes with the cord of his Mercy; I t~tugh~ Eph•af#• to go, (fatth God) rak,:ng them by the armes; I drew them by the .'qrtJs of love, IJ!!d IIJUP.{bc Hofca 11. 4· bonds ofa man. Thts mercy conufts m thefe bonds,or thts love tsmade liPof fo4r cor~" l · The Lore\ reveals himfelf to be ready to rewve, and JVtlimg and eafic to ,~pte~t~jn p,oor finncrs when they come unto him: I. et the wtcf<!d (faith the Prophet) f<"•ft.k,J {¥s !fa, SS· 7• lp•y, '•nd the ltnnghtcou• man hu thQughts, and let him rmm1 unto.the L•r.4,; y<Jr,tj h_; _I!! ill ha":e _mere! upon htm 1 and to 01tr God, for he 1vill abund,mtly pardon; the W.Pf.4 W·f.~e On_gmal _rs, He will multiply pardons: Hall: thou '."''ltiflied rebellions ? the ,Lqr,d will alf<;> multtply pardons : The bowels of tompaffion ·are lhl open, and the atrQs,pf.mt;i'I!-.Y .a~e lhll fpread abroad; he pardoned Manaffes, and J'aJtl,and :l'mr,and fG )le !"ni~h,l:~ ;· hts pardons arc nmltiplied; there· is yet mercy f<>r thee alfo, .~ for a thouf:md rhoufand more. 2 • The
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