Book IV. JL.rolting unto jjefu.s. Chap. i.Sea. 9· 472 -u-nm-at-ch_a_b-le_e_x-ce-:-11:-e-nc_y_,_w---;hich appears in the way of ]if,::-e -an-d,--,fa,--,1-va-ti,---o~ by Jefus Chrill. It calls home dependance from every otherobjed-. . ·. . 2 • Hereupon there is awilling and chearful receiving of Chr!fr, and refignation of our felves to his aCtual difpofe, to quicken us, and fave us in hts own way. Agreat part of the anfwer of Faith to th~ call ?f Chrift !yes in, th.is; for as .Faith fees "life and falvation in the hands of Chnfr, fo.tt confiders tt to be g•ven forth m the method~ of Chrift; and fo believing .I yes not only in a[em, but confent of heart, that Chrift lhall f~ve us in his own way; this is called a receiving of Chriff; .As many ·"' ~~-John I.;,. ceived him, to them he gave power to become the Sons of God. Many a foul would b: faved by Chriil, that fricks a~d boggles a~ his methods ; they wiJI not r.afs to happic nefs by holincfs ; nor fet htm up as a Kmg and Lord, whom they could ccnfent to fet up as a Saviour: oh but now Chri!t that flood at.the door, and k!,1ock$d, is received Rev. 3 ,, 0 • in;. confent bath m:de up the match, and the door ts opened that never lhall be lhut agam. 3 • Upon this follows the fouls refting and relying; the fouls confidence and depen– dance upon Jefus Chriftfor life and for falvation; this clofeth up the whole bufinefs of bdieving unto righteoufnefs; thofe various expreffions ufed in Scripture of commit– ting oHr way and [elves to God; of cajfing our care upon God, .of ro/li11g our [elves on him, of truj/ing in him, .of hoping in hi; mercy, &c. wrap up fau h in this af!iance, de– pendance, not withom fome mixture of confidence, and refolved refting upon Jefus Chrift: a clear beholding of God in Chrift, and of Chrift in the Promif<s, doth pre– fem fuch variety and fulnefs of Arguments to bear up hope and alliance , that the heart is refolved; and fo refoJved that we commit our felv es, and give our foul• in charge to Cbrift, I f<!tow whon I h~ve believed, and I am perfwadrd he is able to kfep th~t which I I Pet. ~· 19. have committed unto him againft that day. · • T1m.t. n . 4· The uplhot of all is this, that the fame clofe which the foul makes in believing with Jefus Chriil as to juftification and righteoufnefs, is not fruitlefs to this effeCt of conveying !if< and vmue from Jefus Chri[t as to grace and holinefs; for that union which then and thereby comes to be enjoyed with Chri!t is fuch an union as is fruitful in begetting aquickening power and principle in the heart; and this is that which we ordinarily imend by .faying , faving faith to be operative; that faith which brings forth nothing of holinefs, what is it but a deJd _faith_? .As the bodt without the fpirit u Jamet ,, , 6 , de~td, (o faith withou: w_ork! u de~d alfo: ]ufl:1fi~auo~ and fancl!ficatlon are t;vin; of a btrth ; and hence 1t u, that v1v1ficauon ( wh1ch IS one pan of fandtficanon) is wrought in the f~ul. after the felf fame manner: ~s lirft, the underftanding is illightcned. 2, The will IS changed. 3· All the affedtons. are rene\Ved. 4· The internals being quickened, there enfueth the renewing of the body with the outward actions, life and converfation. And now is fulfilleJ that faying of Chriil: in a fpiritual fence, Thehourucoming, andnowio, .when the dea~ {hall hear ~hcvo~ceof the Son of G•d, andJohn ., . they that hear fha/llive. Now IS the foul vlvtfied, now lt begin>to l1ve the hfe of God 1 S now it feels the power of Chrift"s refurredion, and hmade conformable to it : And immediately upon this, joy is made in Heaven by the Angels, God himfdf applauding it, Forthis my Son w.u dead, and i; alive, he "'M /of., and i; fo1md. , Thus is the ftarc of vivification wrought. I know ir is not in all men after one man- lu,<ets. 1 i• ner for every circumftance; the methodsof God arc exceeditig various. and we cannot limit the Holy one of Ifrael: I have fometimes concerning this dedred the com– ~unications of other thoughts, whom I looked upon as fuch, who had more than ordmary communion with Chriil's Spirit; and from one of fuch I received this anfwer 1muff profejs ro you, I have in 11/l my fpecHiations in divinity found diJ!atiof•ilion in th; wrstmgs of men in.nothing more, than U the wor/z.of clear and diftinEl conceptions concerning regeneration; whichyeti; of fuch a CArdinal importance, i; that rhe great doors of heaven mo'le upon the hinges of it, the Lord enlighren '" mo>"c, for we fee bm in part, and prophefiebill in parr, · For the third Q!!dlion, what are the mean• of this conformity, or vivificationwhich wemuft ufe on our parts? I fltall anfwcr herein both to the {!ate, and growth of our vivification. As -- • I. Wait and attend upon God in the miniftry of the Word, this is a·means where– by Chrifr ordinarily .effecteth this vivification. By this means it was that thofe dead bones were quickened in Euk_iel's propbelie, viz.. by the Prophets propbefying upon them. And he [aid unto me, [on of man,--prophefie upon ihife boms, and fay umo them, Ezck. ;7. 4·
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