Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

Book 'Ill. Looking tmt~ Jeftu. Chap.l Sect. 5 be takes into coven~nt with him: the Lmljet hi1 love upon you (faid Mofei to lfrael) to take you into covenant wirh him, -no becaufe ye were more in number then other people , bm becar1je he t1 ved D:m. 7 .7 ,8 you,and chofeyour fathrrs; as notmg our the freenefs of his Jove .towards them ; he loved them ; why ? he loved them , becaufe he loved them. This freenefs of 1115 grace in givinga covenant may appeare in thefe particulars.As ' I. In that God is the fir£1: that feeks after us, to draw us into covenant with him ; we feeke not him , but he feeks us; we choofe not him put he choofeth us ; he loves M firft; 1 am found of them that [ought me not; If aid, behold me, bfhold me, unto a 1 J oh 4 · 19 • nation that was not called by my name. lfa.65,t. d d 2. In that there is nothing in us, to r:iw Go into a covenant with us; many a man feekes fidl: after the unmarried Virgin, but then there is beauty, or there is dowry, or there is fom<.'thing or other which draws on the man;but there is no fuch thing in us; this made "David fay, when he heard of Gods covenant with him and his, who am I 0 Lord God? and what is my fathers houfe . that thou haft brottght me hitherto? and is this the manner ~am.7.tS,I9 of manO Lm:/ God? q. d. O' Lord God, thou dealei'l:familiarly with me as a man dea!eth with man , or as it is elfewhere; thou Ch haft regarded me illCcording to the eftate of a man of high degree. It 1 r00 ' 17 ' 17 would make any foul cry out, that deeply weighs the freenefs of this covenant; L ord what iJ mai!l that thou C~rt mindful/ ofhim or Pl.8.4 the[on ofman thAt thou vijitejf him. ' 3. In that there is enough in us to keep off the Lord from ever owning us; we :ue as contrary to God as darknefs is to Jighe, or as evil is to good; the cart~ {I! mind isenmit) againfl God (faith the R o Apofrk) it is not ~Jb'}'e[t to the law o{God, neither indeed can be. . om,o.7. } ' we are a crooked generation , that cannot abide the il:raight wayes of the Lord ; our whole nature is finful and corrupt before him, and for the: mofi: part w11en we are moil: averfe and backward, and have lea£1: thought of ever fc:eking after him, then it is that he feekes us to take us unto himfelfe; rhus the Lord called Saul when he was perfecuting, and raging, and breathing ont · flaughcer again£1: the Lord, and agam£1: his Saints ; and thus the AR9.4: . Lord called thofeJewes that meck,ed the Apofiles when they fpake aa.~.J3,37· diverfe languages, thefe men are fu/1 of n~wwine; ay but the next word that they fpeak, is, men and brethren what foal! we do? 0 the free and une~pected grace of oQr God .! 4· In

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