Berm, a 5. Bow are we compleat in Chrift ? 5`79 and fpeaks nothing but what is to their encouragement. And . hence it is that fincere believers have from the very jufitice of God, anfwered all manner of difcouragements arifing from their fins. Woo is he that ccndemneth,it is Chrift that died ? i.e. lince God hash al- Rom.B,}¢. ready received fatisfadion from Chrifi, he cannot in jaeftice require it from the members of Chrift, but is je ft in the juf ifying hint that be- Rom.3.26. lieveth in 7efue ; and if we canfefs and forfake our fins, he is f aitkfull Prov.28.r3. and jufi- to forgive us our fins, anti to cleanfe ut from all unrighteouf- PCai 8ç Ì4.I'9 ne(s.: Thus hash the ¡lattice of God been their great fupporc in the time of their outward dangers alto, 7uffice and judgement are the ha- bitation of his Throne. In a word , this way of falvation (which was the contrivance of infinite wifdom, and is in it felf fo myfterious, that the Angels delight to look into it ) does fo fully correfpond with the condition of poor,weak,finful 1 ,mutable creatures, that it lays a double obligation of praife upon us, that falvation is poffible , and that the way of falvation is fo compleat and full. The Dodrinall part of this Obfervation being thus cleared,.one word by way of Application. Vfe i. If Chrift be All, then is there no ground of defponden- cy either from your own defedivenefs or the defedivenefs of all creature helps. Your duties are defee ive ; your endeavours defec`itive; Phil.3e9, your very righteoufnefs unfafe to confide in : But though you have nothing in your felves, yet if you have an intereft in Chrift , you need nothing more, becaufe in Chfifi you have All. r. You have the fumene of All. Though you have not eflates, friends, worldly comforts-, yet iii Chrift you have what does more than make up the want of all thefe. We may be as impatiently de- firous of this and that earthly comfort, as Rachel was of children, Gen.; ® r. whom we find quarrelling with 7acob, Give me children 'é* el fe Idie. I Sam.:.8. But what Elk <inah faid ro Hannah in the like condition Am I not better unto thee than ten Tons; the fame may we fay much more to perfons interefted in Chrift, Is not 01 111 better to you than al ? The abfence of the Ciftern may well be difpwnfed with , by him who lives at the fountain, and the light of a Candle by him who enjoys the Sun. All thofe feeming contradictions which fo frequently oc.. curre in Scripture, can no other ways be reconciled, but by theac- knowledgement of this, E. gr. A father of the f at herlefs : How pfat.6a.5. can they be fatherlefs who have a father? Thus we read of them jam.2.5. who were rich in the midft of poverty, who having nothing ¡offered 2 C5r.6.1o. -Ail things ; joyfull in the midit of forrows i. e. though they bad Eeee not
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