Of EleClion. fo proper, nothing fo foveraign a remedy for thefc, as is his Gro~-e , no not~ in God himfdf. 'Tis that wh.ch we need 10 that cafe, above all other. When Chap.'· '}',mlwasunderTemptation,. andaMe!Jmga ofsatcm, or the Angel Satan~ (you may read eirhn) \~1-as ~ent t~ bttffet bun, ~nar was .1t that God did im· rnedilfdy fucgd!unto h1m !m rel1cf? My Grace zs jufficuut f or lhee; that is, the Grczce that is in rny Heart towards thee, and the Grau thlt is the etfetl: thereof working· in thy Heart , and both are ready toailiL! thee, and is fllf!icient forth at peefer.t need ; yea, all that could befall him: And t his was an anfwer which God himfclf gave (for in. anfwer to his pra_yi11g thria, it was that God made this return , AndGod fetidmy Grace. &c.) So then both t\polllcs, who had both run through temptations themfelves, knew none more pertinent fupports to Faith than this; yea, God himfelf couldfpeakno greater comfort than this: 'Twas HE faid, myG1·aa is fuf-. ficiwt for Thu. 3• You may further Obferve, That though we find it every.where elfe almofl, TheGraa of God, and that God is Gractous and futt of Bowels; and the like; yet no where but in this place, this fl1lc [The God of Gr,tce J efpecially no where l ofatt Grace J but there only Man needed it, when Temp· rations are fpokenof, efpecially when they come upon him: And the Holy Ghofl referved it for this fpecial occafion, And it is not fpoken only , to !hew what God is in bis Nattlre f1mply , but what he is to his Cbtldrm. Even as elfewhere , when it is faid that God is Love, l Job. 4· 8, it is not only inten~ ded what God w inbis Ef[mce, but fpecially what he is to bis Childrm, out of hiS Love, and lrom hisNuture; and the like is not fa id of any Attribute elfe. And what doth it fignifie? Verily that God is All Lo't-·r, nothing but Love, is made up ( iR his carriage towards them) as a God alt of love, and fo·here the like. That God in point of Temptations, Sufferings. Tryals of his Children ( yea •nd in all thmgs elfe) deals purely upon the Terms and Principles of Free-grace, and will in the Itfue !hew he was no other, but a Godof Grai:r, •ndof AOGracetowardsus; AO, whofe w :;ys are Mrrcy a1td Love (not one excepted )PjaJ, 25. 10. What it is to have G~dtobe A GO'D OF GRACE TO .VSl NowBrethrm ! Do you indeed know what this means, Thr God ofGnta, or the Grace of God? or what it is to have God to be a God of Gracr to your Souh? To know rhisin reality , as it is in God towards us; our Apofllc makes' it t he Periphrafis, the very Chorader of a Mon favingly converted, If fo /;e _ye have tafledtbatGodu Graciom, 1 Epijl. Cbap. 2. 3· . My meaning is not to enumerate all Particulars, in refpetl: of which, God is a God of Grace to us. It is not requifitc to the Subject I profefs to handle, (which is my main fcope) and indeed it would be infinite: F'or that would comprehend all the ways wherein God is Gracious , all tlie benefits 15eflowed • all the Ads of Grace which God hath done or does for us ; all the workings . _ of Grace in us; the whole of what Chrifi did, whith is fliled the Grace of Alb, •s•· 11! Clmfl, by whiCh we art f'tved; in a word, the whole Gofpel, and all contained therein, is therefore entitled, Tbe Grace of God. I !hall fi·rfi reduce oil unto thre,e general Heads,which·! fhall in time·, and in their order treat on· ly of, and that in Generals. There is a threefold GraGe in God; · '· His Purpofiitg Grace afore this World, and fiill continued in his Htart. 1 2. 'Difpm[atory Grace in the World, or his Gracious dealings with, and givin<~' forth of Grace to us. l· T ile Rtchrs of Grace that are in his N.ttttre. ·The Grace of his Nature, moved him to form up all forts of Pm-pojes of Grace with;n himfelf; •nd then he difpenfetb Grace exatl:Iy accordiog to thofe his purpofes: And then again, the Rzchrs of Graa i11 hu Nature are fuch , and fo vall, os thcy'have wherewith to mainroin and make good both thefe ---The Grace in his Noturc is the FotmtairJ, the Spring; The Grace of ' D d 2 his
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