( 38 ) Roma ,16.2o lyfitfor that office,44 the acceptance of that freegift. It mull be an Luke 14.17. acceptance, or content, becaufe god deals as Retlor as Well as Bene- fatior,with a rational creature, who is afree Agent, and therefore it Paat..2.2, 35. P/Lit were not fit that he fhouldhave Chrifl, 'Pardon, 7uflification, Right mar.,l.a8,z9s to Glory, againg his will: Nor would that 'land with the curing ;o. ofhis Nature, or the giving him theHie or comfort ofthefe Benefits, See before which are other parts of Salvation, and mull here begin in this fill the texts cited. Prq confent.Tt mull be an humble confent,or acceptance, Withfree acknow- ledgement and bewailing ofunWorthinels : For the Receiver is mile- table, and therefore mull receive humbly ; and the Grace is Fret, and penitent C'onfegion is the Acknordedging and Glorifying the freenefi of it : It ',tuft be a loving acceptance, becaufe the Obi& is eminently good in it felf,and to us: It mull be agrateful acceptance, becaufe the benefit is fogreat. It mull be an acceptance of Chrifl as our Guide and King; becaufe 1. Therebe ends ofhas own to berefpetledas well as ours : Godcannot intend man before and above his own Glory ; Nor mull we : Chrill will be had only on terms honorable to,himfelf, as well as profitable to au : AsaHusband, Head, /Wafter, Lord,and not as an equal. 2. And becaufe alto that his Teaching, Guiding, and Santlifying us is arPrincipal part ofhis laving us ; Andfo for ourfelves we mull foaccept him. So that Faith in allits parts and refpals,is in natura rei, fitted to this office : Infomuch that We may in fome refpe61 call it, Tbe Lawof nature Which impofeth Faith on Redeemed man ( all the preparations confidered and fuppofed) as well as we may call it the LaW of nature Which impofedperfea obedi- ence onperfal man. eallfo the IntelleElual All before all thee mull needs be PureBe- lief, becaufe the 0bjeCt was a meer promife,and anunfeen blefeclnefr. Se thenyou mayfee that it was not thegeneralgoodneft of Faith,as a Virtueor goodWorkonly, but it was a peculiar Aptitude that Faith had to this fpecial Way of conveying Salvation by Free-grace, for whichGod made it the condition thereof. Pra1.5o.. 21.. Thevery nature of thisfaving Faith,ii to be a Heart-Cove- Col.2..6. nant of a limier With .Chrill as a Saviour ( and in him with the of. loha.1 2. fended (Ailajelly ) Even as is a Covenant of a woman to her htsf- Nlar.3.34. band , a Souldier to his Commander, a Subjea to his Prince, a LP:1,35,1143:24' Scholler to his 77/1afier It isour becoming his Difciples. btata.t.2.8 , 22. This Covenant containeth an Eng-aaement to future °bed/- 30. ence : So that though our firti faithbe not the fame thing WithObe- dience
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