122 The Life of Faith. Earth, and entnarc them to tome deluding vanity, or to di- ítra6t us in our heavenly design, and to alright or difcourage us from the holy w.iy. And if we think this an eafre work, becaufe it is allo ..'ea- fonable, do but obtervc how hardly it goeth on, till the POWER_ of God by grace accomp,ith it ! what a deal of pains may the bat and wit-Z(1 Parents take with a gracelefs child, and all in vain ! what labours the worthietl Minifers lote on gracelefs people ! and how blind, and dead, and fenfe- lefs a thing, the gracelefs heart is, to any thing that is holy, evenwh:nreafon it fell cannot gainfay it i And God is pleated oft-times toweary out Parents, and Matters, and Knitters, with fuch unteachable and tlony hearts, to make them know what naturally they are themfelves, to bring them to the m,xe lively acknowledgement of the POWER which is ne- ceffary to renew and Cave a foul. But having fpoken at large ofthis in the formentioncd Treatife, I thall take upwith thefe brief intimations. 19. And the prefervationof that Grace in the foul which is once given us, is allo an effect of the POWER. ofGod. Oar ilrength is in the Lord, and in the power of bie might, Eph. 6. ro. It is our Lord himfelf, who is the Lord of life, and whole Priefthood was made after the power of an endlefí life, Neb. 7. i6. who giveth us the Spirit of Power and of Love, and of a found mind, 2 Tim, I. 7. (or of received wifdom, for aoweriaµas is found ronderftanding received by inffruQion And this text expretïeth the three parts ofGods Image in the new Creature, zvrvua ¿tuv4<f40, i d'ycijrus OWgtovtatrû; And as Power is given us with Love and Wifdm ; fo Power with Love ano Wifd m dogive it us ; and Power allo mull pre- ferve it, r Pet. r. S. /Fe are kept by the power ofGod through faith umofaluarion, z Tim. I. 8. According to the power of God wb, bath_laved us. The Gufpel is the P =ever of God (that is, therntlrumenr of his Percer) to our falvatian. Roma r. 16. So r Cor. s.-18, To of that arePaved it is the power of God ; bec*ufe Chriít whom it rcvealeth, is the power and wifdom of God, v. 24. And thus our faith flandeth in the power of God, a Cor. a. 5. 2 Con. 6 7. And the Kingdom of God in us loth consul inpowér, a Gor. 4 , 20, The mindofman is very mutable
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