194 The Life of Faith. him. When a honer looketh at God only as in himfelf, and as he is eftranged from the guilty, he is amazed and confound- ed, as if God were quite out of the reach of our love ; but when he thinketh how he hath voluntarily come down into our ficib, that he might be man, and be familiar with man, and what a wonderful marriage the Divine Nature hathmade with the humane, this wonderfully icconcileth the heart to God, and maketh the thoughts of him more fweet and ac- ceptable. If the life of faith be a dwefing in God, and God in us, and a walking with God, r Job. 3. 24. & 4. r a, 15, 16. Epbef.3. 17. Gen. 17. I. & 24.40. & 5. 22. & 6. 9. Ifeb. 11. 5. Then molt we perceive our nearnefs to God : The juft apprehenfionof this nearneß in Chrifis Incarnation and Rela- tion to us, is thechief means to bring us to the nearnefs of love and heavenly converfation, Col. 3. 1, 3, 4. Direct. 8. Make Ghriff therefore the Mediation for allyour praaical thought s ofGod. The thoughts of God will be Jfrattge to us through our di/fence, and terrible through our guilt, if we look not upon him through the profpeftive of Chritls humanity and crofs. God out ofChril is a confuming fire to guilty fouls. As our acceptance mutt be through the Beloved, in whom he is well pleafcd ; fo our thoughts mutt be encouraged with the fenfeof that acceptance ; and every thought mutt be led up toGod, and emboldened by the Mediatour, Mat. 3. 17. & 17.5. & 12.18. Ephef. 1.6. Heb. 2.9,10, 12,13,17. Dired. 9. Never come to Gatlin prayer, or any other all of worfhip, but by the Mediation of the Son ; and put allyour prayers as into his band, that he mayprefent them totbe Father. There is no hoping for any thing from God to (inners, but by Chrift : and therefore there is no (peaking to God but by him : not only in bis Name, but alto by his Mediation : And this istheexercife of his Prietlhood for us, by his heavenly in- tercellion, fo much fpoken of by the Holy Ghoft in the Epiftic to the Hebrews : Seeing we bave a great High Prielf, that ispatted into the Heavens, Jefus the Son of God, let us bold [aft our profelon Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need, Heb. 4. 14,16, Dire#.
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