Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BS2096.A1 1701 .P3

Ch. 2. The Gentilesreconciled. E 6. And bath raifed us up together, and made us lit together in heavenly places in atilt Jefus. 4, q, 6. But God, who is very merciful, to manifeft his own free Love to us, when we were as others dead in Sins, hath by his ownGrace begun our Salvation, conforming us to the Re- furre&ion and Exaltation ofChrift, by deliver- ing us from the Death of Sin and Guilt, and making us alive to Holinefs, and giving us the earneft and fore-tageof Glory. 7. That in the ages to come he might thew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindnefs towards us, through 'Chrift Jefus. 7. That in there latter days he might drew forth the Glory of his Grace in our Redempti- on by Chrift, in which his Love and Kindnefs to us is refplendert. 8. For by grace are ye faved , through faith; and that not of your felves: it is the gift of God : 9. Not ofworks, left any man thould boaft : 8, 9. For your Salvation is of God's meer Graceand Gift, through your Faith in Chrift And this is not ofyour own contriving, meri- ting, reeking, or effe&ing ; but all of God's own Gift, who hath chofen. this way, rather than that of works, that none may boat, and afcribe that to themfelves which is due only to God. so. For we are his workmanfhip, created in Chrift Jells unto good works, whichGod bath before ordain- ed that we fhould walk in them. io. Not thatwehereby excludegood Works, by excluding Man's boatingof his own Powcr or Merits: For weour ¡elves are God's Work, newmyde by Regeneration, which planted us into Claris, purpofely to do thole good Works, which neither the Law nor meer Nature en- abled and inclined as to do : Thefe God hath fore-ordained and prefcribcd for ars to live in, and by Grace inclined as to do them. Is. Wherefore remember that ye being in time paffed Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcifon by that which is called thecircumcifi- on in the flesh made byhands ; 12. That at that tirase ye were, without Chrift, being aliens from the com- monwealth of Ifrael, and ftrangers from the covenants of promife, ha- ving no hope, and without God in the world. plifians. l y Chiif . Ch. 2. a I, t2. And that you may duly value the Mercy ofyour Vocation, you muff never forgot that you were of theGentiles, calledUncircum- cited by the Yews, and had no knowledge of Chrift as promifed,or as Incarnate, and wereno part of that peculiar people the Yews, but Aliens, whom they jetty refuted Communionwith, and were Strangers from the Covenant which pro- mifed Peculiarity, and fo had none of the hope of Redemption which thofePromifes give, trot knew how, as reconciled, to. be accepted of God, and lived as Atheifts, without the true Knowledge of God, or Duft in him, or Obe-,, diente to him, (though you had many Idols) 13. But now inChrift Jefus,vewho fonletimes were far off, are made nigh by theblood of Chrift. 13. But now ye areChriftiaus,you are brought as nighGod as the believing yews, the Pirtici- on being taken down, and the Covenant of Grace founding an Utiiverfal Church, purchaferi and fèaled by the Bloodof Chtift, whole pecu- liar People now ye are. 14. For he is our peace, who bath made both one , and hath broken down the middlewall of partition be- tweenus; 14. For he is the Maker of our Peacewith Godand one another, and hash taken away the Divifton betweenyews and Gentiles, which was like the Wall which kept the Gentiles in the outer Court of the Temple, and opened to us all a way into the San&uary. 15. Having aholifhed in his flesh the enmity, even the lawof command- ments contained in ordinances, for to make in hímfelf, of twain, one new man, fo making peace ; as. Being Man in the common-Nature of Man, and offering his Body a Sacrifice for the. Sinsof all, he bath abolifhed theLaw of Mcfs, which contained Ordinances, Ceremonial, Ty- pical and Political; with revere Penalties, and maketh us all one Catholick Church, united in hintfelf the Head. 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in One body by the crof, having thin the enmity there- by. 16. And as his one Body was crucified for both, fo he thereby reconcileth both to God in one Body or Society, which is his Church, ha ; ving abolifhed the Enmity. 17. And carne, and preached peace to you which are afar off, and to them that werenigh. 17. And this Gofpel of Reconciliation and Unity he hash by himfelf and his Apoffles preached,

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