16 ( épbefians,Chap.><, V E R. z. Doll. 5. Obferve further from this, he firft nameth Grace, then Peace, as fpringing from the former : Obfervehence that all true Peace is that which is bred in us from the knowledge of Gods love towards us. Wouldwe know true Peacee if we findethat Gods love dothcaufe in us this Grace here fpokenof, wemay be fure ourpeace is found. Toopen this, you muff know that Gods graceor love,dorh prove it felfin com- mon to all, or more fpecially toforce, and may be called a common or a fpeciall Grace. Now the Peace which is grounded upon conceit of a common goodneffe ofGod towards us, is not found Peace, foreven the beans enjoy common favour from their Creator: God faveth manandbea/I ; heopenet h his hand andfilleth them shit mercy is over all bit works ; this more common or univerfall mercy, as I may call it. But here arifeth a necefl'ary queftion, vit. How I may difcerne Gods fpeciall grace from this more common e vinjw. Firft, this fpeciall grace fpringeth from another fountain : common grace commeth hence ; God is a faithfull Creator, patient and kinde toward theun- kindeft veffels ofwrath : Henceit is that he Both them good, that his goodnefl'e may not want a witneffe intheir own confcience, Aas 14.17. but this fpeciall Grace commethfrom hence, that he is reconciled to us in his Sonne, Grace and truth through Chrift Jefus ; he hath made us beloved in his well-beloved, /oh» 1. Ephef. 1.7. Secondly, hence commeth a difference in the benefits, forthat common favour giveth benefits to the prefervationofthis naturali life, but this love in Chrift' giveth fupernaturall benefits of repentance, faith, hope, inward change of heart and affedtions. Hence followeth a third difference: for common Grace is acknowledged fometimes while the benefits of this life areafforded men, but they neither feel nor confefFe Grace, when thefeare bereaved; but this fpirituall Grace which commeth from Chrift, and ftandeth chiefly in fupernaturall gifts , this is felt often moft abundantly in of liáions, Romans5. A1Hidtions breed pati- ence, patience experience, experience hope, the love of God being fhed into the heart; for as the darkneffeof the night hindereth not the brightfhine of the ftarre, no more doth the darkneffe ofof lit i-j ons obfcure the bright-fhineof this Grace toward us.Yea,we (hallfinde this inexperience, ifbefore our troubles we doe not overtly skin our foares, (paring our felves in our fins, partly by not provoking our'. (elves to due repentance, partly by not feeking to get the rootsof re- bellion throughly mortified, partly bynot endeavouring to weane our! (elves fromall inordinate earthly delight in the creature : for our fuper. ficiall fleighting in matterof repentance, our boyfterous proud impati- ence not well fubdued, our unweanedneffe to force thing or other; thefe three doe make an eclipfeof the light ofGods countenance,when nowweare afHit ed : This by the a,ay. A fourth difference in thefegra- ces, may be taken from the effedt of them in the heart ; for the grace a carnall naturali man feeleth, never maketh his heart flye up from all earthly things, and rejoyce in God, whomhe feeth favourable, but even as a harlot, her love is more to rings, bracelets, or gold fent her.
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