43 / 808
V
E R.
3.
Ephelan.r,
Chap.
r.
31
fhip.Let thefe then
fuffice
to
give you force tafle
of
this bountifulneffe
of
Cod
toward
us.
The
Vfe
is
to
flirre
us up
to
feeke
to
be partakers of this our Fathers yf,
t,
blefling:Happy are we
whom
he
hath thus bleffed,ifwe be ftirrred
up
to
cry
to hun,that
we
maybe
partakers
of
it;
and
turfed
are wee
who
heare
fuch bountifulneffe
of
his
toward
us,
if
we
defpife
it, not looking after,
nor caring
for
it.
Many
prophase
Eraues
prefer their pottage before this
bleffng.
If
men be capable
of
great hopes, from their earthly
Parents
fhould
choofe
a
wandring
life,not
fetting
by
all
theirFathers could
leave
them, would not
every one cry out
of
them
as
forlorne
mifcreants
t'
Thus
it
is
with us,we
are
capable
of
all
kindes
of
fpiritual
bleffngs
from
our heavenly
Father, things
fo
great
as
never entred
into
the
heart
of
any
fully:
if
we
live like
prodigals,
(tray from
his
houfe,not fetting by
thefe things,
how
wofull
is
oar
cafe
t'
Secondly,wee
fee
the
great
happineffe
of
the godly
man
;
What if
he
u.
had
not
a
croffe
to
bleffe
him with?yet he
hath
in
reverfion great things;
he
hath
all aboundance in
hope,though not
in
hand:Agreat
heire
is
even
accounted
wealthy,though
during
his
non-age
andWardfhip,he
is
often
held
ro
(trait
allowance;
fo
here, &c.
Laftly, we
fee
their error who
feeke blef
ings out
of
Chrift, who
is
yf,
made every
thing,
in
whom
all
is
Amen
:
fuch
who
feeke
jultification,
perfeverance,pardon
of
fumes after Baptifme
in
themfelves,their own
fatisfaftions
in
the Churches treafury.
In Chrift:] Obfervelaftly,in,and
through
whom we come
to
be
bief- Dofe.to.
fed,even
in
and
through Chrift
our
Lord;Weare
bleffed
through the
ac-
.P«i.a.
knowledging
of
Chrift,
with
all
things
that
belong to
life eternall and
godlineffe.
Chrift
is
made
of
God,our
fan&ifier, juftifier,
rather,
Redee-
mer. In
Chrift
was thefulneflé
of
Grace,
that
we might
receive
from
him,The
Sunne
of
righteoufneffe, and Head
of
us.
We
have
life
begun
M
us,
I
meane
the
life
of
Grace:
W
herewas it
before
ourcallings!
Where
was
the
life
of
us
before we were borne
t'
was
it
not
in
our Parents
e
Thus
this
life
we have, before it come
to
be conveyed to us,was
in
Chrift the
fecond Adam,and
common Parent
of
us
all.
We
looke for
life
in
the heavens:where
is itt'
where
is
the
lifeofa
tree
in
wintert' Is
it
not
in
the roott'at the
fpring it will be manifefted
by
leaves,bloffoms,fruits: fo,
ourlife
we
!yoke
fer,ie
htdin
Chrift our
roote,
as
itwere
;
When
he
the
Coloca.;.
Sunne
of
life and
righteoufneffe
(hall
approach
to
us in
judgement,then
¡hall
we have
that life,now
hidden,mantfefted
in us.
The
Vfe
of
this is, firft to let
us
fee
to whom
we
aretogive
praife
of
all we
have received, even
to
Chrift the
head
of
us
:
We
have received
our
fpirituall being
from
him.
Againe, we muff labour
to
get more
neere
communion with
Chrift,
feeing he is
the
fountaì.n;whither fhould wehave recourfe
but to
him:'
the
more we could approach
to
the Sunne,the
more fhould
we
be eclightned
with
the light
ofit.Want of
Vnion
&
Communion with this
fountaine,
maketh
the Grace
in
temporizers cometo nothing,as waters doe which
have
no running fpring
to
feede
them.
Who