Acceptance of the- Fruitr of Holinefi. State Hi • .Bame, how fair it is, Cant. iv. ro. How fair iJ thy lq~e. "}~J'/ifier, ntj_(pouft! The fmr:!! of th'tir under garmenfJ o/ 1nliere.\1t holinefs, as imperfecr as it i~, · i.r like the fin~!/ of _ Lebanon, ver. 11. anJ that becaufe they are covered with their elder Brother's cloaths, which ·niake the fons of God to fmel! tlf' a jield rz.ubich the Lord bath bleffid. Their good works are accepted : their cups of cold water given to a difciple, in the name, of a difcipte, ilialJ. not \Va"t a reward. Tho' they c~nrfot off~r for the tabernacle; gold,jilver, and brafl, and ot~y x fiones, let them come for~v~rd with what they have; if it were but goats hair, it fhall not be rejeered: if ic were but ram1 jkin1, they fhall be kindly accepted ;, for they are dyed red, dipt by faith in the Mediator's blood, and fo prefented urito God, A very ordinary work done in faith, and from faith, if it were but the building of a wall about the holy city, is a/;reat work ,. Neh. vi. 0 . If it Were but the befl:owing_of a box ·ofoint?Jtmf .on Chrift,. it fhall never be forgotten, Matth. xxvi. 1 j. Even a cup of CrJ!d ·water only givm to om: of Chrijl'1 little onn, in the · tzame of a diftiple /hall be rerttJcu;/v·d, M'1t<th, X. 42. Nay·~ not a good word for Chrifl:, fliall drop from their mouths, but it fh31l be regUhed in Qod's hoO'k of re'}1.embrartce, Mat·~ iii. i6, ~or £hall a tear drop from their eyes for him, but he tvill put it in hiJ bo_01e:, Pfal. lvi. 8. Their will is accept~ ed for the deed : thQir forrow for the .want of will, for the· will itfelf, 2 Cor. viir~ 1-7,, F1r 1rthere be jirft -a willing · ntind, it is accepted acc;;r"ditJg to' that a man hath , _and not . a~c!Jrding to t-hat he haih~ not. Th~ir gtOanin ~ s when t}F'Y cannot wel1 word their dellres, are heard itl peaven; the meaning of~ thefe gro~ns is well known there', and they. wi_ll' , be returned iike the dove with, ari olive branch- of peace 10 her mo11th . See R ,mi viii. 26 , 27 . . Their mites ar-e better– than other mens taleins. fbe'ir lifpin·g ~nd b-roken fenten– ces are more p!e<~fant to. their Father io heaven, than t~e ino !t flilent ~mti floul ilhing fpeeches of thofe that are not 10'" Chr,i it. The~ r voice is f'V.!'eet, ev.eo when they are afh·a~,::d it fhould be he~1d ; theit countenance if comelj, evefl·MReo t"hey blu.(h, and dr;;n• aveil o,~~rj;t:;- Cant . ii. 14 : ..,T ~e· di nor takes their petition!, <&~1s ''hut fome pa.t:rs.. others, and then prefents 1he'11 to th-e Father, i~son w41ereof they pafs iri the oourt of heaven, -/~" ~.f. ,. ,.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=