Brooks - BT750 .B7 1669

A Box of recious Ointment: Or, by his defines, than he can by his words or works. I have been the larger upon this ev deuce, becaufe of its great ufefulnefs to weak believers. But, Seventhly, No man can fincerely defire grace for grace fa, viz,, faith for faiths fake, and love for loves fake, and ility for humilities fake, and uprightnefs for uprightnefs fake, and meeknefs for meeknefs fake, and holy fear for ho- ly fears fake, and hope for hopes fake, and holinefs for holi- ,nefs fake, and felf-denial for felf-denials fake, &c. but he that has true grace. Mark, no man can fincerely and feri- oufly defire grace, for the inward beauty, glory and excel- lency of grace, but he that has true*ace. The Kings daugh- ter is all glorious within, though within is not all her glory ; ;race differs nothing from glory but in name grace is glory in the bud, and glory is grace at the full 5 grace is glory mi- litant, and glory is grace triumphant ; grace has an inward glory upon it, which none can fee and love, but fach as have grace in their own hearts : Wicked men can fee no beauty, no glory, no excellency in grace, why they ihould defire it or be taken with it ; and no wonder, for they could fee no beauty, nor excellency, nor glory, nor form, nor comelinefs in Chrift the fountain of grace, why they Mould defire him, and be taken with him. Though next to Chrift grace is the molt lovely and deferable thing in all the world, yet none can defire it for its own lovelinefs and defirablenefs, but fuch as have a feed of God in them ; though grace be a pearl of price, though it be a jewel more worth than the gold of Ophir, though it be a beam of God, a fpark of glory, a branch of the divine nature ; yet carnal hearts can fee no glory nor excellency in it, that they fhould defire it. If car- nal eyes were but opened to fee the excellency of grace, Mirabiles foii excitaret mores, it would ravifh the foul in de- fires after it ; but graces beauty and glory is inward, and fo it is not difcerned but with fpiritual eyes. Plato was wont to fay, if moral vertues could be Peen with bodily eyes, they would ftir up in the heart extraordinary flames of admiration and love. I might fay much more of grace ; Grace, 1. Puts an 2 Col. 3. Ia. 16.13.1)2,3)4. Cor.s.14-uls.

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