SE C T. V I. OfGodsWerkmanjfitp. s$§ cords and chains of fin fopleafing to thee? Oh pray to God that hewould fare thee and deliver thee from thofefins, thy deadly enemies. 2. We are Godt people, andfa his workmanfhip in re.Ffell of his gradates Cove- II, mane andproreife , for that is the tenor of the Covenant of gracefooften mentioned, By covenant. will be their god,and they (hall be my peopleJer. 30. 33. , Con6, : 6. So that to beGods workmanfhip in this fade, is the greatenhonour and priviledge we are capable of. Happy is thepeoplewholee God as the Lord, Pfal. s44.15. Yea, bap. py is thepeople: the Pfalmdt(peaks it comparatively to all thofe-outward bleflings, that are there reckonedup : And indeed tohave Godour God, is the treafure of all happinefle and comfort; For thenhis omníporency, his wifedome, his good- nelfe, all his attributes are for thy ufeand advantage. It is to have the Fountain, the fumm , the Treafurieofall good : It is the Divines rule, That we mutt not go to an abfoluteGod, butrelative one, confidered in the relation of a gracious Co- venant : For hereby God bath bound himfelf ; and though wecannot plead our worth, yet we may his fidelity and truth : Though we cannot urgeour works, yet wemay his words : So that if we look into theOriginal ofthis workmanlhip, we (hall finde it to be the onely Grace of God : Gods word is gone out of his mouth ; and fo being once paffed under this rod , as the Scripture expreffeth it, EZek. ao. 37. we may boldly urge at the throneof Grace, OhLord, it wau once fleets thotwhether thou wouldß omis no orno,dogoodto u, or net, but fine thou hail enteredinto promifc with tie, thou tang not deny thyfell, So that to be Gods work- manlhip , Gods people, is tobe had as it were into the mountof Transfigurati- on, andGod Chews thee all the glory ofheaven, and faith, All this Iva lgivi thee. 3. We are kit werkmanibip or peopleby parchafe,and that atadearrate, even by the III. 61oaaof Ckrifl. Thus Chrift is laid, Toparcbafetohimfelfa peculiarpeople , Zea- Bypurchafe: loua of goodworks, Tit. z 14. And herein that holds true whichwas told you net long finde , That it colts Chrift more tomakeus his people, then to create the world; for there it was but his word,faying, Let therebe light,and therewits light: But here it is his death and fufferings,to redeem usfrom our former evil waies: This Ihouldmake us even ftartle, and be altonifhed at the noifome,and foul guilt of fin, which plungethus into an irrecoverable Joffe, unlefie by Chrifts blood we are fit nc liberty : Every fin is the price of Chrifts blood. Now hereinpeople do much deceive themlelves; they look for lalvation by Chr:fts blood , but not for a free- dom from thepower of fin , whereas the blood ofChrift doth not onely cleanfe away guilt , but it alto makes white and fruitful' to every good word and work. Lalily, Which hmoll proper io this Text, we arehia peopleand workmanfhip by Iv a graciosa renovation, and matingall things new in us. Godonce made us after By renovation. hismage, but we foon defaced that fuperfcription: That thereforewe maybehis again, he wakes us the fecond time after his image again; and in this lenfe we are here called his workmanfhip : God takes awayour rubbilh, and all our filth; and makes na a fit Templefir the Hoof ghofl todosedsn. In this fenle the Pfalmift (peak- ingof the Church,daitb, It it he that hathmadeus; and not weourfelves, Pfal. roo. 3. As the wildernefs doth not make it Of a Paradife, nor the weed a fiowep,nomore cana people wallowing in their fin, and tumbling in their filth , make themfelves an holyTemple unto the Lord. This is the Lords doing, and it mutt be marvellous in the eyes of all thole that behold it r As God is Paid to create new hea- vens, and a new earth, fo he fometimes makes new inhabitants to dwell therein, a. Awoful Secondly , That it is aWofull thing tobe the workmanfhip of god by 7(aturall thing ro be Gods or - creation , andnot hisworkman fhip bJ gracious Renovation. It had beenbetter for manfhfpbyna- thee never tobave beenborn , never tohave been Gods creature in the firft ma. rural creation, king,,if thou art not hiscreature in the fecond making. Thus our Saviourfaid oflee. and notbygra- du, Itbadbeesbetter forhim hehadnever been born,Matk 14.55.Some Scholaftieal ou us renovati Oo 3 heads
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