576 The Promifes of the Spirit;;Ofwalkingin SE c r.xi. plea , but a Promife all our fpititual riches and tteafures are bound up in a Promife. what In the next place, let us confider what is comprehended in this, when ea in this free YYe fay,Converftoa itab(iIntel) promi(edre the Converted, and that iniplieth Fir(!, The free grace of God beftowing this ine[timabie benefit, Where he T. pleafeth, and When he pleafeth. Who can give anyreafon , why God takes a- way 7acobs finny heart, and Bothnot ÉPuo ? Who can give a reafon, why God foftens Peters heart, andnot hedge , but onely the meet grace and good pleafure of God ? See Paul Rom. i t. even ravifhed with the depth of Gods unfearchable wifdome inthis matter; and Chrifehimfelf greatly affetied herein,, Matth.rr. I thank thee, O Father, that thou haft revealed theft things to' and hidden them from the wife. And To you it is given to underhand, Morti,. 13. but not toothers. So that Godmaking this abfohne Promife to fome, andnot to all, Both thereby make hisfree grace perfpicuous,that every mouthmay be (topped that would boaft ofit (elf. à Secondly, Itruppofeth, that p'ecannot ¡o much asprepare and fit our felves to receive grace. God findenanheart of (tone in every man, and a (tone is im- penetrable. It was a Dianne received a long while, Facienti yea its fe eft, Deue.dae Gratiam, thougbdifferently explained. Let a man doe what he earl by naturali ttrength and power, and then God will vouchfafe Grace and fo- peensturall Mercies to him; yea this is too much divulged at [his very day; let a man atehis Naturals well, and God will giveSupernaturals ; but fielt there is no inch Promife in all the Scripture ; you cannot in all the Scripture finde any Promife of Grace made toNature , or the improvement of Nature; God no where faith, Doeas much asyou can, what youare able by your own power, 'and then I will come and help you. There is no fachPromife in Scripture, but either it is abfolute,as you have heard, orelie Conditionalto Tome Grace wrought by Godalready in us. 3 Thirdly, This Promife is. of a weft excellent and precious 2Varure, it farce exceeds oh temporal! Prentifes : Should Godpromife thee all the glory of the World, all that thy heart could in this life delire, yet it is nothing tó this Pro. wife of a new Heart. Hence Teter cals them Precious Troe fes, a Pet.i, Whereby we are made partakers of the Divine Nature,. God to this people in Captivity, promifeth a new and a tender heart, as that which would qualifie or put a lustre upon all other Mercies ; Their return from Captivity, Their enjoying of their former Houles and Mercies again would be nothing, if God gave not this Mercy álle ` Oh then that the hearts ofinen were made more fpiri- tual and wife, to lookafter and prize this Promife ; Let thy Condition be never fo mifetable, thy [tatenever fo diftreffed, yet if under this Promife, thou art in an Ark, when others are tolled np anddown in the uncertain waves of this world, Even the Virgin Mari that was called Bleffed among Women, was more bleffed that Chrift was fpiritually formed in her heart, then that the body of Chrift was corporally fìfhioned in her Wombe : Oh then I How wretched is thy eftare even in the midi}of all earthly profperity ? when thou can(l fay, Theft new hordes, therenew honours are mine, but [boo can[i not fay, This newheart is mine. $i Fourthly, ride 46folate Promifeirfareaidcertain : For thereisTruth in God, and fo hecannot lic;and there is Power in God,and fo there cannot be any thing to hinder him, Heaven andEarth(hall f ouer pale away, thenoneIota or Tittle of then Promifefall toground. How angry was GodwithSareh,beeaufe through unbelief fhef.saghed when God told her in hetOld.age,fiae fflouldconceive and bringforth aCnilde ? Donot thou think thy heart, thy lulls are too (!tong, too naught fort God to conquer and fstbdue? Now the ground why this Promife is fo lure, and cannot befrult, ated, is; becanie it is the executibn of Gods Eleaion from all
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