Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v10

394 Chap. 33. An Expofition upon the Book,of J o E. Verf. 24, goodnefe and truth,keepingmercyfor thoufands,forgiving.iniquity.lf we confider God, firit in doing us good ; Secondly, in,iorgiving us the evill which we doe ; Thirdly, in delivering us from the evills which we now fuller ; Fourthly, in delivering us from the feare offuture furierings ; all is from graceand from free grace.: Ile Both us good though we are undefervirig any good, that's grace, yea,he doth us good thoughwe are ill deferving,and that's moregrace. He doth all fór us through grace, Fira,in fpirituallr,. and Secondly, in temporalls; not only doe the-good things of eternal! life, but the good things of this prefent life flow from grace unto his own people. Not only the health of their fouls, but the health oftheir bodyes, not only deliverance fromhell,but deliverance from, ficknefs alto, flow from his free grace in Jefus ChriíF. Therefore ofall their mercies and falvations ( both as to the foundation and top-flone of them) the people of God mull. cry (as the Prophet Zachery (Chap. :4.7.) foretells the peo- ple ofGod thould fay of:hat longed for deliverance, when that great mosintaine floor-ad become aplaidbefore Zerubbabell) grace, grace,ùnto them : That is, grace bath begun them, and grace alonewill maintaine,continue,andperfeel what it bath begun. As there is nothing in us ( except our mifery) which moves the Lord to begin, fo there is nothing in us ( butour inability) which moves the Lord to perfe6t what he bath begun. He Teeth wecan- not, and thereforehewill perfe6l what he hath begun, and all this he doth that.hetnnayexalt his own name, and perfe l the.praife of his free grace towards us; More "diffif lly, that all comes fromgrace, or from the'graci- oufnefs ofGod, may note thefe five thingstous. Firf}, not only that God doth all for hispeople freely, or without defert. But Secondly, that he doth all things willingly, or without conflraint for his people. Thirdly, that he dothall things forwardly forhis people. He doth verymuch unaskt and unfought, and he is not much asks or hardly drawn to doe any thing for his people. Though hebath faid'of Tome things; /will befought unto, or inqui- red"after that Imay doe themforyou, (Ezeb., 36..37.) yet his merciesare never forcednor wreffed from himby intreaties, but . flow from a principle oflove, naturally, aswater out ofa fountain. Fourthly, he doth all rejoycingly, even with his whole heart, and with his whole.foul. Mercy pleafetb him) and ispleafedwith occa...

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