Chap. 3 3. Expofition aspen the Book, of Jo st. Verf. 24. 397 to himfelfe, and began to bethink himfelfe of coming back tohis fathers houfe, and that he had brought himfelfe by his own folly tobeggery,and want;andhusks ; when he was upon thefe termes, or refoives togoe home to his father, and call himfelfe at his feet as unworthy the name or priviledge of a Son, thenhis father ran to meete him, fell on his neck and kil-lied him, thenhe put on the ring,and cloathed him with the robe, then he killed the fatted calfe, andmade a feaft for him. All which fceane of mercy doth but hold out this one word in the text ; Then he iegraciom. There are two forts of gracious as of God. Firl+, force are acts of abfolute grace, or of preventing grace;Thefe areput forth upon and exercifed towards the creature, before there isanythe leaf preparationin the heart,to drawthemoutor invitethe bellow- ing of them .Thus,the grace of God in election is abfolutely free, there was no, previfionof any qualification in man movingGod to elea him. And fo that wonderfull aet of grace (inwhich - eletti- on firft defcends and difcoversit felfe) effettuall. vocation , is abfolutely free. God calls a firmer when he is in the heat andhur- ry of his evill wayes, purfuing his lufis in theheight ofhis pride, and in the hardnefs of his impenitentheart. Now, if when God ñrfl calleth a finner there isnothing in but fin;What canmove God tocall him but freegrace ? A thirdabfolute aC1 of grace is juftification ;God .cloth not juflifie a firmer for any thing that he finds or fees in us; As taus 'tis altogether free. Hejutifieth the ungodly (Roan: q.. 5) when that wretched infant was in its blood ( which exprefl'eth amiferable uncleane poluted condition) then VMS a those of love(Ezek: 16. S.) "then was Godgracious. What lóvelinefs wasthere in that infant (reprefenring the befl of men in thatfallennaturali eflate) todraw out the love of God ? no -' thing at all,yea fhe was altogether unlovely,yet then (faithGod) thy timewas the time of love,orthenwas the time of putting forth love in her converfionrand vocation ; Then, Ifaydunto thee when thou w4 in thy blood,live.And becaufe the thing might feemenot only flrange, but even impoffible, that the heart of God fhould be towards fuch awretched one for good, the word is doubled, yea I fayd unto thee, when thou waft in thy blood, live, Thefe ac`fs of abfolute free grace are the glory of the Covenant of grace for if the Covenant fhould hold out aoìs ofGrace only upon our pre-difpofitions, when fhould we receive any at of grace ? The.
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