398 Chap.3 3. An Expofition upon the Book,of J o B. Verf. z9: The promìfe is not drills tenour, Twill pardon, themwhen their hearts are f oft and tinder; but, twill take away the heart of f one, andgive them a heart offi`efh. Yet Secondly (as to the poynt in hand) thereare conditionall a&s of grace, I may call them fecond ae`ts of grace, or renewed asof grace. For when after converfion we fall into fin, and by that evill heart of unbeliefe ( remaining in a great measure un- mortified) we depart from the living, God ( Heb: 3. 12. ) God doth not give out freth a6ts ofgrace,but upon repentance,and the renewingsofour communion with him. Having once received grace,we being again helped and aligned by grace,a& graciouüy, before,God declares himfelfegracious tous.When a man is raft upon a lick bedfor fin,(that's the cafe ofmany) the Lordwill fee repentance before he will raife him up againe. ( Tames 5.151 ) Theprayer of faith fall fave the rick, ancl if he bath committed fins, they (hall beforgiven him ; that is, if he being raft upon a rick bed to correct or chaftenhim-for the fin that he hath com- mitred, (hall humble himfelfe, and feek the Lord byprayer,pray- ing and calling for prayer ; Then the fincommitted fhall be for- given him, and the Lord will raife him upagaine. 'Tis not the prayer ofanother chat can obtaine deliverance for the rick, much leffe the forgivenefs ofhis fins, if himfelfe be prayer-leffe, and repentance-leffe. But while others pray for the lick mans bodyly health, theypraying altofor his fouleshealth, the Lord gives him repentance for his fn, and then acomfortable fight of pardon. So then before the Lordputs out there fecond alts of grace, he looks for and finds fomething in the creature yet füli, that alto is aneffeót of his grace both ro them and in them.They,who have already received grace, mui i fir up their grace, and renew acts of grace ( thorough grace ) towards him, beforehe difpenfes aóts ofgrace towards them. And as confolation in this life, fo that higheft and laf aft of grace, falvation, in the life to come, is not bef'ow'd upon any, till they are fitted. Cod calls and converts the worn' of men, thofe that are in their filth,andmud, and mi-e, but he will not fave afilthy perfon, hewill have him firfi purged and prepared. Know ye not that the unrighteous (hall not enter in- to theb ngdomee(Clod (1 Cor: 6, 9.) and that without holinefsno manjiiall fee theLord ( Heb: 12. 4. ) There is no eternal! fal- vationwithout preparation ; nor is there any promue of tempo- rail
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=