Durham - BV4615 D87 1732

T TO Sermon 5. it may be made the Taft and fhpreme judges, but may be kept always fubordinate to himfelf as fuch. 5thly, It may be ordered fo, to thew the fovereìgnry and freedom of grace, and alto the neceffiry of it. The fovereignry and freedom of grace, that will fave fuch that may live long, and even perhaps die in a miffake: 'Tis true we fhould by all means beware of abufng the freedom of s race to fin ; yet notwithffanding he will have it feen, that thefe whom he faveth, and eminently countenanceth are not without fin. And the neceffity of grace, for keep.. ing them when they cannot keep themfelves ; yea, it may be alto for the praife of grace, that, if at any time the believer is kept right and free from errors and mifl:akes, the praife may not be to himfelf, whether as'to any thing of the truth or of the pra &ice of religion ; becaufe many more eminent, better gifted, and more tender than he, have fallen : Wherefore it muff be God that by his grace maketh the difference,who therefore should only have all the praife. 6thly, That belivers may learn to glory and böaff alone in him, and not in their agreement with others that are godly, nor in their own mind and Confcielice limply, nor in their good frame, nor in their many gifts; and that they may not idolize any of all rhefe : For,if they were always in the right, in a good frame, &c. thefe things would readily be thought too much of; therefore the Lord fweepeth all thefe things away, that none may glory in any thing that is in tl.:°mfe;ves,or in others; but that " they that glory, may glory in the Lord, and be made to pro - fefs and proclaim the abfi lure neceffity of having God to be all, and eminently fovereign above all things; and to know, that tho' Chriftians were in the mount with Chrift, that yet it will nor he that alone which will keep them right . 7thly, It may be thus ordered,that God may hew the fpecial ufefulnefs of his word; and that his own people may know the neceffiry of ffudying it, and of clea- vingto it ; and that they may know,acknowledge and adore his deep and infinite wifdom, in giving that fora rule to walk by, when they fee that the belt, and in their belt frame, may err and miftake ; and that the rrovidences of God may be mifinterpreted and mifl:aken : The Lord -will therefore have his people o efteem highly of his word),'

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