PART III. of gracious 4ffelíions. 283 the Way of Religion, and fo holding out with Patience and ?erfeve- rance. The Tendency ofGrace in the Heart to holy Practice, is very di- rect, and the Connection molt natural clofe and neceltary. True 'Grace is not an unactive Thing ; there is nothing in Heaven or Earth of a more active Nature ; for 'tis Life it fell, and the molt active Kind of Life; even fpiritual and divine Life. 'Tis no barren Thing ; there is nothing in the Univerfe that in it's Nature has a greater Tendency to Fruit. Godlinefa in the Heart has as direct a Relation to Practice, as a Fountain has to a Stream, or as the líumincus Nature of the Sun has to Beams fent forth, or as Life has to Breathing, of the Beating of the Pulfe, or any other vital Act ; or as a Habit or Princi- ple of Action has to Action : For 'tis the very Nature and Notion of Grace, that 'tis a Principle of holy Action or Practice. Regenera- tion, which is that Work of God in which Grace is infufed, has a di- rect Relation to Practice ; for 'tis the very End ofit, with a View to which the whole Work is wrought : All is calculated and -framed, in this mighty and manifold Change wrought in the Soul, fo as direct- ly to tend to this End : Eph. 2. a o. For we are his H orkman/hip,. created in Chr 'Plus, unto good Works. Yea 'tis the very End of the Redemption of Chrift ; Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himfelffor us, that he might redeem usfrom all Iniquity, andpurify unto himfelf a peculiar Peo- ple, zealous ofgood Forks. 2 Cor. 5. 15. He died for all, that they which live, fhould not henceforth live unto themfelves, but unto him who died, and rote again. Heb. 9. 14. How much more(hall the Blood of Chr, who through the eternal Spirit, offered up himfelf without Spot to God, purge your Cbnfciences from dead Works, to ferve the living God ? Col. I. 21, 22. Andyou that were fometimes alienated, and Enemies in your Minds by wicked Works, yet now bath he reconciled, in the Body of his Flefb, thro' Death, to prefent you holy andunblameable, and unreprova- ble in his Sight. i Pet. r. 18. For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemedwith corruptible Things, as Silver and Gold, from your vain Converfation . Luke 1. 74, 75. That he would grant us, that we being delivered out of the Hands ofour Enemies, might ferve him without Fear, in Holinefs and Righteoufnefs before him, all the Days of our Lives. God often fpeaks of holy Practice, as the End of that great typical Redemption, the Redemption from Egyptian Bondage ; as Exod. 4. 23. Let My Songo, that he may ferve me. So Chap. 4. 23. and 7. 16. and 8, "1, 2o. and 9.1. 13. and 10. 3. And this is alto declared to be the End of Eteation ; " John r5. 13. Ye have not chofen me ; but I have chofenyon, and ordained thatyou go and bring forth Fruit, and that your Fruit fhould remain. Eph. I. 4. According as he bath chofen us in him, before the Foundation of the World, that we jhould be holy, and without Blame before him, in Love. Chap. 2 10. Created unto good Works ; which God bathfore-ordained that we fhould walk
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