An Exppjition of the Epiftle ~ Now(faith he, Joh.r2.ji.)i< thfjttdgmentof this world, tJOW jba/J tbt Prittce SermotJ of tbzs world be cafl Otlt; he fpeaks, when the World lhould be converted to XXV. Chrifi that Converiion is called the Jttdgment of tht World; as in Job.r6. 1 r, ~ Hejba'n co~tvit~ce the world of Jt~dgmmt, that is-, of that Holinefs and Righte· oufnefs which they ought to take up -and·walk in ; ancl-he-addeth, for the P ri11ce of this World is)11dged. That this is done by a firong hand, I /hewed in the la{\ difcourfe; If I by the ji11ger of' God cafl 0111 Devils. The Finger of God mu{\ gotoit. Then Secondly, If you come to the work that he doth in us, it arifeth not only to a greatnefs of power, but to an o:aedinggreatnefs if power. I paral– ld'd it wtth the firfi Creation, in which there was a greatnefs of power !hewn. there was a making of fomething, yea, of all things out of nothing, and be: tween nothing and the leaf\ thing.ttrere is an in1inite difproportion. -But when he comes to work upon the heart_of a man, that is dead by nature in ji11s and trefpaffis; he doth not only find nothing to work upon,_ but he findeth all things againfl him, fo that Ius power ts not limply drawn out 10 creatmg Grace out of nothing, but in fubduing and defiroying of corruption; and fo I !hewed you the Scripture expre!feth it: There is not only nothing to help or further, but ·there··is rrll t1lings to oppbfe. ' I /hewed this at large in the lafi difcoutfe, and how-to fubduc_that which oppofet~, there is required a greatnefs of power. But then in the Second place, There is an exceedi11g grtat1Jefs of prY.ver, there is a doubling of power. There is not only a power to defiroy what is oppoiite, (as I !hewed both upon the Underfiand~ng_, the Will and Affeche~s,) but there is a pumng 10 and a creanng of a new prrncrple , a contrary prrncrple >maugre all the oppofition that the heart of man makes agaimfi it. And fo, becabfe "there is adoublingof pow~r, there is an exceeding great1tejs ofpowercometh to be fpent in this work. . In handling of this I !hewed, that the very Creation it felf of the 11ew Crta– ture, was of a higher kind (as the Scripture expre!feth it) than the firfl: Creation was, becaufe that Grace is the mofi excellent of all God's Creatures. Jam.,, 18. fpeaking of the work of Converiion, and of God's begetting us again, Of his owtt wz/J (faith he) he bath besottt11 m; And what followeth? That we {hotttd be a kittd of' Fz-rfl-fruits ; but l as I /hewed you rn the lafi clifcourfe) the emi– nent Firfi-fruits, of a/J hu Creatures, the choicefi of all; for fo doth the Grace given by Regeneration, make a man. And that it was a higher Creation than the fir{\, the putting in of new prin– ciples thus into the heart, I /hewed you by the phrafe that is ufed Coloff.z. ''· where he calleth the fand:ification of a iinner, thecircumcijing the heart, wltich as in 'Dettterollomy is that we may love God. He calleth this new work in us Sin– ners, A cirmmcijio11 made without hauds. I obferved this upon it, that that phrafc, made without hattds, it is ufed only of three things, whereof Grace or the new Creature is one. It is ufed of that Glory which God will put upon his Saints and Children hereafter in Heaven; which all the World mufi acknow– ledge, is a work tranfcendingthat firfi Creation; We have t1 hozlje11ot made with h.mds, faith he, 2Cor.<;. r. It is ufed frcondly of that framing the body of Chrifi, the Humane nature of Chrifi both Body and Soul, ·and uniting it to the Godhead; that Humane nature fo united, is called a Tabernacle made witho11t hmtds, He6.g.r 1. And then Thirdly,here in this ColojJ.2.1 r. he calleth the San· ctification of a Sinner, and working Holinefs and Grace in him, circumciflng the heart to love God, he calleth rt aCzrc11mcijiotJ made without hattds, You have the like (as you !hall fee by and by) in Ifai. 66. 1, 2. Only ob!erve fir{\ wl>at followerh there rn Heb. 9. 1 r. when he faid, that the Body of Chri{\ is a Tabemacle made wttbottt hands. What doth he add by way of explication? He faith, That zt is 11ot of this Creatiotz, fo the word in the Original is, as if he lhould fay, the Tabernacle and the Bodies of men, of ordinary men; though the one made by man and the other made by God, yet they are a more !light, a more ordinary kind of work : •But, faith he, this Body of Chrifi is made without hands; that is, it is not of this Creation, it is not of the old Creation, it is of a more tranfcendcnt Creation: And [o is Grace.
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