Of £/e[fion. ~ BooK IV. 11. 13 T .1 E SUS, A Savio11rofus, as Sinners, through Redemption, and u~ Purchafe; which falls in with what the moll Interpreters give the account of, as to what purpofe [ By Je{tts (bYij/] lhould come in here, afcribing it to what he mlntoriottjly wrought fur us, and purchafed for us at Gods hand. As when we are fa id to be Called, we are faid to be Called by Jefus Chrill, becaufe his Merits, bought ot"'purchafed ou·r €ailing; and that God by the vir– tue, and intuition of his Merits, Called us: So likew•fe, that we are ca!Jed into Glory, that he intendeth, It is by Jefits (hrifl, who purchafed all the Glory which God el\atcs us into. Now as to that main Point, and drift afore us; there ore two emin.ent Parti– culars I fJJall infill on, M the purchaje ofthe Merits ofJrfits; the confideration "hereof, may infeparably iecure our hearts for his prefcrving, and carrying us through all temptations. r. That Chril\ hath bought, and purchafed ourfirfiCalting itztogracr; and together therewith, our continuance,and perfevcrancc in that grace. 2. That he bath Mcritorioully alfo bought off all our Temptations, and pur.– clnfrd withall an ability to himfelf, to fuccour us, and l\rengthen us through oil rcrnptations,.and l\ablilh us in the end. This I add here, not only becau1e our grcatcfl hazards, and dangers, are from our temptations : But becaufe the fcopc of the Text (as hath been !hewn) is to relieve us again!\ temptations, in a more fpecial manner. · I. For the fitfl, there are Three Particulars, which make up the C•nclztjion I aim at. r. That Chril\'s Merits have purchafed our fir(\ Calling into Grace, z. That together therewith, he purchafed our continuance, and prefervation ih Grace, >· What on Obligation there is lying upon Chrill, that arifeth from both, thar when once hebath Called us, as that which is the fir!\ payment, and .pur– thofe of his D eath, he fl1ould then be engaged to fee to it, that we be l\rength– ned· and preferved in Grace to the end; as being the fecond payment. or latter p art of that pmchafe, without which, the fir!\ ofCalling, would be ineffectu– al. Thefe, all three of them, are proper, and pertinent to the Apoflles fcope. 1. He lmh purchafed our Calling, by which we are fir!\ Ellated into Grace, ~nd that is, our Converfion, which bath the no me ofcalti11ggiven to it : It be– Ing a caUi11gol us out of the Worfd ; rmd a dedicatiollof'tu, M Fir(/ fruits tm– God. NowGal. 1. 4· this is exprelly attributed to thai Merir, of the porchafe made by Chrill: Whogavt himfdffor ot<rji11s, that he mi7,ht delivrr usfrom the prejmt ev1l Wortd-Whicb,Verfe 6. is Interpreted, Our bri?Jg Caltrd itt– to the grace of Cbrifl; or in the Grace of Chrill, i, xJr•1•, as being that which col\ Chril\ dear; and wherein he fhewed his love, and Grace towards us, whom he bought; (his foul found an hard Penny-worth of it) for as unto God he gave himfdf'for o11r ji11s, to Call tu, Ver[. 4· But as unto us indeed that are Called, it was meerly out of his Grace. Thus alfo 1 Pet. r. Gods CalliJJg of 111, Verf I). Is made the price of hi< blood, in Verf 18, 1~. For M much M yt know,)'' wrre Redeemedfro>nyotiY vai11 coiJVtrjatioll, with the pretious blood ofUmf/. Their vain Converfation was that courfe oflife, and !late they had been in all that time afore Calling; the delivering them out of which by Cal– ling them, and making them Holy, was by Redrmptio11, and that Redem– pt10JJ was by the charge, and price ofthe precious blood ofChril\. 2. Our Continuance in Grace was call into his bargain, together with our Callin&, and infeparably annexed thereunto ; for it imports, hebought out the whole ofour time in the World, The manner offpeech thefe ufed, is fuch, as if it were fa id ofa Father, he had bought out the rem3inder of his Sons rime, at a valL1able coofideration, who is an Apprentice to a vain, ungodly Ma– l\er, and who had a claim, and interel\ in him tor fuch a term of years: For when he fays, he Redamed )'OIJ from a vai11 conver(ation; the meamng IS, thlt it had a power over you, and an interell in you, fo as otherwife you would have
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