Grosse - BV4500 G76 1640

Mans efiate a difiance from Chrift. 143 Image, from the fulneffe the light of Gods countenance, from the perte& and compleat fruition of'his prefence, and the glory he hath provided for us. Yow we fee as through a glaffe I. Corti 3. 1 Z. darkely : in the workes of God, as in a glaffe, we fee the ge- nerall wifdome,power and goodneffe of God : In the Word and Sacraments we fee, as in a glaffe, the command and pre- cept, the will and counfell, the love and mercy of Gòd in Chriíl Jefus : Hereafter we 'hall fee face to face truly with- out errour,confpicuoufly without darkneffe,and fully with- out the mixture of all imperfe&ions. Now we are as run- ners in a race, the price is not yet won ; therefore (o runne t Cor.9. 24. that ye may obtaine, faith S.Paul. Now we are as Souldiers in the battle fighting,the vi &ory is not yet fully gotten ; there- fore, be thou faithful/ (faith our Saviour) to the death,and I will Revel. t.to. give thee a crowne of life. We are now travellers, our jour- ney is not yet ended ; therefore we mull goe from (trength to Pfa.84.7 ftrength, untill we doe appeare before the Lord in Sion. For,be that Mat.24.13. continueth to the end pall be Paved. Now we are as pilgrims and ftrangers, we have not yet the poffetlion of our heavenly dwelling ; and therefore as pilgrims and fira.ngers, let us aNiaine from f epily lulls, which warre againft the foule : we halt r Pet. z. t like Jacob 4n' our walking,our goings are not abfolutely per- Eft ; our lives like 7ac.,bs flock , are fpotty coloured, a Gen.3 3 31,3 5 mixture of grace and vice is in them ; our foules, like Gen. :.5.14. Rebecca's wombe, carry in them an Efau and a 7acob, the Fleíh lulling againft the °Spirit, and the fpirit againft the flefh ; as E(au againft Jacob, and Jacob againft Elau. In the Common Wealth of Itrael, there was continuall `narre fretween the bouge of Saul and David ; in the common - z Sam.3. r . weale of a regenerate foule, there is continual) warre be- tween God and Satan, between grace and corruption ;. and therefore we mull labour in the wor * *e of grace, like the houle of David, to grow ftronger and ffronger ; and to make finne, like the houle of Saul, grow weaker and weaker, 11111 preffìng to more perfe &ion, and ever faving,with the Evan - gelifl,Come Lord Jefus,as a guide to dire& us, a Phyfician to heal-us, and a man of war to overcome for us. This fhould wonderful -Iv endeare unto us the Lord Tt v 2.

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