The eilhrid 'gement ofthegofpel. 115 ourwifedowsdestbs, Reprobatetoeuerygoodworke.r ,Whatwasthere(thinkewe)to qRo .8 E. induce God , or to encline orbend him to doeought forvs ? howmull not all r Ti., r,r6. needsbr (rid to flow Itorn hit freemercy ? Euery fpirituali manmay true fay iu refpe& offoirituall things, as !sob didofhis wealth, God both badmercy one mee, andrhrrefore I haeeall:bete thingsf; or as the Church acknowledged); Lord then 1G,n43 . te. hag *reseal aderr woksfor vs', t [(ay so,x. The efe is, fill to mamtaine the gloryofGod, and to beatedowne the natu- Y/è, j. rallpride and prefumingof mansheart : merit and grace canneuer agree °: that uRom.1..6 which is by mercy is not byworker, that which is byWorkeris notby movie. And knowwe this, that we hauemade grearproceedingsin godlineffe, when wee haste learned out of thedueconfrderationof our ownefpirstuallweakeneffe, andout of the liuelyapprehenlionof ourown loft anddefperateelate eff&uallyand aff.&ionately to acknowledge, that had it not beene for thevnfpeakeable riches of Gods mercy, we could neuer hauecomeone pieceofa Reptowards heauen. And indeede, vntill a man iscome to theeffeetuall acknowledgment andender- Handing of an abfolute miferie in hirnfelfe, without any power leftinhimfelfe, fo inucisasby a titotight to wills orfurtherhis owne true good, hee may prateof themercy ofGod, bue he canneuer tritely and comfortably apprehend it. God is fo jealous of it,that ifwe goe about totemper any otherthing therewith moreor leffe, thefweetnelf thereofisvtterly loft. Secondly, thismay bea comfort eeto vs, that lookshow muchwe take from 7Jfe, a, our naturall humorbygiuing all to Gods mercy , fo much weeadde trio our fpiti- tnatlferlednelfe, and to make theeflateofour foules lomuch the furer. For, if that which had the firf beginning fromGods mercy, wereby ourendeauours to beeperfited, we mightwell doubt ofour faivation ; but when wee relic wholly epos Godsmercy, there is nocafeoffearei becaufe themercy of God is (as himfelfe)perpetuall and unalterable. Thereis nothing in vsthat began it, there is nothing in vs that cari alter it. The fin branch now followeth, touching the efpeciall fruits ofthist rder tvrrcieof God: & that is,that eherhy the dayffrieg from onhighbathviftedvs .Here wemuff enquire, I. What the day"/rring is.a. Who is meant by ;t. ;.Whyit is laid to befrom on high,Firl, by Day /(,ring is meant literally, the Brfappearance and breaking ofthe day , in rheEaft part ofheanen, foretelling theneere rifing and approching of the Sense. Secondly, by Doy"f%ring is fpiritually vnderflood Chrif ferns It feemetb that zxcharie had reference tothe ancient Prophecies touching 4/lane thatfhaaldcomeofJacob., and of a SloneofRioohttaufsrffe Which xNuw.a447 fboald wifeY. Thirdly, it is Paid tobefromonhie, to teach vsfromwhence this re- Y Mal,q a. frelhing commeth, not from earth, not from below, not from thedeviceor pro- curement of Man ; but fromHeaves, from the free grace and mercy and power ofGod. And it is alto laid tovfer na ; to note out (as hathbeen before obfer- ucd)our. wofull extremity without Chrif:inafmuch as the word(vifete) lothor- dinarily betoken a fiche and diflreli'ed effare in thofe which'are vifrted. So that this is thelink ; that by thegreat mercyofGod,it is come topaff, that Chril Icfus, (who is thelight andcomfortofhis Church) hath broken forth, and hath call out his brames for the refrefhingand cheering ofourfogies. If this claufe were to bee handled apart, many things mightbee gathered thence: but treating of ir nowwith the rel, andfo, neither repeatingoutofit things already touched, nor yet railing from it Inchpoints as that which follow- eth will glue vsmore fill occafion to confider, thefeare the chiefethings tobee noted hence,F,rR,Tbat the mooning ofCheifl intothe world,toworife ourfohention,io the prinripalleaidenceand thechiefefruit ofgood, mercy. Confider how this is railed. The3,doiI. tarb,ityhad fpokenofthe bowehofGods mereie,that is, ofthedeepeft meafureof . hisgrace and compalfron: Now,as an inlance andprook thereof, he Both infrít dfpeciallyvponthis, the tiringof theSome OfRighteonf nefltChriflefus. Asifhe 0 a had
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