... , , ~ uponthcEpiftle.of JAM E s.~ · VERs.1:'8. ... . ;·by .the m;w pirth: Ife. pegat m; God is our Fat~er; th.at .eng~:~ gethhis lQye, a~~ .bowels, and care,_and every thmg that c.~m 5e , dear a~.d r~f.retlung ro the creature: Mat. 6. 3 2, Your pe~tven!J Father kztoweth tha!you httve needof thefe things. This rela.tioa lis oft~n urged by the Children ofGod, I{ai.63. I 6.Doubtlefs thou ,art o~tr Father~though Abraf;am br-·ignorant ofm; There's com– ~fortin a Fa.ther, rouch ffi@re in an heavenly Father: Evil mr:n ''may begoodfath.ers,Ma~q.r r. They-canno~ ou·t obey thofe natural .andfathedy tmpreffions that ,are upon thetr bowels; how mu~h 139 '·tnore will agood God be agor;d Father? * Tam pater nemo, tam Tertu!. in till. pim mrm, No.ne can be fo good and fo much a'Father as he. de Otat. dum. · 4· Theordinary~eans whereby God oegetteth us, is the ·Go- ob[erv~. 4• , . ~fpel; He begat m by the WordcfTrHth: I Cor.4. I 5. I have be- · ,gottcn ;ou in{cjus Chrift -ehr6ugh the"Gofjel; there is the In– ·firument, theArithor, :the Means; the Infirumen~ Paul, I h,;,ve ·. 6egotten 1ou; the Means, .by theGofjd; the Author; in Jejm~ -_Chrift: So I Pct.I.23· 'Begotten bJ the incorruptz~lc Seed of.the . ''Word; theWord is, as it were, the Seed, which being ingrafced in J ames 1 • 1 ' ' the heart, fpringeth up in obedience ; "tis byJh~ Wo~d, arid that part of:the Word which is ·properly called Gofp~l: ·J1:1ofes may 'bring us to. cbe .Borders, but Jo/hH>t leadcth us into the Land9f , Canaan; the Law may pr~pare and make way;, but tbat which ' COt)veyeth the grace of cenverfion 'is prop·erly the ·Gofpel. Well !then; let us wait upon God in the ufe of the wGrd;"cis not good eo ·:balk the known and ordinary'ways ofgrace: wi[doms dole is given :itWifdoms gates, Prov. 8. 34· Bleffed u he that watcheth always at mygates.. . ;;Iwas a great advantage to the decrepit man to ~lie frill llt the po_ol, John5• .gods MePTns will prove fuccefs.ful in Gods Time : 'Urge ·your Souls with the neceffity of the Means$ ·Faith cometh.b] hearing, andbearing bJ the Word of. God, Rom. to. '17· Without Grace Icannpt be faved, without the WordI . ·can~o~ hav~ Orad:; reafon thus within your fdves, that you may ',awaken.the Soul'to a greetter confcience and fenfe ofwaiting upon "Ge~ in th€ Word : "Tis true, the divine qrace,doth all, he beget· ·eth m; but remember "tis by the Word rJjTruth; The inHuences .of the heaven~ make frui'tfuHeafons, but yet ·plowing is necdfary : : r;~ on~pf the Sophif[DS·of. this age, tp urg~r£heSpirits effiqtcy ,as a pleafortheneg~Cl· of. theMeans~ · 1 •• , -., ·;-,. ~·:1 ,,,,··~ .. t... }· ?J~ ·~,f}~(~ tJ W,_o~a Of. Z:ruT.th; [Q :cis c~~d~ ,'l!O~ ·onlyh}n Obforyat;)'. · ' . : ~ t lS,
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