. . \ upon the Epift!e of .JAM B s. God tempted him, he offered ijaac: W?en·God r;yet~ your fai~h or obedience with fame difficulty, then ts the fpec1al time to g:un affurance by being found faithful. - · 2. JJe!ievers_ are Gods Frie~ds: This was no~ Ab~!~hams title obfe.J:v.ltt. z, alone,but the Ttde ofall the Rtghteous; thus Chrtf.l:fatth, 'Joh. I h · • .•; ~ 11. OP~r fr iend La~arm [leepeth: And more exprefly, [oh. I 5. I 5·' Henceforth I call you 11ot fe rvanu, but Friends. Now they are Friends to God, I. Becaure they are perfeB!y reconciled to him in Chrifl: : we were enemies by nature ; but God woqld not i • onlypardon us, but receive us intofr iend/hip, Col. 1.2 r. Abf.tlom was pardoned, but he could not fee the Ki11gs face. In other breaches, when the wound is h(aled, the fear remaineth; but now we are not only reftored, and brougbr into an efiate ofamity, but ' advanced to higher principles; God doth not only JP are converts, but delight in them : Pcriif{emm niji periif{emm; .We h~d .been /off ifwe had not beef! loft; the fall made way for the more glo– rious reftauration; as a broken bone, when 'tis well fet, is fl:rong– efl: in the crack. 2. All difpenfations and duties that pafs between tli!em, are paffed il'l a friendly way : As, I. C1mmunicatirm of go~ds: Plut~erchs reafoning is good; yd, T.(;v ~lr.(t}v '7fiv1rJ. K.mr1, Friends have all things in commons but God u ·our Friend, and therefore we Cflnnot want ; a rare fpeech from an Heathen. In 1 '· \ .. · the Covenant-!< God i& ours, andWe are hu~ he maket.h over himfelf • fer. ~~·Hf tous,quamm quant.u.t eft, ~s great as he 'is; and fo by an intire re- &3~-3 s,39, figoation we are given up to him. The Covenant is like a conjugal Zech, 1 3· 9· contract, and may be illufirated by that of the Ptophet, 1 Rofea 3• 3· Tho_u.fh,zlt be for me, and I 'Will be for thee: God maketh over himfelf, and all his Power and Mercy to us; fo that.no difpenfation cometh to us, but in.the way of a bleffingi if it be fo common a mercy as rain, the rain fo.:ill-be a rainofblejfing, E~·c.k.:-_ 24.•26. fo we give up our felves to God, even to the lowefi im.erefi .arid en– joyment: Vpon the horfe bells there foal/ be written, ~Holinef.r- to the Lord, Zech.• 14. 20. _all is confecr:i\.ted. 2. Communication of I T • ~ . 'Jecrets: So our Lord 1;1rgeth this relation, Joh.I 5·15· Henceforth I callyou not fervan.ts, for thefervant, k_tloweth uot whAt hu lord doth, but I hrrve ,called you friends; for a.ll things that I have he~rd, I have made kzown to you, Servants are only acquainted~serv!'_JTierilu Wtth what concerneth their duty and work • * the mafier corn- 1mpem n01z fe~- ..J h b . ) J V IU eft fed man""et ~ ut doth not tell ~hem the reafonofthe Command: But nia.c 1- se ,,.. V -. r• • ncca. n . ' now ·
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