upontheEpiflleof JAM J1 s. · Vsas.S. 477 . ..., __ _.;... ____ -------- draw near to man, ere he do firfi draw near to him: Therdore before fpecial grace -the beginning of ConverGon mofl: be in man, .and upon this beginning·God will Co!lle in. . . I anfwer; I, This place;a&.\d the: like lheweth not what man .will Sol. ·do,butwhat he ought to do; we left;God ere.he lefc us, cbwJore we lhould be firfi- io retnrnh:g, as we were firfi infor{ak.Jng : The wronged party may in juUice .tarry for our fubmiffion ; .but yet fuch is .the Lords kindnefs, that he loverh m.firft, 1 John 4· 1 9· 2. Precepts to duty are not m~fures of ftrength : There is no good Argument a mafidato ad ·effetluM, from what ought to be done, to what .can.or.fhallbe done: Thefe things are expretfed thus for another purpofe; to fhew Gods right, to convince the Creature of ~eak.,ne{s, to jhew HJ BUr Dut], that mans endMvor is required, and that we fhoHia do our tttmufJ to co1avince us P?hetein We k_ave failed, &c. 3. Thefe Precepts are not ofe. lefs: To the Elecl they convey grace; God fulfilleth what he commandcth: Ewmgelica/. Commands carry their own blejfing with them .; for by the eo-working of the Spirit, by this means they.are fiirred up, and made to draw n~aL; to God•. Towards others. they are convincing, and lhew us our obfiinacy and ·con– -tumacy; we will not come to God, and lie at the feet of his Sovuaigncy, faying, 0 Lord, thou hafl faid, Turn to me, and I , Will turn to you: cTurn us, and w; jb.1ll be turned; . dr.~~tw us, c Jcr 3-J. 1! ~ ttnd we jb11ll draw near to thee. M~n pretend cannot, the troth is they Will not come,huogry to the Table, thirfl:y -to the Fountain ; · they will not lie at Gods feet for grace :. So that thofe Precepts · convince the Reprobate, . and leave chet:n without ~xcu[e. I Gull conclude all with that (weet faying of Bernard; Nemo tc qu.erere poteH, nifi qui prius invenerit; .vis igitur inveniri ut qu~tra.,.is, qu~tre ut invenim-i.r; potes quidem inveniri, non tamen pr.evenir;: None Clln- be ~tforehand . with God; We cann~t feek._ ,him till we ha1.1e found him ; he will b-e fought that he may be foNnd, and fotJnd tha~ he m:q be fought: •tis grace that .mufl bring us to grace; ~~tnd the, ftray fheep . cannot.be. brou.J.ht home, 'NJ'Jiefs it be Hpon Chrifls fo9Kiders.. · '"".: Secondly, The next Confideration of · th~-words· is, as they.reI I.-~ - fpect .Chr.i!l:ians already converted and called; .,and fo theJence is, cb:aw .~or~ nea~ to-God. everu dau.in an holy communion. ~nd you . . ~ . . - I , .. - ~ l',P: j ., . - - - • fullL
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