Ver.2. the 17th Chapter bf St; J O H N. at an end. God's Difpenfations are guided by his Decrees. (2.) To prote& them, when they are gained. You mutt pluck Chrift from the Throne, e're you can pluck a Member from his Body. John io. 28. I give tinto them eternal Life, and they 'hall never perifh; neither fhiall any Man pluck them out of mÿ Hand. By hit Condu& and Government, we are fecured againft all Dangers 5 they may pluck Joint from Joint, but they cannot plunk the Soul from Chrift; that is Mice really implanted into him; 2. Obferve, That Eternal Life is Chrifi's Gift : It is not the Merit of our Works;. but the Fruit of his Grace. Rom. 6.23. The Wager of Sin is Death; but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through yefus Chrift our Lord. It is good to obferve how the ex- pref ion is diverfified 5 Sin and Death are fatted like Work and Wages ; but Eternal Life is a mere Donative, not from the Merit of the Receiver, but the Boùnty of the Giver. Works that need Pardon, can never deferve Glory. Grace in us, runneth as Water in a muddy Channel : the Child hath more of the Mother. It is true, there it a concurrence of Works, but not by way of Caufality, but Order : God will firft ju- ftify, then fan&ify, then glorify. Juflification is the Caufe and Foundation of Eter- nal Life, and Sanâification the Beginning and Introdu&ion of it ; and we have both by ,Chrift. The firft is obtained by Chrifl's Blood, the fecond wrought by his Spirit. See Ephef.2.8, 9. By Grace ye are füved, through Faith, and that not of your flves; it is the Gift of God : Not of Works, left any Man fhould hoe. The Inftrument of Salvation, is Faith, which requireth a renouncing of Works ; and Faith alfo is of Grace: The Papifts, to excufe the grofs Conceit of Merit, fay, our Works do not merit, but as they come from the Grace of God, and are wattled with the Blood of Chrift. But neither Salve will ferve for this Sore. (r.) It is not enough to afcribe Grace to God t all Juffitiaries will do a; the Pha- rifee faid, God, I thank thee, I am fo and fo. You confound the Covenants, when you think we may merit of God by his own Grace. God maketh us Righteous by Grace; and if by the exercife of ir, we deferve Life, Adam under the Covenant of Works, mutt then have been faid to be faved by Grace, becaufe he could not perfe- vere in the ufe of his Free Will, unlefs he had received it from God. .(2.) Nor as dyed in the Blood of Chrift, becaufe Faith difclaimeth all Works as to the Al of Juflification ; and there is no Merit, if it be of Grace. Learn then to ad- mire Grace, with Comfort and Hope. Merit - Mongers are left to be confuted by Ex- perience. Surely Men that cry up Works, feldom look into their own Confciences. Let them ufe the lime Plea in their Prayers, they do in their Difputes : Give me not Eternal Life, till I deferve it : Lord, let me have no Mercy till I deferve it. Or lei them difpute thus, when they come to difpute with their own Confciences in the Ago- nies of Death ; then, Optimum eft inviti Meritis Chrifti. 3. Obferve, The Gifu that God it wont to give, are not earthly Riebes, worldly Pored., tranftory Honours, boa Eternal Lift. This was the great End for which he was ordained by the Father. Many come to Chrift, as that Man, Luke 52. 13. Mafter, f eak to my Brother, to divide the Inheritance with me. He looked upon him as, aligseem magnum, one furnifhed with great Power, fit to ferve his Carnal Ends; filch Ideally Requefts are not acceptable to our Mediator. The Lord loveth to give Bleffings fuitable to his own Being. He liveth for ever, and he giveth Eternal Life to the Ele&. Learn then how to frame your Requefts. Say, I will not be fatisfied with there things. 7emember me with the favour of thy People : O 'vift me with thy Salvation ; that I may fie the good of thy Chefin, that I may rejoice in the gladnefs of thy Nation; that I may glory with thine Inheritance. Pfal. ro6.4, 5. 4. Obferve; From the Expref ion, Eternal Life. Our & fiate in Heaven it expreffid by Life, and Eternal Life. This is a term frequently tiled to fignify the glorified Elate. Now it doth imply, not only our bare fubfiltence for ever, but alibi the Tranquillity and Happinefs of that frate. a. It is Life. Heirs together of the Grace of Life, r Pet. 3.7. Life is the molt pre- cious Pofetfion and Heritage of the Creature ; there can be no Happinefs without it. All our Comforts begin and end with Life 5 Life is better than Food : Mat. 6. 25. Is not the Life more than Meat, and the Body than Raiment ? Poifons and Cordials are all one to a dead Man. Creatures bafe, if they have Life, are better than thofe which Ccc 2 are
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