¡34 The Gfpel-Myflery Dire&. VII. is by Chrift, through faith in his name. Thou dolt but exafperate thycorruptions, and harden thyheart, and make thy wounds to Rink the more, becaufe of thy fooliíhnefs. Such good qualifications are includ- ed in the 'nature of faith, and for the molt part they follow after it; fo that they cannot polliibly be ob- tained before thou trulleft on Chrift for thy falvati- on ; as I (hall fliew concerning them particularly in their order. A love to the falvation of God, and to the free gift of holinefs, is included in the nature of faith ; fo that it cannot be hearty without it. At faith &ít, and the apprehenfion of God's love to thy foul will fweetly allure and conftrain thee to love God and his fervice univèrfally " We love him, be- " caufe he firft loved us," r John iv. 19. We cannot be before -hand with God in love: and we mutt per- ceive his love to make us love him : for, if we look uponhim as a God contrary to us, that hatethus, and will damn us, our own inmate felf-love will breed hatred and heart-rifings againft him, in fpite of our hearts. That love, which is the end of the law, muff flow from "faith unfeigned," a Tim. i. 5. And, if hatred work in thee more than love, how canft thou expea good thoughts of God, or any other than blafpheming or at leaft murmuring thoughts of him, in this condition? Iil-will never fpeaketh or thinketh well. The firft right holy thoughts thou canft have of God, are thoughts of his grace and mercy to thy foul in Chrift, which are included in the grace of faith. Get thefe thoughts firít by believing in Chrift, and they will breed in thee love to God, and all good thoughts ofhim, and free thee from blafphemous and murmuring thoughts by degrees; fork" love thinks no evil," i Cor. xiii. 5. Then wilt thou be able to account God juft and merciful, if he had damned thee, andextended his grace to others; and thou wilt be able to think well of his holinefs, and of his de- crees, which many cannot endure to hear of. The way to get rid of thy raging lufts, is by faith, that
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