25& lie Gofpel-Mftery Dire . XIII. to truft only on the free grace of God in him for our falvation. And the end of our meditation muff not be mere fpeculation and knowledge of the truth, but rather the vigorous prefl'rng it upon our confciences, and the ftirring up our hearts and affeElions to the praaice of it. And, in ftirring up ourfelves to an holy praaice, we muff warily obferve, how far the feverai parts of the truth of God are powerful and effe&ual for the attainment of this end, that we may make ufe of them accordingly. We mull not ima- gine, as too many do, yea, and fome great matters in the art of meditation, that we can bring our hearts of eaually to the love of God, and holinefs, and can work ftrange alterations, and frame in our hearts any holy qualifications or virtue, merely by working in ourfelves irong apprehenfions of God's eternal power and God head, his fovereign authority, omni- fcience, perfe£t holinefs, exaa juftice, the equity of his law, and reafonablenefs of our obedience to it; the unfpeakable happinefs prepared for the godly, and mifery to the wicked, to all eternity. Medita- tion on fuch things as thefe, is indeed very ufeful to prefs upon our confciences the ftrianefs of our obligation to holy duties, and to move us to go by faith toChrift, for life and ttrength to perform them. But, that we may receive this life and ftrength, whereby we are enabled for immediate performance, we muft meditate believingly on Chrift's faving be- nefits, as they are difcovered in the gofpel; which is the only doEtrine which is the power of God to our falvation, and whereby the quickening fpirit is mini- ftered to us, and that is able to build us up, and give us an inheritance among all themwho are fantifi- ed, Rom. i. 16. 2 Cor. iii. 6. Acts xx._32. Youmuft take fpecial care to aci faith in your meditation, mix the word of God's grace with it, or elfe it will not profit you, Heb. iv. 2. And, if you fet the loving kindnefs of God frequently before your eyes, by me- ditating on it believiugly, you will be strengthened
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