Ofthe right uCe & improvement ofGofpell Promifes. CAr.V1. ¢. Zo. venant ofmyPeace be removed , faith theLord, that hath mercyon thee. He biddeth them confider themountaines and Mies, and fuppofe that theymay be removed, and'depart; fuppofe that the moll unlikely things in the World 'Mall come to paffe, whofe accomplifhment none can judge poffible , while the World endureth, yetmy kindneffe to thee is filch, as than hot fall with- in thofe fuppofalls, which concerne,things offuch an impoffibility. I am ex- ceeding confcious,that all Parapbrafing,or Expolition ofthe words that may be ufed for their Accommodation to the Truthwe plead for , doth but darken and Eclipfe the Light and Glory,which in and by themfelves , to a believing foule, they caft upon it. Now leaft any fhould think , that there is the leaft tendency in fuch Promifes as thefe asheld out toBelievers) to turne them a- fide fromdolewalking with God,before I enter upon the confiderationof a- nyother. (this feeming ofall others moft expofed toExceptions ofthat na- ture) I fhall give fume few Obfervations,that may a little dire& Believers, towhom I write, and for whole fake thistaske is undertaken , into the right improvement ofthem. The genuine influence which this, and the like Promifes haveupon the foules oftheSaints, is, mightily to flirre them up unto , and toAft them in anfwering, what lieth in them, that inexpreflible Love and Kindneffe , which their God andFather in Jefus Chrift, holdeth out unto their hearts in them: This the Apoftleinferreth from them. 2 Cor:7. r. Havingtheft Promifes (that is thofe efpecially mentioned in the words preceding the conclufion, and the inference the Apoftle here maketh, Ch.6.v. i6,í8. z will dwell in them , and will bea Father unto them, and they(hallbe my children) therefore (faithhe) let ur cleanfe our Pelves from allpollution offlefhandfpirit , perfetling holineffe in the feareof the Lord. Univerfall purity, holinefie,and clofewalking withGod, isthat which thefe Promifes doe preffe unto, and naturally promote in the hearts ofBelievers : and in 2Pet. 4. 5, 6. that Apoftle purfueth the fame at large; God hath called us to Glory and Pertue , hath iven us exceeding great andpretions Promifes, thatby theft you might be partakers ofthe Divine Nature, havingefcaped the corruption,that k in the Worldthrough lull:nefides this giving all diligence &c The exceeding great andpretions Promifès,which are givenun- to us, in ourcalling, are beftowed for this end, that by them we may be made partakers of theDivineNature;they have no tendency to communicatetous the Natureofthe Divell,and to flirreus up toRebellion, Vncleanneff è, andha- tredofthe God ofall that Love that is in them ; But lye indeed, at the bot- tome, the Root, and foundationofthe pra&iceand exercifeofall thofe Gra- ces, which he enumerates , and from the receiving of thofe Promifes, ex- horts usto, in the following verfe. Some I confeffe doe, or may turne the GraceofGod into lafcivioufneffe;that is the Do&rine ofgrace, andofpardonof finne in the blond ofJefus Chrift;andfo the mercy mentioned in fuck Promi- fes as thefe, (meerely as in them it is mentioned) Grace and Mercy communi- cated, cannot be turned into Wantonneffe ; but what are theythat doefo? ungodlymen, menofoldordained to condemnation; 7ude 4. Paul rejeð any filch thoughts from the hearts ofBelievers, Rom. 6. i. Shallwe continue infin, that Grace may abound? Godforbid ! Nay fuppofe that that naturali corrupti- on, thatflefh andblond that is in Believers,be apt to make fuch a conclufion as this; Becaufe God will certainly abide with us for ever, therefore let us walke carelelly,and doe him all the defpight we can, thefe Promifes being not made for the ufe and exalting ofthe flefh, but being given to be mixed withFaith , which is carefully towatch againft all abufing or corruptingof that Love and Mercy, which is heldout untoit, flefh and blond can have no advantage given unto it thereby, as fhall afterward bemore fully and clear- u ly r45 . so.
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