342 Of CoMMuNZoN 22zth kindnefs and Love of God our faviour toward man appeared, net by worksof righteoufnefs which we have done, but according to his mercy hePaved us, by the wafting of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghol1, which he fbed on zis abundantly, through 7efusChrift our favibur, that being juffifiedby hie grace, wefbould be made heirs according to thehope of eternal life. The rife of all this difpenfarion is kindnefs and love,, that is, grace, v. 4. the way of communication, negatively, is not by works Of righteoufnefs that we have done ; poltively, by the communication of the Holy Gholf; v. 5. The means of whofe procurement, is Jefus Chrift, o. d. And the work it felf is by grace, v. 7. Here is ufe made ofevery word almof, whereby the exceed- ing rich grace, kindnefs, mercy, and goodnefs ofGod may be expreffed, all concurring ita this work. As Fir/t, X0efsys, bis goodneft, benignity, red, dinefs to communicate of lümfelf, and his good things that may be pro- fitable to us. Secondly, 4inav°fO,,da, mercy, live, and propeníty of mind to help, sad, relieve thetn of wheom he fpeaks, towards whom he is fo af- fected, and ;Pita., mercy, forgivenefs, compafiion, tendernefs, to them that fuller, and y° `s, free pardoning, bounty, undeferved love, and all tins is faid to be . He exercifes all thefe properties and attributes of his nature towards us, that he may fave us, and in the bellowing of it, giving us the Holy Ghoft, it is Paid, Èe.eev he poured him out, as water out of a velfel, without flop and hefitation, and that not in a ftnall mea- fure, .but' nsoiae, richly, and in abundance ; whence as to the work it Pelf, it is emphatically faid, n tçuni,v,ç ir.E ve tae a, jellified by the grace ofhim, who is fuch an one. And this do the faints of God in their com- munication with Chrift, exceedingly rejoice in before him, that the way of their acceptation before God, is a way of grace, kindnefs and mercy, that they might not beaft in themfelves, but in the Lord, and his goodnefs, cry- ing, Hose great is thy goodnefs ! How great is thy bounty ! (a. They approi'e of it, and rejoice in it, as a way of great peace and fecurity to themfelves and their own fouls. They remember what was their flare and condition, whiff} they went about to fet up a righteoufnefs of their own, and werenot fulìjeed to the righteoufnefs of Chrift ; how miferahly theywere tolled up and down with continual fluduatiug thoughts ; fome- times they had hope, and fometjmes were full of fear; fometiines they thought themfelves in fame good condition, and anon were at the very brink of hell ; their confciences being racked and torn with fin and fear, but now, Being jrr/lifterl by filith, they have peace with God, Rom. v. 1. All is quiet and ferent ; not only that florin is over, but they are in the haven where they would be. They have abiding peace with God'. Hence is that defcription of Chrift, to a poor foul, Ifa. xxxu. a. And a man (hall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempeß, ers ri- vers of water in a dry place, as the fbbadow of' a great rock in a weal land. Wind and teinpef}, and drought, arid wearinefs, nothing now troubles the foul that is in Chrift, he ilath an hiding place and a covert, and rivers of water, and the fhadow of a great rock, for his fecurity. This is the great anyftery of faith in this bufine's of our acceptation with God by Chrift; that whereas the foul of a believer finds enough in him, and upon him, to rend the very caul of the heart, to fill himwith feats, terror., difquietments all his days, yet through Chrift, he is at perfe& peacewith God, Ifa. xxvi. g. Pfal. iv. 6, 7, 8. Hence do the fouls of believers exceedingly magnify Je- fus Chrift, that they can behold the face of God with boldnefs, confidence, peace, joy, ailurance, that they can call him father, bear themfelves on his love, walk up and down in quietneh and without fear ; how glorious is the fon of God in this graceè' They remember the wormwood and gall, that
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