Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .O8 1721

344 of C o -M M ù N LO v ívith (3. He is honoured by his Saints all the world over, and indeed if they do not, who fhould ? If they honour hint not as they honour the father, theywere of all men the moll unworthy, but fee what they do, Revel. i. 5, 6. Unto him that loved vs, and zvafhed us from our fins in his own blood, and bathmade uskings andprie/fs to God and his father, tb him be glory for ever and ever, amen. chap. v. 8, g, to. The fàur living creatures and four and twenty elders, fell down before the lamb, having every one ofthem harps, andgolden violsfull afodours, which are the prayers ofthe Saints; and they fund a new fong, faynag, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the feels thereof; for thou wall flaia,- andhaft redeemed oto unto God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and hall made us untoGod kings, andprields, and we (hall reign on the earth. , The great, fa- lcino worfhip of the phrillian church, confins in this affignation of honour and glory to the Lord Jefus, therefore do they love him, honour him, de- light in him, as Paul, Phil. iii. 8. and fo the fpoufe, Gant. v. 9, to, II. and this is on this account. (5. They cordially approve of this righteoufnefs, this way of acceptation as that which brings glory to God as fuels. When theywere labouring under the guilt of fn, that which did molt of all perplex their fouls, was that their fafety was inconfiflent with the glory and honour of the great God ; with his jollier, faithfulnef , and truth (a) ; all whichwere engaged for the defiruc- tion of fin; and how to come off from ruin, without the lofs of their ho- nour, he faw not.. But now by the revelation of this righteoufnefs from faith, to faith, they plainly fee, that all the proprieties of God are exceed- ingly glorified, in the pardon, jollification, and acceptance of poor loners. As before was manifefted. And this is the fait way whereby the Saints hold daily communionwith the Lord Jefus, in this purchsfed grace of acceptation with God. They confider, approve of and rejoice in the way, means, and thing it felf. [a.] They make an aétual commutationwith the Lord Jefus, as to their fins and his righteoufnefs, of this there are alfo fundry parts. 1.) They continually keep alive upon their hearts a fenfe of the guilt and evil of fin, even there when they are under feine comfortable perfuali- ons of their perfonal acceptance with God. Senfe of pardon takes away the horrour and fear, but not a due fence of the guilt of fin. It is the daily ex- ercife of the Saints of God, ro confider the great provocation that is in fin, their fins ; the fin of their nature and lives ; to render themfelves vile in their own hearts and droughts on that account, to compare it with the terrour of the Lord, and to judge themfelves continually. This they do in general, lbty fin is ever before me, fays David, they fet fin before them not to terrify and affright their fouls with it, but that a due fenfe of the evil of it, may be kept alive upon their hearts. a.) They gather up in their thoughts the fins for which they have not made a particular reckoning with God in Chrifl, or if they have begun fo to do, yet they have not made clear work of it, nor come to a clear and comfortable iffue. There is nothing more dreadful, than for a man to be able to difgeft his conviciot:s, to have fin look him in the face, and fpeak perhaps fume words of terrour to him, and to be able by any charms of di- , verfions ordelays, to put it off, without coming to a full trial, as to late and condition, in reference thereunto. This the Saints do ; they gather up their fins, lay them in the balance of the lair- ; fee and confider their weight and defert. And then (u) Rom. i. a7, x, 3, 4 [3.] They

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