344 z Peter z4. iC er.IÇ.4s,49 7-he/infulneffé of 3iyjrEe. tily preva!le to draw a man unto filch holinef1e, as be- commeth the fonnes and lieires of fo certaine and preti- otïs promifes. Till a man by faith apprehends forne in- terelt in the promifes, he will never out of true Love en- deavour a conformitie unto G o D in Chrifl. Ty them, faith Saint 'Teter, rte are made partakers of the divine na- ture and doe efcape the corruption that is inthe world through lui. W hat is it to bee made partaker of the di- vine nature ? It notes two things : firíf, a fcllow7ip with god in his holineffe ; that purity which is eminenter and infini.ely in Gods molt holy nature, is formaliter, or /ectendtam modum creature, fo farre as the Image of his infinite holineflè is exprelille in a narrow creature, fa- fhioned in and communicated unto us by our union with C, !trill. Secondly, aft/kw/hip with Godin his bleffedneffe, namely in that beatificall vifion,and brightnefle of glory which from the face and fulnefle of Iefus Chriít (who as a fecon.i Adam is made unto us the Authour and Fountaine of all heavenly things) (hall at Taff in ful- neífe, and cloth even now in fla!hes and glimmerings (nine forth upon his members. And all this wee have from thole e,reat and pretious promifes which are made unto us of Holineffe and of blefledneffe. For as we fay c f ehé word in general], fo more especially of the Prorrei- fe.r, they are operative words, and doe produce force reali effects, being received by Faith. As a man when he receiverh a deed figned, {haled, witnefíed, and deli- vered, doth not only take parchment or wax, or empty ,,A orris, but bath thereby fo,ne fundamental] right crea- ted unto the things in the deed mentioned to bee con - vey °d, fo that the deed is declaratory and operative of Tome real! e ffefis : fo in the word and promifes of God sealed by the blows of Civil', ratified by the oath of the Covenant, teltified by the Spirit of Truth, delivered by the hand of Mercy, and received by the hand of Faith, there loth not onely paffe empty breath and naked words,
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