4;6o The Life of Chrifl. f Sr. I!drn1n Sands relation. grfal.ai9.s7 h Rom.t. 4,5 i 2+5,2q Mac. 28 18. lI:,h.i.18. mI)11.iI.4z, fhould turne all the gold it touched into lead or drofle : how injurious then and reproachful are they to the grace of God, who extraa their owne prefumptions one of His mercy , and turne the redundancy of divine Grace into an advantage and privi1 dge of finning? As if Gods mercy had no other ufe than a dogges grafiè, or a drun- irvds vomit, or a f Papifls conf.fiion to his Prieff, to ab- iòlveus for forme firines that there might be roomy made for more. Surely Grace teacheth then to make other conciufons from Gods mercy, g ' Deale bountifully with thy fervant that I may keepe thy Word,was Davids inference from Cods favour. And Saint h 'Paul affures us that none but hard and impenitent hearts defpife the goodneffe and riches of Gods patience and forbearance, not knowing that the goodneffe of God fhould leade them to repes;tance,It is the vvorke ofgrace tore imprint the image of God in us, to confonne us unto Chriii, to bend and incline the heart to a fpirituall delight in the Law to remove in fore meafure the ignorance of our mindes, that wee may fee the beautie and wonders of Gods Law, and the difEcultie and frowardnefl`e of the flefhly will aguinfl grace, that Gods Commands may not be grievous, but ivveet unto us. Thefe are the branches and properties of that Life which we have from Chrifl. And wee have them from Him as the Sonne , as a middle perfon betvveene us and his Father. Firft, becaufe the Sonne bath His Fathers Seale: I-lath i : udvrnent,'Po ver,liberty to difpofe of and ciifpenfe Life and Salvation to whom He will, k Latour for the.C2rfeate t hat endtreth unto eternal/ e, which the Sonne of cWan fhallgive untoyme, for hinibath God the Father Sealed. Secondly; becaufe the I Sonne is in his Fathers bo, eine, h th li s heart His care, His affeaions, and therefore He is n' heard alwaies in whatfoever Hee defireth for any of His members : and this interefl in His Fathers Love was that by which He raifed Laz4ros un- .to
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