Rutherford - HP BS2575 .4 R975 1743

CJ'he Epijl:le 'Dedicatory. Revenge only of Love and Companion to their Souls. If fome of thefe Sermons came once to your Hon~ our·s Ears, and now to your Eyes (is may be) wirlt more Englijh Language, I have frayed poffibly till the laft Grapes were fome riper> I hope it 1hall be pardoned~ that I am bold to borrow your Name, which truly I fhould not have done, If I had not known of your praCtical Knowledge of this noble and excellent Theme, the Free- Grace of God : I could add more of this, but I had rather commend Grace, then gracious Perfons : I know that Je[tts Chrifl, who perfumeth and :9owerh Heaven, with his Royal Prefence, and ftrewerh rhe Hearuen of Heavenf to Its utmoft Borders with Glory, is cornmended rhat he was full ofGrace, a V effel fil1ed to the Lip, Pfxlv. z.. John i. 16. Yea, Grac . hath bought both our Perfon and our Service, 1 Pet . ii: 1-4, z 5. Even as he rhat buyerh a Captive, gives Money nor only for his Perfon, but for all the Motion, Toil and Labour of his Body, Legs and Arms; and redeeming Grace is fo perfeCt, that Satan hatil Power poffibl y, to bid, hut not to buy ~ny of the Redeemed; no tnOt'e than a Mer~ant can buy anothe1· Mans bought ,Goods without his confent: All. our ~appine.~ that groweth here on the Banks of Tune, Is but thm fowen, as very StrAw-her'fiu .on the. Sea-Sands, what good Parts of Nature we have wuhout Grace, are 1 ike a fair Lill y, but there is a Worm at the Root of it, it wirhereth from the Root to the Top : Gifrs wither apace without Grace ; Gifts neither break nor humble; Grace can do both. Grace is !o much the more precious and fweet, that though · it be the refitlt of £it) in the AEt ofpardoning and cUl·ir.g , finful Lamenefs ; yet it harh no Spring but the Bowels of God frirred and rowled within him by only fpotlefs and holy Goodnefs; GrMe is of the King·s Houfe from Heaven only, the Matter, SubjeCt . or Perfon it dwclleth ia, contributed nothing for the Cre-

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