Rutherford - HP BS2575 .4 R975 1743

'l jo · · 'he Trial and SF..R. t4 Self-finners too, but Chr~ converteth 11ot all Sinners. Hence Chrift aCtually calleth and faveth but thofe who are fuch and fo prepared ; now there is a Preparation of order, and a Prepara... tiqn of defe'Y'Ving: I cannot fay, there are Prep~rauons In the converted by way of dekrving, Chrifl: calleth not Sinners becaufe, or for, that they are Sinners in their own Senfe, For he bath Mercy on whom he wilt. 2.. Nor are there Preparations in the Converted, to which Convedion is promifed as a free Reward of Grace, w hieh may be called moral Preparations, there is no fi..1ch Promife 'in the Word as this : fVhojoe·ver are ~earied and loft in their own Eyes, they jhall be converted, Yea, 5· 'Tis hard to affirm that all who are prepared with thefe Preparations of Orcler are infallibly converted ; it's like, .Judas, Cain, reputed themfelves Sinners, and had fome Law-work in their Heart, and yet were never convert~d; But God's ordinary way, is to bring Men into Chrift, being firfl: Se]f-lofl: and Selfcondemned; and that upon thefe Grounds that proveth God's way of working ~o be fucceffive. :I . Becaufe Converfion is a ranon'al work; and ' the Gofpel is· a moral Inftrument of Converfion, thel'l!fore Chrift here openeth a Vein ere he give Phyfick ; he £rft cutteth and then cureth, for thouoh in the Moment of formal Converfion, ~en be Patients, and can neither prevent Chrift, nor co-oper;:tte with Chrift, yet the whole work about Converfion is not done in a Moment; for Men are not converted as the Lillies grow, whi~h do not tabour nor- jpin ; there be fome pangs m the new Birth : Nor are Men converted as .Simon c;arried Cbrifl's Cro[S., altpg~ther again!f · their ·-· ·l

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