Rutherford - HP BS2575 .4 R975 1743

Su.. 2 t Triumph of Faith~ 297 nally loft : Wha~ is there ~pon Chrift's Parr_ to hinder thee to.bel1eve ? 0 gmlty Wretch ! 0 ( fanh he) I fear Chrifl onty offererh himfetj to me, but he mindeth no Salvation to me ? An( Is not this to raife an evil Report and Slander on · tbe holy One of Ifraet ? For Chrift's Offe-r is really ·an Offer, and in fo far, 'tis real Lovel though it cannot infer the- Love d EleB:ion to Glvr'y ; yet the total Denial of this Offer, openeth up the black Seal of Reprobation to Heathens without the Church 1 and -therefore 'tis Love to thee, if thou be humbled for iin. 2. And have half an Eye to' the unfearchable J{.iches of Go(. pet Merc.y. 5· And be felf condemned. 4· And have half a Defire ofChrift; thou mayft expound Love by Love, and lay hold on the Promife, and be fa ved : An Error ofhumble Love to Chrift is n0 Error. · That which is next, is a Word ofthe eifential Principle ol.: true Faith,, and that is a proportionable Meafure of Grace, Pbit. i. 2.9. required in Fait!l : Men naturally imagine that Faith is~ ·work of Nature; hence that Speech of a Multttude of · Atbe,ijh; ( I betie·ve all my 'IJays, I believe Night 6i1d :IJay ) But they ,never believe ·at all, who think and fay; they believe always. The.7ews afferted thatthey believcdA!tfes always., and fo oppofe themfel ves to the Aftm attor,ether born in Sin, Joh. ix ver. z8, 29. compared with ver. 34· 1. But Chrift told them, they neither bel ieved the !IIe[(za!J, nor Mofes, chap. v. ver[ 3; , ;6, 3 7. Nature worketh always alike, and without IntermiHjon or Freedom. The !iloods always move, the Fountain alwavs caft out Streams, the Fire always burneth, t~ Lamb always &~th · fi·om. ..

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