·354 1 he Trial and SE'R. ~4 he was; even an Unbeliever, a Child of Wrath, one that is difobedient, ferving divers Lufts, a Soul unwafhed, polluted in his Blood before his Convcrfion to God; but being once converted and graced to believe, h;s State before God is al. tered and changed, even in the Court of ,Heaven, in the Lord's.Books he is another Man, he goeth now for a fa1r and undefiled Soul, the Churcb that was in a polluted, filthy and miierable Con· dition, Ezek. x vi. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Is now in Chri{l's Heart as a Seal, Cant. viii. 6 fo fair, as her Beauty ravifheth the Heart of Chrifl; now Chrift nametl:t Things according to their Nature. z. The Condition is fo changed before God, that Hqf. i. I o. r It cometh to pafs, 'I/:;at in the Ptace, where it -was [aid to them,. J'e are not my People, there it }hall be faid unto them, ye are the Sons of the living God, 1 Pet. ii. 10. TVhicb in 'Iime pafl, were not a People, but are nO'l.U the Peopte of God, 'Which had not obtained Jl.fercy, but now have obtained Afercy. The Words of Scripture, that importeth a real Change, doth ' prove the fame; as Cot. i. 1 2. TVho bath made us meet, or Jidficientty qualified us, to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Sq,ints in Light. Chrifi: js a qualified Workman, and changeth Hell, and the mofl: untoward Timber of Hell, unto Hea· ven, and unto a Veffel .of Glory: 'Tis a vain Thing to dream that Chrift hath no other Efteem · and warmnefs of Heart tp us, when we are i!ead jn Sins and Trdpaifes, and pofting as in a Horfe Race after the Devil, who rideth, and aeteth a,nd breatheth in the Children of Difobedience.; and when he hath raifed and quickened ttS for bfs great Love,,and placed us inllea<:Jen ·:q;itb Chrift Bp/J.
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