SERM 7 Triumph of Faith. · I 55 groweth,o.ut ofhim,asthe Motes, Rays and Beams from the Sun, and a Family (as it were) and a Society of Branches .o~t of a T!ee. 4· There is_here Giving and Recetvmg: Chnft o.ffereth and g~~eth . fuch and fuch Favours; we receive all by Eel1ev- . ing, except the Grace of Faith, which cannot be received by Faith, but by free Favm.1r and Grace, without us, in God: Grace firft and laft, was all our HappiAefs. If there had not been a Saviour , (to borrow that Exprefl1on) mane al1 of Grace, Grace itie if, we could never have had D,ealing with God. 2. The Parties of the Covenant are God and Man : Oh how fweet! that fuch a Potter, a·nd fuch a Former of all 'J;hings fhould come in Terms of Bargaining with fuch Clay as is guilty before him! Now the Parties here, on the one Parr, is Go n ; on the other, 'Ihe Mediator Chrift, and th'e Chit- , dren that the Lorf/gave birrz. Obferve, 1. In the Covenant of Nature and Wo,rks, God and his Friend , . Adam were Parties cqntraCling : And in the fecond Covenant, God and his Fellow Chrift, and all his, are Parties : A Covenant of Peace cannot be between an Enemy and an Enemy, as they are fuch ; thofe who were Enemies, muft lay down Wrath ere they enter into Covenant : Contraries as Contraries cannot be united. God being the foie Author of this Covenant, did lay afide Enmity firft : Love muft firft fend out I"ove, as Fire muft calt out Heat: 'Tis true, this Covenant is made with Sinners, (as God made the Covenant of Nature with Adarrz, yet righteous) but an Union Covenant-wife could never nave been, except God had in a Manner bowed to us, and Grace proved out of Meafure gracious. · D 4 Chrift
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