Shepard - BT378 T4 S44 1660

-----------------~------- ( l I l i }, T'he'P arable ofthe 1world, he wiilWirhdraw here, and when he inrends ro draw rhe world after him , l~e will glorifie it with his glory, Jfai. 6o. 6, 7· ' / 3· It curs off a ChriHian from all hope of glory, how many be there chat ~ fc~ambleand~arch atChri!l, and ev~ry one fairh he is mine, The proud man , f.mh, he ~s mme, and hopes now v~nlr, to b~ faved, but rh~t hope is yain; they )Jaye Chn!l: our of them, bur where IS Cbn!lm rhem ? The hfe of Chr1ll:, and rhe 1 Spirit o~ Chri!l? Col. I, 27. C~rift in you, the hope of glory. I 4· Gtve me but one pbce 111 all die Book of God, where bleffednefs is be- ;nowed npon, or conveyed unto any, or promifcd burro fuch as have rhefe ora- :ce;. Elejfed u he thatfeamhthe Lord, and greatly_ delighteth,&c.Pfal.r 12.1,2~ If I rh~re be no fuch rhing, lee any man expect ir if he can. 1 1 I. The Caufes. I. A m.1gnifying Chrilt, and making him our San&ificarion, lVhen as you he,1rd rhe Ll(t day, this is ro deny him ro b!! our SanC\ificarion: He becomes our righ:eoufnefs by imputation of his holinefs, and our SanC\ificarion by infulino ot n. N,1y, hence a man deprive' himfelf, of all good in rhe Lord Jefus, whe~ \a. m_an denies all grace in himfe\f, and then. tli~; ' fo~ Sanctuary ~mo Jefus I Chnfl, t John I, 6, 7· Jf.we f"J we have fo!lowfh•p rmhhzm, ~tnd w1<lk_zn d~<rk._n<fs, we lze, &c•. An? hence lt feems they demed men ro h,!Ve fin, verf. 8. boJHing of fellowlhrp wuh Chnlt, verf.6. z. Becaure there are (ray men) onely immediate aC!ings of the Spirit. If this be fo, then there is feeing in a Chrill:ian v•;irhout an eye, and hearino wirhouo an ear, and knowing Chrifl without an underf!:,mding, and loving wirh~ut love and living without life, .md feeding and e,1ring without a mouth; and rhen whe~ rhefe aClings are over, a Chri!lian is like another man, rhere is no Law remains w.itren on his hem, and fo Chrill fhould enrer inrohis Sainrs, like Satan inro the Serpenr, who only aC!s the Serpent, and when char is don~:, be remains a Serpent again. Know ir, rhe Lord Jefus his greate!t work is not onely to chan~e the aGI:s, but to_ change rhe frame of'rbe heJrt, not only to put ne~v aCl:i1 ons, but anew natuie tnto men. 1 3· Becaufe rr.en know· not rhe Spirit, never felt the prefence, nor power, nor, 1 comfort of ir themfe\ves ; and hence men do as fome Countries, becaufe rhecnjfelves areblack,tlley paint rhe Devilwhire. John 14. I7· The World cannot reI uive, becauft it i0ows him mt. Give me any Chri!lian living thJt ever found the fweemefs of it, bur bis longings were ro have more of rbar grace, ro f•rget things behinde, and reach to things before, even to the refurrefJion of the dead, whom I believe none will fay want all h:1bits of grace: Ilook upon rhe Opinion as com. ing with a curfe from God: A man h~th been a dry Profeffor long, Confcience •faith, The:·e is m grace in the hem, and hence is troubled; True, faith he, I there's Pone in S.1i nrs, it is in Chri!t,and there he catcherh and deceives himfelf. Secondly, Thofe that do acknowledge them, bur any power or aC\iviry in rhern I they deny; rhey fay rhere is oyl indeed in rhe Veffel,bnrit helps not,'ris no means j to m.1ke rhe Lamp to burn or fhine; there is rhe life of Chrilt, but ir is a dead. life, rbey c.lll rhem rhegraces of Chrill:, bur rhey are but 'fruitlefs graces. I con- : fe[, ir, if) ou confider rhe:n wirhont the Spirit of Chriil, they are 110 true graces, . 1 much lefs active or living ones; but coniider rheTI rhu~, rhey have a power, as rake the leaf! grain of corn,rhereis agrowing power in ir, &fruC\ifying too in ir by dying firfl, though ir aCtually doth nor fruC\ifie prefenrly, and rbougb there mull: be r.un, and Sun rru!t O; ine alfo, and a providence accocnpanying of 'ir, fo ir is [in rhe prace; of Saints: Anc;l hence it~ called a Law of the mind, there is a pow1 er of a"Law, as of fi~ and hence as Chrifl grew in wifdome and flarure, fo all the I n:e:nbers of Chrilt arc like unto hirn. I. The evil! of rhis. ' I. This 01bares of rhe excellency of grace, as from a Jewel ro take a1vay ~he · . operanve_

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