The 'Parable of the what is this but dell:roying Gods Grace? for why is Grace fo precious at firll conver(lon, char Heaven and Earth are coo little to hold praifes enough for it! And aftenvard,rbe Lord h~th little love; Oh you forget what once you were, and what rhe Lordharh done,hence I Tim. 1. I 3,I4.I wasfo and fo,&c. but now have received abun~ant Grace. You have bad many meetings with God, many anfwers from Gosl, many confolations and times ofrefreihing and reviving, and rhefe forgotten and buried , the life of them after a year or two expired. And what is rhis but ecliJ?fing Go~s Grace? Ontheotherfide,.asfor.Gracefortimero come, they fear It, efpecially when worms and no men m their own eyes. Hence faith God Ft~~r not worm J,:ecob, Ifai. 4I. I4. There is a certain Divining Spirit (as one one~ told me) chat unci !I that was pulled our , no honour can rhe Lord gee. Before you come roWor_dorPrayer, rho~ wilt fear thou /halt never get any good; and when rhe Lord gives any, thouwilt fear thou ihalc never hold out ; and what Promife foever is made, thou wilt fear thou !11alt never find it. And what do rh this but eclipfe Grace? we ihould go wirh boldnefs to the Thwne ofGrace; nay hence let the Lord fend never fo much Mercy for the Prefent, a Fear will cur off all, that all this will rife up in Judgement agaiiJ(t me. 4· When they are moll fit eo honour C.ods Grace by Fairh, now they will not believe, not then above any other time: for rhen a man is moll fir to honour Grace, when he feels moflneed of it: and when ha rh he moll need, bvr when he feels mofl emptinelfe ? why now above lny other rime aman will not come in, but will have fomewhat in himfelffirll, and then be will, when his hem is fo and fo fweetly fetled, "&c. Hence Luk! 14. Poor,and blind, and lame, and halt compelled to come in: one would think there needed nor chat ; bur now when fitcell, now they will not: for let any man obferve what would e11deF his heart fo much to Grace as this : to think if it be the Lords mind to fave ' poor (1ecd damned creature, then happy I ? This is wonderful , this hach quickened d~-,d love, and de~d Faith, and a dead heart. And on the G>rher fide, if the Lord deJay, ifit comes not at their own rime, then they diflru(! it ; Grace! alas I feel my f<~lf never awhit better: For there be cwo things in Faith, ' Firil:, AcomingtoChrill, which is ou~work, i.e. Godnvorkin us. Secondly, Receiving what I come for from Chrill, which is the Lords work; Now chefirH gives evidence he ihallhave it, John 6. 35, 37· Hence the Lord will have them rejoyce in what ChriH hath, as my Grace u fufficient ; hut if it ( omes nor prefenrly, then they call off Faith, and fo call away Grace , I feel no good: hence John 4· 48. &c. I know there is a feeming coming to Chrill ' · to have the Grace of ehrill and fin roo, and this you may well call off: and a coming for his Grace and Spirit only , and you defpife Grace, and diHrull rhe Lord if you call off this, or you feek to put the Lord out of his working by a covenant ofGrace,(where be takes his rimes as he pleafes) and give a flat lie to all promifes of Grace, and refufe to be comenred with Chrills Grace , that thou mighceft have the more attributed eo thy felf, and rbe Lord rhe lelfe. 5. Either they think not of the exceeding greatnelfe of the Lords love and free Grace eo them, and hence Paulbowes ro Heavea forchis,Eph. 3· 16, 17. And hence it comes to palfe,chat look as 'tis with fweet rhings , fwallow them down in the lump, you never tafle the fweemelfe to purpofe, nor never commend. them; fo 'ris when men fwallow down Gods love,and eh~ not upon it, whereas If they did but thinkofit, Oh how fweet would it be! Pfalm 63. 5, 6. Lord, how many dayes and weeks are fpem rhus? ' It's apparent you have rhe profeffion of a Chrilliantife; but do you callethefweemef>of aChrifliancourfe? No: why if you did chink, you wo!Jld ; But you are weary at Night,lleepy in themorning,bufie in the day, dead on the Sabbath : hence think ooc , hence give not God the glory ofGrace: or iftbey do think of it, and the greatm;fs ofic, then they cannot chink [o great things ihotilcl be given unto them,or donefor uhem : that God ihould love me
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