Shepard - BT378 T4 S44 1660

66 'rhe 'Parable of the this world will hemmer ofamazemennotheeaftera!l thou h.1fl-, and haft done' : much more when rhou feell: fo many fins, and that in every thing : Imreat the Lord ro do rhis. , We walk up and down the wor!d, and f.1ywe fin ~nd grieve the Lord ; but ?h •m qor known, happy art thou _If the Lord bath d1fcovered it ; thenrhou\VIltfay,whydoththeLorddoany rhing for me? could not he pick out fl-one5, nay Tolds that never finned againfl- him, rather than me to .enjoy him efpecially is fin vile iu thee, fo near God, and fo near Heaven roo. Angels wer~ hurled dowdor one fin. z. Set a high price upon alittle Grace; a man will be exceeding humbly thlnkful for the giving a little ofthat which he highly dkems,much more for ~iving much of what we value. The poor Woman of CanMn , Mat. I 5. was glad of crumbs. How thankful d~ you rhiu1< lhe was for loaves ? that made her ready to receive all· Be it ,,.. thou lvilt; fo ir !hall bewirh you, for if you prize a little, Oh when all !hall be given , this willfwallow you up imo Grace. And ies certain, there is never a mercy but 'tisgreat, if you confider himtha.r gives ir,who receives ir him that bought ir. Bur the moll of Gods Grace in us appears to be but fmall; h~iKe we prize it nor , and hence never ready to give all ro rhe Lord again. 3. Learn to pur adifference between your double being: fo r every Chriflian bath adouble being: I. In himfelf. z. He bath a fubfiHence in Chrifi. Now look opon your [elves as in your felves , you will ever complain ~here, ever dead, and never have your hearts ready to blefs rhe Lo;d. If you only look on your [elves in ChriH,you will be proud,and never give the Lor~ h?nour. I fay therefore, pur adifference between there two, for men appropnaung ro themfelves what is ChriHs, they rob Chrift of his glory. Hence Paulfo humble, I Cor. I 5· Io, It. For if you look upon your felf, I am dead, guilry, damned, we,1k, here will be lhame : if any life, or Grace, rhis is ChriHs. As aman on a Mount is the fame man, no taller, only the Mountain makes him fo : fo think of thy !elf. · Or as a mud wall, rhe funlhines on it, but in it felfir is amud-wall Hill; all the warmth and lullre is from the Sun. • 4· Learn ro love Grace; wh.lt we love we will feek the good of more than our own , and commend ir. Firft, It's the only firfl- mover of all our good: rhou lhoulclR never have had a dram of peace or mercy. , Why ~a.H it? rhe Lord wi!l have it fo , Grace pleads it may be fd; rhis is the only Permoner at Court agamll: the cry of fin, againlt the cry of Jull:ice. · Secondly, 'Tis the only fupport under the heaviefi evills ; fomerime God frowns, and Hell fmokes , and Satan tempts, and fin rageth, ai~d it may be no feehng of Grace, no re.tfon to 01ew there !hall ever be any ; now what have you done, what will you do? Fly for refuge to rhe Promife ofGrace, Heb. 6. I 8. It is [uch a Friend as holds up the head when linking, when dying holds drat, when all fails, and againlt which the gates ofHell cannvt prevail. To him that laies hold on Grace, this is wonderful,Paul was a man taken with Grace: heucehe every where commendsit, lwMreceived tomerq, &c. I Tim. I. IJ, I4. 5. See h01v the Lord loves that thou !houlaeft honour it , for rbe greareH hbnour Grace hath is by Faith; hence they are pur for one, Rom. 4· 16. and the .great caufe why Fairh airs not , is becaufe he fees not how the Lord !hall have by it rhe praife of his rich Grace, nor how the Lord loves it lhould do !o. For if a f17_an did fee how by Fairh he {hall honour Grace , and how rhe Lord is plea~ed with it, it would draw the heart to be aifured , and to blefs Grace; for when the Soul feels it !elf ar worlt, why cloth it not believe? I {hall preCume: True, if you have this only in your eye to fave your felf; bur i.f rhe Spirit prefenrs the glory ofGrace, and this draws your will rhar you will glorifie Grace, then you will fay 'tis no prelumption fo to do, and fo to believe, for rhe Lord loves his Grace, and all means for the glory ofG;ace. Hence ae will ufe Faith for that end,ro honour

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