Sibbes - Houston-Packer Collection BX9339.S5 B6 1641

~4~ / ____!~~ t~ertpoiceof~yBe/otTJetl SsR.V. )heart at the fame time, and gives it power to I open, not from it felfe, but from Chrifi. Paul Ach 16 1 ~· fpeaks to Lyditt~ eare, Chrifl: to her heart, and opened it, as the Text fayes, whereby fue be– leeves,fo Chrifl: opens the heart. ~eft. But,Why doth he thmworke? A_nfw. Becaufe hewill preferve Nature,and theprinciplesthere<>f,and fo he dettles wirhus, working accordingly ; the manner ofworking ofthe rea. fonable creature, is to-worke freely by a fweet inclination,not byviolenc-e. Therefore when he works th~ worke of Converfion, he doth it in a · fweet manper, though it be mighty fort he Effi. cacioufndfe ofir,he admonifheth us with intrea– ty,and pertwafion,as ifwe did it our fdves. But though the manner be thusfweet, yet with this manner there goeth an Almighty power.There– fore he cloth it firongly, as comrning from him– felfe, and fweetly, as the fpeaking is to us pre– ferving our Nature, fo the ACtion is from him, which bath an .Almighty power with it , As Bern4rtl. holy Bernard faith, Thou dealejl fweetly withmy · foulein reg~trd ofmy fllfe (that is, thou workefr uponmeas a man with the words of love) yet flrongly inngardof thy felft. For except he adde firength with fweetnefie, the worke will not fot low;butwhen there are both,an Almighty work iswrought in the foule of a Chrifl:ian ; and fo ~ wrought J :ts the manner of mans working is pre- ~ ferved inafweet and free manmer, whilefl: he is ~, changed from contrary to contrary 5 And it isalfo with the greatefi reafon that can be 1 in that now he

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