Sibbes - Houston-Packer Collection BX9318.S45 L5 1638

goodwill tovards men, 2. 8 3 lievm in Chrift,we(hallnot perifh,but have lifeandfal- vation : in all the parts of it, it is ofGods free grace and good pleafure. What is the founda- tion of the covenant? thrift, Chrift is of free grace, God fo loved the world, that hegive his onely Sonne. There is nothing freer then gift, Chrift is a gifr,thegreatefI gift,he came freely from cod, hegavehim ro deathfor us all, Rom. 8. And then whatfoever good thing wee have in Chrift, it comes freely too, hee that gave Chriif freely, fhalI hee not with him give usall things too ? Then thevery grace tokeepe the covenant,re- pentance and faith, they are the gift of God, I willtake awayyourftonyhear t,andgiveyou new hearts, andcaufe you to walke inmyftatutes ; Iwill circumctfe your hearts : fo thegrace to walke in thecove- nantofgrace, it cornes fromGod, Goddoth his part, and ours too, to thewnot only,that the co- venant of grace is a covenant ofwondrous love, to give us grace here,and gloryherafter: but that the foundation isofgrace, and the performance on our part is ofgrace : nay, it isof grace, that hee would enter into covenant at all, heehum- bled himfelfe wondroufly,to vouchfafe toenter intocovenant, it was humiliation on Gods part, and exaltation tous, therefore as itis in zacha_ rie, we may cry , Grace, grace, there isnothing but grace, and free love, in the whole carriage of our falvation. If whatfoever good come toman, be meerely from Gods good will ; let us emptieour felves, V 3 and Foundation of the cove- nant free. Rom. 8. All goodby Chrift,frce. To empty our fclves.

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