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614
GRACE
MUST
BE
GLORIFIED,
grace without
his Spirit:
True,
they
are happy instru-
ments
in
the hand
of
his
Spirit,
when his
Spirit
pleases
to
use
then,
but
the rod must
not stand instead of
the
hand
that
shakes
it.
Afflictions
are
only
God's instru-
ments, and he
himself
is
the
sovereign cause.
III.
Grace
must have the
honour
of
every
step
in
our
way
to heaven.
God
will
not
give his
honour
to
any
thing
but
himself,
though sometimes
he will
confer grace
while he
uses
the rod,
yet
sometimes he
suffers them to
backslide
beyond the
recovery
of
all
afflictions
whatso-
ever, to shew
that
my
text must
come in
.place.
It
is
only the touch
of
the finger
of
God
himself
on
our hearts
that
can
turn
us
to himself.
I
would make
two
uses
of
this
doctrine
:
I.
Of
the exceeding power
of
remaining corruption
even
in
the
hearts
of
saints.
.
We are
not
to
think that
in
is
nullified
when
it
first receives its mortifying wound,
and
this
is
not
to
be
softened over
with
the name
of
mere
infirmities,
and thereby
easily indulged and slightly
thought
of,
for such
goings
back
as
these are deserving
much harder names;
the
flesh
or
corrupt nature
is
very
guilty and deserves condemnation, though the
law
of
God cannot
provide
it
with
justification
:
see
here
afflic-
tions are unable
to
restore
us
unto God
by
reason
of
the
flesh,
of
the
sin and
corruption that
still
remain
in
us,
but it
does not
therefore
follow,
that
we
are
guiltless,
no,
we
are
so
much the
more
guilty.
The
Second
use,
that
we
should wonder
that God
has
not
cut
us
off
with
eternal destruction
which
he has
used
so
many
means
with
us,
and
yet not
one
of
them has pre-
vailed. O
how
should
we
glorify his
sparing
mercy, had
we
but a
sense
of
the greatness
of
our
sin
in
the
continu-
ance
in
such
obstinate
backslidings;
but
believe, believe
still
that
he
that
has had
patience
enough
to spare
you
all this while
in
rebellion,
he
has
grace enough
in his
heart
to
recover
you, and he
has
treasured
up grace
enough
in his Son,
and
then
you
will
be
prepared
for
the
next
words,
I
have
seen
his ways
and
will heal
han,
I
will
lead
him also,
and
will restore
comforts
to him
and
to his
mourners.