Watts - BX5200 .W3 1813 v.9

RhMNANTS OP TIME. 479 richest blessings on us in a sweet and alluring manner of con- veyance. When lie gave his Son to us he first arrayed him in flesh and blood that the glories of the deity might not affright us, nor his terror make us afraid : 'When the proceeds to confer on us further gifts, lie puts them into the hands of bis Son dwelling in our nature that we might have easy access to him without fear, and receive gifts from him as a delightful medium, by whom a God of infinite purity bath a mind to confer favours on sinful man. He has put all grace into those hands whence we ourselves would choose to fetch it. 1f a God of shining holiness, and burning justice should appear like himself and call to us, guilty wretches and hold forth his hand, here are gifts, here are pardons, here are salvations for you, we should be ready to say with,Job 21. " Withdraw thine hand far from me, and let not thy dread make me afraid." But here we sinners come to a man, to one thát has worn our flesh and blood, that is our brother and of our own composition, we come with courage to him that looks like one of us to receive the gifts of a holy God, and terrors of his holiness sink us not, nor the fire of his justice devour us. O my Soul how down and worship that God that stoops so low to thee, and has found such a mild and gentle method of conferring his heavenly favours on thee. XII: The Gift of the Spirit. WHAT is dearer to God the Father than his only Son ? And what diviner blessing has he to bestow upon men than his holy Spirit ? Yet has he give his Son for us, and by the hands, of his Son he confers his blessed Spirit on us. " Jesus having received of the Father the promise of the Spirit shed it forth on men;',' Acts ii. 33. How the wondrous doctrine of the blessed Trinity shines, through the whole of our religion, and sheds a glory upon every part of it ! Here is God the Father, a King of infinite riches and glory, has constituted his beloved Son the High Treasurer of heaven, and the holy Spirit is the divine and inestimable treasure. What amazing doctrines of sacred love are written in our bibles ! What mysteries of mercy, what miracles of glory are these ! Our boldest desires and most raised hopes durst never aim at /such blessings : There is nothing in all nature that can lead us to a thought of such grace. The Spirit was given by the Father to the Son for men ; for rebellious and sinful men to to lte favourites and saints of them : This was the noble gift the Son received when he as- cended on high. Psalm. lxviii. 18. " And he distributed it to grace his triumph." 'Was it not a divine honour which Jesus our Lord displayed

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