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Show 3· V[e. which in Scripture is c~lled a being made wiVing, Pfalm ·t I®. 3· a drawing : .N'o man comes to the S o11.but he "'kom t.he-Ft~tber dra":llb; yet when we fay this, we do not fay man 1s wrought upon hke a Hock or flonc;but the will when it moveth, moveth of chotce and fraly, but it is God that give1h,to rviV and to do.God puts fort~1 an Almighty and irrefillible powe~,to _make the Sou! wtUmg to bel~rve, and wiVing to repmt; and then It willtHg/y aCl:.~th , ln the flrength ~f God and believeth and repenteth. And mdced were nor th1s rrne 'our' Beloved could not be firl\ ours, but· we mufl be firfl Hit, whi~h is contlary to the Noti~n I have all this whil: been convincing you of: ·for obferve, 1f God {hewed .f?rth Ins Grace no more than in creating us reafonP.ble creatJ<res, whrcheven the Pdagiallt would grant nor more than in allowing us the mtallt of grace; and fuch a 'concurrence of the Spirit wi1h thofe me.ans, (as Come fay,) that if men will they may behe~e, repent, &c. Thefe are all II ill works. without the Soul. il'he firfl wor/(. m, or frem, tbe Soul r notwi<hflanding.all this) mull proceed from11he So_ul, not fro.;.. God and the Soullhould lid\ be irs Belo.v,~ds •. In thort, God thould a~c~pt of mans good will firl\ lhewn,b~fore any thing of God be declared to it o<dpne for it, more than for many t~t periCh. This; I fay,were lid\ to make us our Belove.ds,and then hJm ' ourt. But that I may come to a clofe. In the !all place. . Let me Chew you ,what duties on our part, this ~rll. fpCCial~nd effectual grace on God" part callet_h t~ us for ; ,I cwillmQance but fin three with which I will clofethts dJfcourfe. - 1. 11; the firll place, it callerh to ~11 thofc who are made partakers of this Effectual-grace, for ever to admire the free- love of God · •to tbeir Souls. 'It were an infinite work to !hew you all that IS admiiable, in this pa~tkular emanation ofpivine Love. The·Hea ·then'have rea'fon to admire,and,adore dllllne Goodnefs; fqr thQy :are Hit generation, neithrr hath be left tbem_w,thout wrtnefi, g•ving them fruitful times.and ~ifo>tJ .; an<;J the mvifible tbtngJOfGod, even amongll them, are knoJI>n by th: thtHgflh_at are made, even hu eternal power and Godhead ; but (as the P{ahmfl fpake of God_s ~ntient Church Pfalm 76. r. ) Co we may (.y of the Chnll1an Church, In J~d•b is God k._no,.,n,hit name is gre~t i~ Ifrael; InS~: •/em alfo is his Tabernacle,an£' bu,d,.,eUmg,piJrce tH Ston.ln the_ Chn fiian-Chnrch is God known, his Name i< ,great amo/lg Chriftzan;• Amongfi Chrinians only is Chrifi prea~hed, to them the Gofpel1s <>one forth : The Heathen hear not of him wl;o wM ufted up, as the o braun T!Je DoUrine applied. brlzett Serpent JI>M lifted up in the Wildernefi. They hear not of a Chrill preached; But above all perfons in the World the Chri· jlian, that is not one in 11ame only, the reo/ Chriftian ; th; Chrit\ian united to Chrill hath reafon to adore Divine Grace. Chril\ knocked at others doors, he waited at others doors as wdl as theirs: but thefe alone are they concerning whom he was plea fed to put in hi' band by the bole oft be door: They had elfe fulfered their Lord as well as qthers to tland while:his ·locks were wet with the dew of the night ; And why you; 0 Chrillians? What was there in your circumllances more than others? what .in your bloud more than.theirs, in your good-will more than theirs? What made you to differ?· it may be: they came to the fame Sermon, fat illl theSame Seat, heard the fame Words, to, be.fure they had equally rational Souls with you : yet went away. it may be• mocking, iii qot fo, yet not affected, not moved, not melted in, their mtive. bardnelS\; only your heart was bro.kenl you were touched, melted, perfuaded to imbrace Chrill offered, to change your courfe o~ life.; .what wa~ this but the.Lords doing.? Oh le ~ it for, ever be marvelloudo.-y.our.eyes! T,hink,.and.fay, with your (elves, Lord, why.!"e i!, How.! w.hy came th6.Sf?irit_ of the Lord.more to me than another, and ceafe admiration if you can; cfind the. bottom of this Love if you can. 2. Secondly, This Notion calls loudly to all Chrillians for hu· mility, a wall<ing humbly before God and before men: It is certainly one of the abfurdell things in the World to be proud of G¥ace, 'Fher-e- is-ifldeed-a-r+joyi~~' a- glorying-in the fr~e-grace-ancf love of God ; but Pride is an high opinion of aur felvu, for Come- , thing in, or from our (elves, r Cor. 4· 7. TYbo mak.!tb thee to dtjfer [rom onother .i' and what hall chou which thou didll not receive l and iftbou didft receive it, wiry dorp thou glory, a1 if tbou hadjl /lot roceived it .i' thou hall no rea ton to boaP towardt God; he hath excluded boalling, by giving thet to will, giving t'hee to believe. Thou hall no reafon to 'lriHmph over thy unregenerate Brotber: thou hadfl been as far from Chrifi as he if God had not began with thee ; if he had not firll faid to thee, Thou fh~lt be mill' ; Though tbou to this day hadtl never {aid to him;j Lord; I will be thine-:He chole thee, thou didll not chufe him; 0 therefore pity unconverted Souls, pity them ! pray for thofe Sifters that have no· brealls : fay to God, Lord, what Chall we do for them? but boafi Qqq 2 not |
