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Show we could have any influence upon them. . fourthly, He is theirs by the F atbrr1 graciou1 miffion of him,and his off!n mrritorius laying down of his life for them, ]0h. 3. 16. God {o loved the ff!orld, that he Jent hiJ only begotten Son, that ff!hofuever bdievetb in him might not pmjh, but have everl.jling life; and himfelf faith, that he laid down bi1 life f or biJ]hup, that his Blood was lhed for the remifJioll of tbr fin, of many; that he was' theirs by a prrparation of the means of-Redemption, which we do not,as ArminiJHJ, think,was for an incertain number, for he knew not whom: we do not think that Chrill from eternity was Spon[or incrriifaderiJ, a Surety of an incertain Covenant ( by which we mean ) for incertain and indefinite perfons; nor a redeemer, an actual redeemer, of an incertain number of perftms, but a certain number; even that number, and thofe perfons, and thofe only, whom the father had from eternity predellinated,and whom the father had given to him, and on whofe behalfhis Father and he had agreed in the eternal Covcnan : for thefe the father fent him, for thefe he trodethe wine-prefs of his Fathers wrath,for thefe he died, b~tyi~tg them out of the hand of Divine Julli<e ff!ith a price; and thus he became theirs and they his. But this is not all. 5· He is lid! theirs, by preventing gract. This now concerns the means of Application, this gives the Soul an actual intereft in him. and gi?es them the fame in Chrill ; he is firll theirs as to eternal Defignation, by an eternal Donation, by an eternaltlipulation and engaging in an eternal Covenant as their Surety ; by laying down his life for them : But I fay this is not all, he firll moves in the Application of this purchafed R-edemption to them, he betrothed them, they do not betroth him ; and this is that which Divines fay that the Soul in the lirfl grace is mmly paffive, God is found of thole that feek him not, I have met with fome that are very Iliff in maintaining, That unim ff!itb Chri(f i1 the fir]! thiltg in[prcial gr-4ce. I doubt that, but t~e union of Chrill ~y 6i< Spirit, to the Soul, is doubtlefs the firll thrng •. . I tak~ ~he ~nzon of the SoHltoChrij!, to be the product of the Spmts ltn.'tmg II fllf, ~o the Soul: Or, (which it may be is clearer,) I thmk the Sprr.rt worketh two ways: r. As a moreforrtign agent working upon the Soul, in order ro its dwelling in it; thus it enlighteneth the mind, convinceth the Soul of fin, openeth the Soul, and makes it willing and able ro rc· · ceive the Lord J~fus Chritl. . 2.. As +77 2. As a more tlomtjltck,Ag,ilt dweUing intbe Soul, and actuating the Soul. Thus it worketh not until t-hat moment whon the So•JI be1ie.ving becomes one with Chrilt, and fu recei<>ing the Spirit without which the Apo!\le, Rom. 8. deter-mines it is not his: It Nempt lit 111_, is the lid! that I am now {peaking tQ. T ne Spirit, I fay, and that '"'Ci' g>'atia in a way of power firll making the Soul willing before it is made plt<lm{t pro": illing. T_hus a~ually Go~ chufeth us ~rfl befo~e we chufe b;;,;':J:J:;,: htm: we brtng netther mertt nor dr{poGtton to hun. B,.n.,d ~~ primmfciupon my T ext fpeak·:th e/(ce\lendy as to this point; The Spoufe /Jut i/li pMu ( faith he) obferve this order, That (he might prave htr f'lf m••re· adjiribm & fuU of gr~ce, givinl, the ..,b,/e to grace, both the firfl, &lid the !Jjl "'t!mm. A/10- Jml!: otherwifi how couldjhe be fuU of gr.m if what fh' bad w.n . q"';~ qp•;m~fl not of gract. Gr1cc cann~t enttr wbtre m~rit btJtb taJ?tn up the pl:~ce. ~~.;~:zbt:r~.:; ---Ifanythi¥!, (faith he) be in u1 of oHr own; fo f" mttft• gracr q<od not fit ,t:r give pl•ce; Dee~ Grati.e quicquid mrriti1 depHtaJ : Give what you·graua.llern.· ~>~iU to merit, ya11 ta/tt aff!ay {o much from divine Grace : I wtV have Ser. 67. "'· pl. no merit to ]hill out Gr"e. I abhor (faith he ) ff!hJt[oever 1< •f wty · aff!n, to m•/tt me my off!n, &c. Grace ma/tt! me ju(lificatum gratis; fmiJi ju/1ifitd.. 0 faoli[h Syn~gogHe of the J erPJ, God1 ol~ Spou(r, i»hieh cantemnutg the rtthttanfnefi ofG•d., WJUld e}bblijh • rt~hteouf-nefiof their own, and {o W.H not f..bjell tp Gad! righttaufiufi, &c. · But let me a little (hew you the evidence of this Truth, it fhall be lliortly: becaufe I remember I have !Jtcly fpo,ke to you much to · tpe fame purpoCe wben I handkd•thofe words,Ver. r o. My Beloved· [p•keand jJid unto me, R.i{e ttp my Love! myfairone,-•>td came away:. _ L It appears from the aptration and inftu.n.:e wilich the holy Scripture giveth unto GJd upon theheart,andwiU ofm~n: What the Pnilofopher faith of the heart in a nuural fonfe, is moll true · of it in a lpil'itual fenfe; , It i1 the firfl ·dm·livn, and the !aft which • , dieth; till the wiU be ·bent for God; till that movetl1 to him, there is no fpiritual motion in thr Soul. Now the Scripture every-where· giveth the cha,.ge of the he•rt, and the m•ttoll of the wiU to g•od unto God. Phil. 2. r 3. · For it i1 God which work.ftb in y•m, both to wtU and to do of hi< good plufim. And Pfalm r 1 o. 3· The peoplt .fhall be ,.,iUin~ in the d•y of my power; He opmed Lydi>'J beJrt, Ach 16- . r 4· He gives the btart of ft4h; Ez~k. ;6. 26. Certaioly then the heart is an heart of.fione till he maketh it an heart nf ftefh. 'Tis an .. uncircurmi{ed htart until he cim,,.,cifith it: It is an old heart until · ht mlk~s ic a new-heart, it is llittt till he openeth it. Now if the fi<ll motions of the heart .far ·God be from the work .of God ·upon ' the . |