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ing to the good Pleafure of his Will, (e) By the which Will we are fanctified.

So that the Father's giving them unto Chrift as Children was an Act of his Will; yea, of his good Will, and when he gave them unto him as Children, he (f) blefs'd them too in him, as their Head, as the Apoftle faith, according as they were chofen in him before the foundation of the world, &c

EVEN with all fpiritual Bleflings that was meet for every Relation he put his chofen Ones into, in him, or caufed to fubfift between him and then, before the Foundation of the World.

HE knowing them in his Love (g) Foreknow ledge, as his (h) People, as his (1) Children, as i) his (k) Sheep, and gave them to his Son, "as GodMan to fubfift in him, and to be related to hiin, as (1) Members, as (m) Children, as (n) Spouse, Bride, or (0) Wife, and (p) Grethren. He being fet up from Everlasting as their Heal, Father, Husband, and Brother, this is fome of the abundant Grace of God the Father, pointed out by thefe words, fanctified by God the Father.

2dly, THE Grace of God the Son is held forth in thefe words, preferv'd in Chrift Fefus, that is, thofe that are in him, as aforefaid, they are fo fecured, and kept fo fafe in all thofe Relations unto him, the Man in GOD, that neither (a) Sin

(e) Heb. 1o. 10, 14 (ƒ) Ephef. 1. 3. 4. ( g ) Rom. 8. 29. (b) Isai. 43.220. (i) Deut. 14. 1. ( k ) Ifai. 53. 6. (4) Éphef. 5. 30. (m) Ifai. &. 18. (n) Song, 4, 8, (q) Ifai. 54° 5. (p) PS 22. 22. (q) Rom. 6. 14. B 2

nor

nor (r) Devil, nor all the Rage of Ungodly (s) Men can take away their Intereft in him, nor break, nor alter any of the Relations, to him bel fore the World was Because they are in himqu the Man in GoD, for that is the Foundation of our being preferv'd fafe in him: For if he weren a Creature only, we might loofe our all in hims as we did in Adam who was but a Creature, but he being Gop as well as Man, we are preferved us in him, he being the Man in Gon, is a fafe (t) hiding Place from the Wind of Men and De vils, who blow hard upon the People of God | fometimes; and a Covert from the terrible (v) Storm of GoD's Wrath that will fall upon all that are not in him. He is the great Rock whofe (w) Shadow is fo refreshing to poor, weary Souls that dwell under it.

fafe in

DAVID fings fweetly of the LORD as his x Strength, and his Rock, and his Fortress, his Deliverer, his GOD, Buckler, Horn of his Salva tion, and Tower All which Expreflions fhew his Faith in Christ Jesus, or in the Son as GODMan.

FOR there are no Metaphors, or metaphorical Expreffions that can properly be apply'd to God, as abfolutely GoD; but thefe are very apt Me taphors to fet forth GOD-Man, in whom alone we are preferved: For this is the Name, or Per

(r) Matt. 16. 18. 59. (t) Ifai. 32. 2. Pf. 18. 1, 2.

Heb. 2. 14. (5) Rom. 8. 35, 36, 37, 38 (v) Pf. 11. 6. (w() Hef. 14 7 (*)

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on, who is they) trong Tower, as the word Name (x) here, with many more Places, muft fignific. Thus we are preferved in Jefus Christ, and it is pon this Foundation alone that the Sanctifred by God the Father, and the Preferved in Chrift, come to be called out of that fad Eftate that they are fallen into by Adam's Fall; therefore the Spirit, the third glorious Perfon, comes in the appointed Time to call them out of that Eftate. 3dly, AND Galled. Here, is the Grace and Work of GOD the Spirit, to call thofe (that the Father hath chofen and fanctified, and that are preferved in Jefus Chrift) out of that fad E tate that they are fallen into; and this he doth by his Divine Power, breathing Life into poor Soals that are dead in Sin: For it is the Spirit that (a) quickeneth, he it is that regenerates the Hearts of all that are (b) bornagain, or born from bave, as it is in the Margin, for they are faid to be-born of the Spirit, and to be born of the Spiit is to be brought out of that State of (c) Death ind/d) Blindness, Ignorance and Unbelief, Ennity and Rebellion, and Stoutheartedness that hey are in by Nature, and to be brought into a State of fe Life and (f) marvellous Light, this alling Work of the Spirit is abundantly fet forth n the Scriptures.

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(y) Prov. 18. 10. (2) Pf. 29. 2. 34. 3. 61. 5. 83. 4, Vai. 66. 22. Acts 4. 12. (a) John 6.63, (b) Job. 3. 3, %, •, 1. (e) Ephef. 26, 1. 3. (d) Ifai. 42. 19. Ep. 4. 18. Ifai. 4 12. (e) Job. 5. 24. (f) 1 Pet. 2. 9.

BUT

BUT I fhall chiefly open it a little from Joh 16. 8, 9, 10, 11. And when he (the Spirit of Truth is come, he will reprove the World of Sin, and of Righteousness, and of Fudgment.....

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Of Sin, because they believe not in me, Of Righteousness, because I go to my Father and ye fee me no more.

Of Judgment, because the Prince of this World is judged. ods

He will reprove, or convince (as it is in the Margin) or fully and plainly fhew unto the world that the Father had Chofen in Chrift, and Sanc 'tified as aforefaid) that was to be called outc the State of Unbelief and Ignorance that the were in, and when he doth call poor Sinners he openeth the Heart and fhews it convincingly the Evil of Sin as it is (g) a Pollution in its Natur that all its Powers are ftain'd therewithal, as, 'Blindnefs in its Underfranding, (i) Stubbornnes and Rebellion in its Will, (k) Error in its Judg ment, (Vilenefs in its Affections, fo that i fees it felf, as it were, a Sink of nothing but Fi thinefs and Uncleannefs, and Depravation in a its Powers, fo that the poor Soul now cries out Wo is me, I am (m) undone and what fhall or (n) what muft I do to be faved! (0) O zurett ed man that I am, who fall deliver me, &c.

(g) Pf. 51. 5. (b) Ephef. 4. 18. 46. 12. Luke 19. 14. (k) Ifai. 5. 20. Tai 6. 5. (n) Ats 2. 37. Als 15. 30.

Rom. 7. 21. (i) != (1) Rom. 1, 26( (0) Rom. 7. 24

Oh

this (q) deceitful and defperate wicked Heart of mine: Oh how full of (r) vain Thoughts is mine

ter Ch. how is it wandering about af

ter a world of ftrange Things, even whilft I am waiting on God, and would do good!

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THUS the Soul cries out of it felf, when he, the Spirit, comes to open the Evil of Sin in his convincing Reproofs of Sin, it fees its Unbelief, So likewife when he, the Spirit, reproves of Righteous convincingly, then the Soul fees its fhortnefs in every Work and Duty, that the beft it has, or ever can do is like what is faid by the /s/ Prophet: So is all its own Righteouf S too fhort and too narrow, Dand not only fo, but it fees that they are but/filthy Garments, bay but() filthy Rags, and to no ways meet to recommend them unto God, or to appear before him who is the moft High, the most Holy and Righteous Gov.

So that the Soul now fees an abfolute Necflity of having a better Righteoufncfs than any of its own, or any other meer Creature's Rightconf nefs, and therefore cries out as St. Paul does, in Philippians (w) which Place I with every one to read and confider well, for it is the Righte oufnefs of Jefus Chrift alone, that we must be found in, if we go to the Father.

(p) Exok. 36. 25. (g) Fer. 17. 19. Hai. 28. 20. (+) Zech. 3. 4. () [fui. 3. 7, 8, 9, 19.

() Fer. 4. 14. (s)

64. 6. (w) * Phil.

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