Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A59669
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The sincere convert discovering the paucity of true beleevers and the great difficulty of saving conversion by Tho. Shepheard ....
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Shepard, Thomas, 1605-1649.; Greenhill, William, 1591-1671.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing S3118; ESTC R9618
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105,576
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306
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that thou doest doubt of it It may be thou wilt plead Oh I am so ignorant of my selfe God Christ or his will that surely the Lord offers no Christ to me Yes but he doth though thou lyest in utter darknesse Our blessed Saviour glorified his Father for revealing the mystery of the Gospel to simple men neglecting those that carried the chiefe reputation of wisdome in the world The parts of none are so low as that they are beneath the gracious regard of Christ. God bestoweth the best fruits of his love upon meane and weak persons here that he might confound the pride of flesh the more Where it pleaseth him to make his choice and to exalt his mercy he passeth by no degree of wit though never so uncapable But thou wilt say I am an enemy to God and have a heart so stubborne and loath to yeeld I have vexed him to the very heart by my transgressions Yet he beseecheth thee to be reconciled Put case thou hast been a sinner and rebellious against God yet so long as thou art not found amongst malicious opposers and underminers of his truth never give way to despayring thoughts thou hast a mercifull Saviour But I have despised the meanes of Reconciliation and rejected mercy Yet God calls thee to returne Thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet turne againe to me sayth the Lord Jer. 3. 1. Cast thy selfe into the armes of Christ and if thou perishest perish there if thou doest not thou art sure to perish If mercy be to be had any where it is by seeking to Christ not by running from him Herein appeares Christs love to thee that he hath given thee a heart in some degree sensible hee might have given thee up to hardnesse securitie and prophanenesse of all spirituall judgements the greatest But he that dyed for his enemies will in no wise refuse those the desire of whose soule is towards him When the Prodigall set himselfe to returne to his Father his Father stayes not for him but meets him in the way If our sinnes displease us they shall never hurt us but wee shall be esteemed of God to be that which wee desire and labour to be Psal. 145. 19. But can the Lord offer Christ to mee so poore that have no strength no faith no grace nor sense of my povertie Yes even to thee why should wee except our selves when Christ doth not except us Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavy laden Wee are therefore poore because we know not our riches We can never be in such a condition wherein there will be just cause of utter despayre He that sits in darknesse and seeth no light no light of comfort no light of Gods countenance yet let him trust in the Name of the Lord. Weaknesses doe not debarre us from mercy nay they incline God the more The Husband is bound to beare with the wife as being the weaker vessell and shall we think God will exempt himselfe from his owne Rule and not beare with his weak Spouse But is this offer made to me that cannot love prize nor desire the Lord Jesus Yes to thee Christ knows how to pitty us in this case We are weak but we are his A Father lookes not so much at the blemishes of his childe as at his owne nature in him So Christ finds matter of love from any thing of his owne in us A Christians carriage towards Christ may in many things be very offensive cause much strangenesse yet so long as he resolves not upon any knowne evill Christ will owne him and he Christ. Oh! but I have fallen from God oft since he hath inlightned me And doth he tender Christ to mee Thou must know that Christ hath married every beleeving Soule to himselâ—e and that where the worke of grace is begun sin looses strength by every new fall If there be a spring of sinne in thee there is a spring oâ— mercy in God and a fountaine dialy opened to wash thy uncleanenesse in Adam indeed lost all by once sinning but we are under a better Covenant a Covenant of Mercy and are incouraged by the Sonne to goe to the Father every day for the sinnes of that day If I was willing to receive Christ I might have Christ offered to me But will the Lord offer him to such a one as desires not to have Christ Yes sayth our Saviour I would have gathered you as the henne gathereth her chickens under her wings and you would not Wee must know a creating power cannot onely bring something out of nothing but contrary out of contrary of unwilling God can make us a willing people There is a promise of powring cleane water upon us and Christ hath taken upon him to purge his Spouse and make her fit for himselfe What hast thou now to plead against this strange kindnesse of the Lord in offering Christ to thee Thou wilt say it may be O! I feare time is past Oh time is past I might once have had Christ but now mine heart is sealed downe with hardnesse blindnesse unbeliefe oh time is now gone No not so see Isai. 65. 1 2 3. All the day long God holdeth out his hands to a back-â—lâ—ding and rebellious people Thy day of grace thy day of meanes thy day of life thy day of Gods striving with thee and stirring of thee still lasts But if God be so willing to save and so prodigall of his Christ why doth he not give me Christ or draw me to Christ I answer What command dost thou looke for to draw thee to Christ but this word Come Oh come thou poore forlorne lost blind cursed nothing I will save thee I will enrich thee I will forgive thee I will enlighten thee I will blesse thee I will be all things unto thee doe all things for thee May not this winne and melt the heart of a Devill II. Upon what conditions may Christ be had Make an exchange of what thou art or hast with Christ for what Christ is or hath and so taking him like the wise Merchant the Pearle thou shalt have Salvation with him Now this Exchange lyeth in these foure things chiefly First give away thy selfe to him head heart tongue body soule and he will give away himselfe unto thee Cant. 6. 3. yea he will stand in thy roome in Heaven that thou maist triumph and say I am already in Heaven glorified in him I see Gods blessed face in Christ I have conquered Death Hell and the Devill in him Secondly Give away all thy sinnes to Christ confesse them leave them cast them upon the Lord Jesus so as to receive power from him to forsake them And he will be made sinne for thee to take them away from thee 1 Ioh. 1. 9. Thirdly give away thine honour pleasure profit life for him he will give away his Crowne