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the lofty Looks of Man must be brought low, his imaginary Strength and Free-will Notions difcarded, and his proud Heart fink, fo far at least as to have no Confidence in the Flesh, before God will reveal Salvation through the Death of Chrift to his immortal Soul. Then fhall the Scripture be fulfilled; "The Lord alone fhall be exalted in that Day. Christ crucified fhall be exalted, as Mofes lifted up the Serpent in the Wildernefs, and then Man fhall caft his own Idols or Fig-leaf Righteoufnefs to the Moles and to the Bats," Ifa. ii. 11, 12, 17, 18, 20. And in Order that Man might worship no more Idols, viz. The Works of his own Hands, then all Believers fhall with Comfort remember Chrift the Rock, from whence they were hewn, and confider that all God's Promises to them in him are rea and Amen; and with grateful Hearts reflect on the Hole of the Pit, or deep Despair from whence, through his Grace, they were digged, and brought into the Knowledge of God, Ifa. li. 1. This Confideration hath a Tendency to humble the proud Heart, and keep down fpiritual Pride, and agreeable to the Exhortation of the Apostle, as we received Chrift Jefus the Lord, in a Spirit of Humility and Self-denial at first, fo to walk in him, Col. ii. 6. God doth not find Men holy, but calls them to be holy, as Abraham was called by God when he was an Idolater, and polluted in his Sin, to believe in Chrift, who was to come to fave Sinners, and he faw his Day, and was glad, John viii. 56. In a fimilar State did God find all his chofen People, Ezek. xvi. 3, 6. And all the fpiritual Seed of Abraham are called by God from Idolatry, or Worshiping their own Works, to see Chrift's Day, and to receive free Salvation through his Blood and Righteousness. For as the Spirit of God enlightened Abraham to

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fee Chrift's Day; fo doth the Spirit of Chrift, as a Day-Star, arife in every Believer's Heart, 2 Peter i. 19. And then, through Faith, he is bleffed with faithful Abraham, Gal. iii. 9. Thus, the great Father of the Univerfe, daily faith "to the North, Give up; and to the South, Keep not back: bring my Sons from far, and my Daughters from the Ends of the Earth; for I have created them for my Glory," Ifa. xliii. 6, 7. But when God creates a dead Soul a new in Chrift Jefus, and tranflates him from the State of Nature into the Kingdom of Grace, which indeed is Glory in the Bud. When the Life of God is infused into a defpairing Sinner's Soul; who can comprehend the Length, and Breadth, the Depth, and Height of the Love of Chrift, that paffeth Knowledge: and who can exprefs what the Soul feels when filled with the Ful nefs of God? Epb. iii. 18, 19. Well might Chrift fay to fuch a Soul, that the Kingdom of Heaven is within him, Luke xvii. 21. And well might Chrift call it the bidden Manna, which none knoweth but him that receiveth it, Rev. ii, 17. And, well might the bleffed Spoufe cry out in holy Extafy that the Love of Chrift is better than Wine," Cant. i, 2. And this Love of God fhed abroad in the Soul, is what Saint Paul looks upon to be a more excellent Way to Heaven than any other Gift God has bestowed on the Church; which he calls Charity; i. e. Love, or the Infpiration of the Holy Ghoft, who delighteth; to inftruct poor Pilgrims in the Path of Life, being first awakened by the Spirit of Truth, Job. xvi. 8. So do all experienced Chriftians defire to leave their Teftimony behind them for the fame Purpose. We know that Love is the moft fuperior and conquering Grace, infufed by Degrees into a convinced, convicted, and felfcondemned Heart; by the Holy Ghoft, who

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knocketh at the Door of a diftreffed Soul, to let the King of Glory in. But this divine Ray of Light and Love is often at firft fo weak, that Satan almoft quenches it through Unbelief, and holds a Conteft with the Holy Spirit in fome of God's People for many Years, and keeps the Soul in Bondage. At other Times it is the Lord's Pleafure to conquer Satan, and caft him out in one Day, as was the Cafe with Zaccheus, Luke xix. 8,9. But in general the Holy Spirit gains the Heart by Degrees, by infufing a greater Meafure of Light and Love into the Diftreffed: and knocks more carneftly, intreating the Soul to open the everlasting Doors to let the King of Glory in. The poor Soul fearing a Delusion from Satan, afketh, Who is the King of Glory? Anfwer, It is the Lord of Hofts, mighty in Battle, he is the King of Glory. The trembling Soul faith, "I have at fundry Times entertained fome Hopes, that it was the King of Glory who knocked at the Door of my difconfolate Heart, and gave me fome Manifeftations of his Love, but his Vifits were tranfient, and afterwards the Enemy coming in like a Flood, hath opened to my View both fenfual and diabolical Inclinations, which always keep me in Fear and Doubt leaft my treacherous Heart fhould be lock'd up by Satan, in the damning Sin of Unbelief," Mark xvi. 16. The King replies, "Have Fath in God, for without me ye can do Nothing. And believe my Words, for I have loved thee with an everlasting Love, therefore with Loving kindness have I (fo often) drawn thee unto me," Jer. xxxi. 3. The Soul faith, "Oh! that I knew I fhould never lose thy Love." Then faith the King, "He that believeth in me, and trufteth his Soul to my Keeping, fhall have eternal Life, and fhail never perish, neither fhall any pluck him out of

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my Hand," John x. 28. And then inspires the Soul with divine Joy, which is unfpeakable and full of Glory, 1 Peter i. 8. Thus Love opens the everlasting Doors of the Soul, and then the King of Glory rides in triumphantly, and takes Poffeffion of the penitent Heart of his Bride, Pfal. xxiv. 7, 8, 10. The Victory being gained, and the strong Man armed caft out; now the wild Olive Tree (whereon hanged all her Hopes through legal Duties) must be taken up by the Roots, out of the Garden of Nature, and Chrift the Tree of Life, Rev. xxii. 2. implanted in its Room, which bears the Fruits of the Spirit, viz. Love, Joy, Peace, &c. Gal. v. 22. 'till the Bride is ravifhed with his royal and divine Presence, and her Cup like holy David's runs over, Pfal. xxiii. 5. She being abafhed through a Sense of her Unworthiness and paft Incredulity, begs her gracious Donor to stop his liberal Hand, being astonished with Admiration at fuch rapturous Joy! Henceforth fhe receives her glorious Redeemer, not only as her Husband, but also as a Prophet to teach, a King to fubdue, and a Priest to atone. For he is become her "Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption," 1 Cor. i. 30. And fhe can call Chrift her Lord, by the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. xii. 3. (Which none can do by Nature.) And now fhe loves the Lord her God with all her Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength. And Jefus faith," If a Man love me, he will keep my Words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our Abode with him," John xiv. 23. No Doubt to erect a Throne of Grace in fuch Hearts where our Saviour faith that the Kingdom of Heaven is within them, Luke xvii. 21. And as the Angel in the Kingdom of Glory fhewed Saint John the Divine, "A pure River of Water of Lite, clear as Crystal,

Cryftal, proceeding out of the Throne of God and the Lamb. In the Midft of the Street of it, and of either Side of the River, was there the Tree of Life, which bare twelve Manner of Fruit," Rev. xxii. 1, 2. Doubtless this hath an Allufion to the Kingdom of Grace, for in a fimilar Manner the Angel of the Covenant fheweth his Church the pure River of Life, God's everlasting Love to his Saints, in the Covenant of Grace, flowing from Eternity to Eternity, proceeding from the Throne of God and the Lamb, which is erected in every Believer's Heart, where the Kingdom of Heaven is faid to be, and where Mercy and Truth are met together; Righteousness and Peace have kiffed each other, Pfal. lxxxv. 10. And here God is faid to be juft, and the Juftifier of him that believeth in Jefus, Rom. iii. 26. For Chrift being flain, and redeemed us to God by his Blood, Rev. v. 9. and opened the cleanfing Fountain, Zech. Therefore the River of God's Love, which is a River of Life, being purchased by Christ, has a juft Right to run from the Throne of God and the Lamb, for the Benefit of the Church, as clear as Crystal to the Ideas of the Saints (not fullied by Sin) who are invited to drink of the Water of Life freely, Rev. xxii. 27. Moreover in the Midft of the Street, in the Path of Life where Pilgrims walk, and in each Side of the River of God's Love is Chrift the Tree of Life, planted in the Believer's Heart, bearing all the Fruits of Grace here (which is Glory in the Bud) and when he paffeth over the River Jordan, he fhall partake of the ripe Fruits of the Tree of Life in Glory. And although thofe Evidences are not fo clearly revealed to all God's Ifrael, yet all are exhorted to ftrive for it, by adding to their Faith Virtue, and to Virtue Knowledge, with Godliness, Brotherly-kindness,

xiii. I.

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