A29368:104
The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference…
The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridge ...The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridg ...
London: printed for Nath. Crouch, 1671
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. When God doth bestow comfort, he bestows it, and gives it in a way of free grace, in a way of free love, and grace. See but how they go together in the Text, Who hath given us everlasting consolation through grace. I will give you one Scripture more to prove it, and consider it well, Job. 33. you have there the draught of a mans Conversion. First, he goes on in his sin; and all on a sudden God gives in a word to him at 14, 15, verses. For God speaketh once, yea twice, but man perceiveth it not: In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon ⟨p. 35⟩the bed, Then He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, and then the soul is filled with horror of conscience, as in verse 19. He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain. And when God hath done thus, then he justifies him, and gives him faith, and shows him true righteousness, as in verse 23. If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness; This is justification, and when this is done, then the Lord comforts him, as in verse 25. His flesh shall be fresher than a child's, he shall return to the days of his youth. You see God comforts him in a way of free love; and in the 26. verse He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him, and he shall see his face with joy, for he will render unto man his righteousness. God comforts in a way of free love, he comforts how he pleaseth, and as far as he pleaseth; but whensoever he comforts, it is still I say in a way of free love. You may see it in Isaiah 65.14. It is said, Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit; and thus also saith the Lord in the former verse; Behold my servants ⟨p. 36⟩shall eat, but ye shall be hungry, behold my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty; behold my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed. God comforts whom he pleases, and as far as he pleaseth, and it is all free, out of free love; John 14.20. At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you: and at verse 16. And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. This work of comforting is properly the work of the Holy Ghost;