A29368:106
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.
5. Wherein is the love, the free love of God manifested to us in the matter of our comforts? I answer in many things.
I will pitch but upon three only.
1. The greater he is that giveth, and the greater the thing is that is given, and the lesser or meaner the person is, that the thing is given unto, the more free is the love of him that gives and bestows the thing. Now this comfort and consolation is a great thing, it is a very great matter, it is a birth of the Holy ⟨p. 37⟩Ghost: Is that a small thing? It is part of the Kingdom of God: Is that a small matter? It is both duty and reward: Is that small? It is that which exceeds all the Joy of the world: Lift up the light of thy countenance upon me: Thou hast put more gladness into my heart, more than in the time that their oil and their wine Increased, Psalm 4.7. Ask a poor drooping soul, and he will tell you that it is a great thing, for it comes from a great God. Isaiah 57.15. For thus saith the high and lofty One, that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy; I will dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite Ones; Unto that soul that trembles, unto that soul will God bring comfort, and will be nigh unto him. Now if a Prince should rise from his Throne, to come and help up a poor fallen Cripple; would it not be looked upon as an act of very great favour: Yet thus God does, when he comes to comfort, the great high and lofty One, comes down from his Throne, as it were to lift up a poor drooping soul: O what free grace is this! But,