A29368:399
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.
Secondly, If you be Converted, the rod calls upon you to prize those common mercies which you have not valued heretofore; you have had peace but you have not prized it, now the rod of war should teach you to prize it; you have had a quiet habitation, but you have not prized it, now the rod of Tumult calls upon you to prize your quiet habitation, and to be thankful for it; this is another lesson which the rod teacheth.
Thirdly, If you be Converted, the ⟨p. 141⟩rod calls upon you to honour your own graces, Rom. 5.3. Knowing that tribulation worketh patience, patience experience, experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed. You know how it is with a Countryman, that makes hay, the hay lies abroad, and he sees a black cloud a coming, and he calls to his men to cock up and gather up the Hay; why look into the Nation, and see what a cloud is over us, this calls upon the people of God to gather up their Evidences: Here is a black cloud over us, O all ye people of God, gather up your evidences, that by the dark night of affliction, you may have light to read your own Graces; this is another lesson the rod teacheth.
Fourthly, If you be Converted, the rod calls upon you to sympathize with others in their Afflictions; by your own Afflictions you are called upon to compassionate others in their Afflictions.