A29368:70
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, Is it so, that so much of the free grace of God is laid out in reference to our services and sufferings? then why should we not be contented with our sufferings; not only contented in suffering, or contented upon suffering, but contented with sufferings: Our Saviour tells us, that they that will be his Disciples must deny themselves, take up the Cross and follow him: Not only take up the Cross, but follow him; yea, and deny themselves. Some will deny themselves in this or that, but will not take up the Cross: but saith our Saviour, If any man will follow me, let ⟨p. 24⟩him take up the Cross and follow me. Thus now, if Christ calls us to suffer, let us suffer freely, because his grace is free.
Thirdly, If you would serve under the conduct of free grace, then take heed of any Legal therefore upon your sufferings, Matth. 9.27. Then answered Peter, and said unto him, behold, we have forsaken all and followed thee, what shall we have therefore? This was a Legal therefore; Christ answered and said, You shall have your reward, but many that are first shall be last, and the last first. The only way to take away this Legal therefore, is to look more and more upon the free grace of God either in your services or sufferings for him; for thus all must do, that either serve God or suffer for him, under the conduct of free grace: Do you desire to serve God either as to employments or sufferings under the conduct of free grace and love? then look more and more upon his free grace, and depend upon it in reference to your call, in reference to your assistance, in reference to your dependence, and in reference to your reward, seeing all is of free grace, bless the name of the Lord. Thus it is both in suffering work, and in service, the first shall be last, and the last first.
Thirdly, If you would serve under the conduct of free grace, then take heed of any Legal therefore upon your sufferings, Matth. 9.27. Then answered Peter, and said unto him, behold, we have forsaken all and followed thee, what shall we have therefore? This was a Legal therefore; Christ answered and said, You shall have your reward, but many that are first shall be last, and the last first. The only way to take away this Legal therefore, is to look more and more upon the free grace of God either in your services or sufferings for him; for thus all must do, that either serve God or suffer for him, under the conduct of free grace: Do you desire to serve God either as to employments or sufferings under the conduct of free grace and love? then look more and more upon his free grace, and depend upon it in reference to your call, in reference to your assistance, in reference to your dependance, and in reference to your reward, seeing all is of free grace, bless the name of the Lord. Thus it is both in suffering work, and in service, the first shall be last, and the last first.