A29368:94
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.
Sixthly, As it is that grace whereby you are enabled to read your other graces, so it is that whereby you joy in all good things. Grief and sorrow straiten the soul, straiten the heart, but joy and comfort dilate the soul, widen and open the heart. Psalm 119.32. I will run the way of thy Commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
Sixthly, As it is that grace whereby you are inabled to read your other graces, so it is that whereby you joy in all good things. Grief and sorrow streighten the soul, streighten the heart, but joy and comfort dilate the soul, widen and open the heart. Psalm 119.32. I will run the way of thy Commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
Seventhly, As by this grace you are enabled to joy in all good things, so it is also that grace, whereby you are enabled to bear up against every evil thing; to bear up under all afflictions: Are you reproached? by this comfort you are enabled to bear up against reproaches; for saith the Apostle Peter, If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you: Are you reproached? Comfort will turn that to your benefit and blessing: Are you persecuted? Blessed are you when men shall revile and persecute you, rejoice, &c. Are you not only persecuted but beaten too? Comfort will bear up your hearts under all stripes, and afflictions; for we find Paul and Silas sung in the Stocks: well but this is not all.
Seventhly, As by this grace you are inabled to joy in all good things, so it is also that grace, whereby you are inabled to bear up against every evil thing; to bear up under all afflictions: Are you reproached? by this comfort you are inabled to bear up against reproaches; for saith the Apostle Peter, If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you: Are you reproached? Comfort will turn that to your benefit and blessing: Are you persecuted? Blessed are you when men shall revile and persecute you, rejoyce, &c. Are you not only persecuted but beaten too? Comfort will bear up your hearts under all stripes, and afflictions; for we find Paul and Silas sung in the Stocks: well but this is not all.