CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

Fourthly, There are two special and eminent causes of our being the Lords treasure and peculiar people; The one is the Lords power and might, the other his infinite grace and love; That which is the Sun and giveth heat and warmth more especially, is the mercy and love of God, for we by sin though we could not make our selves no creatures of his, so that he should not destroy or damn us, yet we made our selves no children of his, we cast our selves out of his favour, of a loving Father we made him an enraged enemy. and so accordingly we pulled down all vengeance upon our heads, we forfeited every mercy we know not the least drop of comfort that belongs unto us, but all the curses of God threatened in his Law, this and no other could we expect, we ere no more the Lords then the devils and damned in hell; Therefore it was the mere goodness of God not to cast us off, but to make us his a second time upon better Covenants of mercy, so that if any soul comes to know this, that he is now the Lords, he hath cause with astonishment and amazement to fall down and admit the grace of God, we did not make our selves his, we could not become his people of our own strength.

Fourthly, There are two special and eminent causes of our being the Lords treasure and peculiar people; The one is the Lords power and might, the other his infinite grace and love; That which is the Sun and giveth heat and warmth more especially, is the mercy and love of God, for we by sin though we could not make our selves no creatures of his, so that he should not destroy or damn us, yet we made our selves no children of his, we cast our selves out of his favour, of a loving Father we made him an enraged enemy. and so accordingly we pulled down all vengeance upon our heads, we forfeited every mercy we know not the least drop of comfort that belongs unto us, but all the curses of God threatned in his Law, this and no other could we expect, we ere no more the Lords then the devils and damned in hell; Therefore it was the meer goodnesse of God not to cast us off, but to make us his a second time upon better Covenants of mercy, so that if any soul comes to know this, that he is now the Lords, he hath cause with astonishment and amazement to fall down and admite the grace of God, we did not make our selves his, we could not become his people of our own strength.