A77357:632
The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel College in CambridgeThe vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge
The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel College in Cambridge: now preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth. The second volume. [sic] Viz. 1. Grace for grace; or, The overflowing of Christs fullness received by all saints. II. The spiritual actings of faith through natural impossibilities. III. Evangelical repentance.The vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge: now preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth. The second volumn. [sic] Viz. 1. Grace for grace; or, The overflowing of Christs fulness received by all saints. II. The spiritual actings of faith through natural impossibilities. III. Evangelical repentance.
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1649
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.
There is one Reason more, I will but name it.
Christ does so order things in the dispensations of his grace, that no flesh might glory in it self, or in any thing that it hath, or doth: that no flesh might rest in any duty, in any service, in any suffering; but only upon grace, upon ⟨p. 232⟩Christ alone. Beloved! we are very unwilling to come unto any duty; and when we have done, we are then as apt to rest upon it, as ever we were unwilling to come unto it. But what's the reason that men are so apt to rest upon their duties, but because there are these secret thoughts, that they come to Christ, before he does come to them. Let the heart be possest with this truth, That Jesus Christ, and the Kingdom of Heaven, and of free-grace, does approach unto us, and come near to us, before we draw near to it. And then he will not rest so much upon what he is, doth, or suffereth. A man in this case is like unto a Silk-worm; you know how 'tis with that worm: it makes a fine web, a fine work; and when it hath done, it dies in it, afterward it eats a hole through the work, and it comes out with wings, a quite other creature than it went into it. So it is with a poor Christian: he makes a fine work of duty, and then he dies in it; but through the manifestations of Gods free grace, he does, as it were, eat a hole through all, and he comes out with wings flying away from his duties, not so as to neglect the performance of them, but so, as not to rest upon them: flies away from (in regard of resting upon any) duty; and only upon this ground, because (says he) God did draw near to me, grace did draw near to me, mercy did draw near to me, before ever I drew near to it: and therefore why should I rest upon any duty, perform it I will, but through grace I will not rest upon it.
Christ does so order things in the dispensations of his grace, that no flesh might glory in it selfe, or in any thing that it hath, or doth: that no flesh might rest in any duty, in any service, in any suffering; but only upon grace, upon ⟨p. 232⟩