A77360:1053
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation
Christ and the covenant the work and way of meditation. : Gods return to the soul, or nation; together with his preventing mercy. : Delivered in ten sermons, (viz.) 1. Christs personal excellencies, the object of our love. 2. Christ crucified, the object of our faith. 3. The new covenant of grace opened. 4. Christ the mediator of the new covenant. 5. The way and spirit of the new covenant, or New Testament. 6. The blood of sprinkling. 7. The sweetness and profitableness of divine meditation. 8. The work and way of this meditation. 9. Gods return to the soul and nation. 10. Preventing mercy. / By W.B.
London: printed for N. Ranew, 1667
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.
4. Again, God will so carry on his mercy, as that it may be holding and sure. The more any mercy is laid upon that which is in God himself, and the less laid upon that which is in us, the more holding and sure it is: Now Mercy laid upon Grace is sure, and therefore God will carry on the work of his Mercy in a way of preventing love, that his mercy may be sure, that it may be holding.
5. Again, God will so carry on the work of his mercy, as that it may be most engaging, and most obliging with the hearts of men. What is ⟨p. 490⟩there in all the world that is more engaging to an ingenious spirit then Grace? And what is there more gracious then preventing love? Thereby a soul is engaged to God. Ah says a poor soul, I was going on in the way of my sin, lay snorting in my sin, and never thought on the good ways of God, unless it were to oppose them, and speak against them; but then, before I was aware, I know not how, God did reveal himself, and his ways to me; Oh now what shall I do for God! I will spend, and be spent for God; any thing for Christ, who hath thus overcome me with his preventing love. Of all those that are called the Ancients, Austin did most magnify the Grace of God; Bradwardin called him the Son of Grace; and of all in those days, none that we read of tasted so much of the preventing mercy of God as he: When he was young he prayed for the mortification of his sin, and yet he confesses that he secretly desired that God would not grant his prayer, yet God prevented his prayer. Another time being alone, he heard a voice saying, tolle lege, tolle lege, take and read, take and read; and he opened the Bible, and pitched upon some words in the first of John, that proved the beginning of his Conversion. Another time going a Journey, he misses his way, and missing his way, he escaped his Enemies that lay in the way for him; several times God prevented him, insomuch that he brake out into this expression, Lord, I did not first come to thee, but thou didst first come and stir me up to come unto thee. And who ever magnified the freeness of the riches of the Grace of God like Paul? and why? Of all the men in