the creature, any excellency in the creature, God certainly will so withdraw from us, that by it we shall find we add to our corruptions, we add to our care, fear, grief, doubt, despair and anguish, while we live and add to the blackness of darkness in death, and add to everlasting torments after death, if this free grace it self do not interpose and prevent it by its own freedome.
My next Use is to perswade all, Heathens, Jews, and Christians, to seek after this grace of God, to be acquainted with it, and that their acquaintance may encrease, seek acquaintance with the free grace of God with all your heart; let all the desires of your heart be wrapt up in the search of free grace, Psalm 27.8. My heart saith, seek my face, thy face will I seek; free grace, eternal love, this is the naked face of God, Oh seek, let your heart with all within you, say to you continually by day and by night, seek the face of God, the grace of God, and let your heart answer again in the truth of your pra∣ctice, thy grace O God we will seek; all good things of time and eternity are wrapt up in the grace of God, wisdome is a tree of life to those that take hold of it, 'tis the Gospel is the Tree of life, 'tis grace is the Gospel, the glad ty∣dings from Heaven; take hold of this grace of God by faith, 'tis a tree of life, God is the root of this tree in thy spirit, when you take hold of the grace of God, you shall have the Father the Fountain of this grace, the Son the Chan∣nel full of this grace, the holy Spirit as the living Streams, living Water, and Floud of this grace, pouring out it self into thee, you shall have the new na∣ture, the spiritual man, the budds of this tree springing out of this root, and every spiritual grace as the branches of it, and all joy and glory of the spirit as the fruit of free grace, on which your soul shall feed as on the fruit of his own tree; O then follow free grace, wait for it, seek acquaintance with it, with all your understanding, might and power.
My next Use is, to warn all that profess the name of God to take heed of li∣ving under the law, of abiding in a legal spirit; you shall see how I come to this admonition from this doctrine, if you consider that Text which loudly alarums us to hast from Sinai to Sion, 6 Rom. 14. For Sin shall not have do∣minion over you, for you are not under the Law, but under grace. O behold and tremble to see that the law and grace are inconsistent in their reign, if you be under the law, you cannot be under grace; if you be under grace, you are no more under the law; if you be under the law, sin domineers over you, grace is no King to you; O then be fearful to build Tabernacles on Mount Sinai in clouds and earth-quakes under the administration of the law; but you will say, how shall we know if we be under the law or no? I shall at this time give you one character to know it by; art thou still in thy natural estate of unregeneracy of unbelief, then you are under the law, and not under grace, the Lord Jesus tells, John 3.3. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdome of God; and again, Except a man be born of Water, and of the Spi∣rit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God: art then acquainted but with a natural birth, art thou a stranger to the new birth, the second birth, that from above where grace is a King, whose Kingdome is righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost; art not thou born of water and of the spirit, of that spirit the spirit of grace, of that water which is above the Firmament, the grace of this spirit which flows for ever, then you cannot see or enter into the Kingdome of grace; there is a Cherub with a flaming sword, the Ministry of