Free Grace Exalted, and thence Deduced. In a Discourse March 29. 1670.

ST. Paul in this Epistle doth establish on heavenly grounds, and heavenly pillars of divine truths, and divine arguments▪ The doctrine of free Grace as a rock, as a rock of Eternity, on which the rock himself Jesus Christ, as he is the Me∣diator of the Covenant, is founded, against which all the gates of hell shall not be able to prevail; he esta∣blisheth it against all assaults by which the powers of darkness do invade it; he sets it before us as the•〈◊〉 out of which all the most precious and pleasant mysteries of the Gospel do spring, and as the head, which is chief of them all, on which they all de∣pend, from which they all have the life, strength, beauty and sweetness: In these two last verses of this Chapter, you have the treasure of the whole Epistle and whole Gospel, comprised with a divine skill in a little compass; he gives a distinct view of the whole; In these two verses is a comparison between the Law and the Gospel; or the Covenant of Works and Covenant of Grace; the mystery of the Law, and Covenant of works, with its design, end, and effect, represented; the Law entred that the offence might abound, Sin reigns to death; that's the design of the Law; It never entred into the heart of God, that righteous∣ness or life should be by the Law, or the Covenant of works; no, the design of the Law is, that Sin might find a way into the world and be heightned, that the offence might abound, and that Sin may bring in death upon all; but is this in the eye of God Page  2 simply thus to determine his Councels? no, but the Gospel fol∣lows, and is the sweet Riddle, Out of the Eater came Meat, and out of the Strong came Sweetness; the Law is as a foile for a Dia∣mond, 'tis the design of God, that the Covenant of Grace that everlasting love, might come down from Heaven with a greater pomp and glory, with a greater train of sweetness and joy, bringing everlasting righteousness, and everlasting life along with it; so you see the 20th. verse, The law entred that the offence might abound, but where sin abounded, grace doth much more abound: a great heap of fuel is laid to this end, that the fire ta∣king hold of it, might consume it, and spread it self, and rise to Heaven with a glorious flame, that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might Grace reign to Eternal life through righte∣ousness by Jesus Christ our Lord. My design is to speak to the last part of this verse, So might Grace &c. where you have all the treasures of the Gospel richly pointed at in the compass of two lines; First, you have here a King, Grace, this King is on the Throne, grace reigns; it reigns over sin and death; 2ly, you have the Scepter of this King righteousness, grace reigns through righteousness, he reigns to righteousness, or by righteousness, righteousness is the Scepter of the kingdome of grace; 3ly, you have the effect or end of this reign, how blessed is it to be Sub∣jects to this King? how good and blessed is this Kings reign to all his Subjects, for 'tis to eternal life, a life of grace and of glo∣ry, a life that is begun here in earth and flesh by grace, that is perfected in the spirit and in heaven by glory; then 4ly, here is the great Minister of this great King, by Jesus Christ our Lord, grace reigns by Jesus Christ▪ as great Kings; First, they make their Ministers of State▪ they first raise them, then use them, and reign by them, as Pharaoh by Joseph, so Jesus Christ is both the gift of this grace, and the Minister of this grace, free grace raised Jesus Christ up to be a Mediator in the Covenant of grace, to be a Minister in this kingdome of grace, and then reigns by him to eternal life; Jesus Christ is the Minister of grace by both righteousnesses, the righteousness of justification, which is the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, resting as a Crown on the head of a Soul to justifie him, and he is the righteousness of Sanctification, the righteousness of God by Jesus Christ as a root of holiness in the heart of a Saint, springing up into all ho∣liness Page  3 and spirituality there; how full is this blessedness? how full is the Covenant of grace? so many words as be here, so many heavens open themselves in fulness of grace and glory; Grace, Righteousness, Eternal life, Jesus Christ our Lord, every one comprehends all.

Divines distinguish between two sorts of grace, one is grace-making-grace, the other is grace-made-grace▪ the one is Eternal love in the heart of the Father to the Soul, the other is a Spiri∣tual loveliness in the heart of a Believer, which is this love from the heart of the Father, first shining into the Soul, and so kindling it self to a holy love there, which love at once carries the Soul out of it self to the bosome of God, and changes the Soul to the likeness of God, & fills it with the grace & joy & glory of God.

The grace mentioned here in the Text, is the first of these, that which Divines rightly call free grace, for you see 'tis a grace that is antecedent to, and transcendent over eternal life, and Jesus Christ himself in his mediatory office, for 'tis a grace that reigns by all these, as the Scepter, Minister, and effect of his reign.

The Doctrine which I intend to prosecute from these words is this; the free grace of God is the Supream and Soveraign good in covenant of grace, and in the Gospel, 'tis that from which all the good things of the Gospel flow, on which they all depend, and by which they are all dispens'd; we see it lies plain in the Text, 'tis the great King that reigns, the glorified person of our Lord Jesus Christ is but the Throne of this grace where it sits, from which it reigns; righteousness is the golden Scepter of this grace, & eternal life the fruit of this grace; this free grace reigns to eternal life, this grace must of necessity be Soveraignly, supreamly, absolute∣ly, every way infinitely free and full when 'tis before eternal life, it being the beautiful cause that produces this blessed effect eter∣nal life, which comprehends the life of grace and of glory in the whole compass of it, Zach. 4.7. the Lord speak thus, Who art thou, O great Mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a a Plain, and he shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shout∣ings, crying grace, grace unto it. Zerubbabel is the figure of Je∣sus Christ, the scatterer of Babel, that spirit of heavenly beauty and order that takes away all confusion, which saith, O death I will be thy death; so he calls himself Zerubbabel, the confusion of all confusion 〈◊〉 brings out the head stone, he brings out him∣self Page  4 the head stone of the spiritual building with shouting, and what doth he teach them to cry to it in the shouting, Jesus, Je∣sus? no no, they cry to Jesus himself as he brings out himself the head stone, grace, grace, free grace, love from eternity, su∣pream love, soveraign love, the most beautiful womb out of which Jesus Christ together with all his heavenly treasure and sweetness springs, cry grace, grace to it. My beloved, you know that the material Temple was but a figure of the spiritual and li∣ving Temple, which is the Temple of the Lord Jesus, and of every Saint; O that your spiritual senses were awaked, what melody should we hear at this building of grace, of the spiritual Temple, in every soul, as begun in laying the head stone the foundation, as carried on in rearing the walls, as finish'd in lay∣ing on the roof of glory, we should hear the heavenly company the blessed Angels and Spirits shouting with ravishing harmony, crying to it, grace, grace, free love, supream soveraign love, eter∣nal love, 'tis this, 'tis this, which layes it self as the foundation and head stone in the person of Christ, this carries on the build∣ing in the walls and flores, and layes it self the top stone in glo∣ry: O my beloved that have this building though imperfect in you, you that lye in the rubbish, that have any sence of the beauty of this building, of the glorious company that inhabit it, there is no such way to have it begun, carried on, and finish'd, as to cry continually to it, grace, grace, as with a shout of ravishing affections from a sence of love, love infinitely free, transcending all your expectations, with a shout of admiration cry continual∣ly with the language of all within you, of all your parts, powers, senses, grace, grace; O the infinite freedom of grace, O the so∣veraignty and supremacy of grace, of eternal love reigning through righteousness to eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord, reigning over sin and death, and even out of them from the blackest darkness, raising the more beautifully the Temple of di∣vine light, and divine love.

I design to speak somewhat largely of Free Grace.

In the Porch of the Temple were two great Pillars, Boaz, and Jachin, one signifying in strength, the other, he shall establish, or he shall prepare: O my beloved, blessed are they whose heart, whose hope, whose grace, whose glory doth go up as a heavenly Temple, resting on these two Pillars which meet both Page  5 in one, free grace; here's the strength of the God-head his love, God is love; here's the preparation and establishment, the pre∣paration from eternity, free grace from eternity, and the esta∣blishment, is through all changes and storms of times to eternity.

There be three things in which in general I would open and confirm the nature of free grace. First, The grace of God, free grace is the highest love. Secondly, 'Tis the highest loveliness; and Thirdly, It is the highest joy.

First, The grace of God is the highest love; grace in the He∣brew tongue Kene from Kana, signifies most properly a love condescending, stooping from the greatest height with the great∣est complacency, bowing it self down, so making it self one with the lowest object in its lowest estate, and that to this end, that it may raise this object, and carry it to its own height, to be one with its self in its own beauty and triumphant blessedness; the force of the word according to some enforces thus much, this is express'd by another word, Psalm 63.3. Because thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee: 'tis Keses, here's the grace of God express'd as the highest love, better than life; there be three excellent things, light, life, and love, life is an excellency of a higher kind than light is, life is light in a transcendent perfection, therefore called light of life; and so is love above life, 'tis a higher kind of excellency than life, 'tis the perfection of life; as life is better than single light, because 'tis light in a perfection in which it transcends it self, so is love better than life, because 'tis life in a perfection in which it transcends it self; the highest love is the love of God free grace, what purity, power, pleasantness, and glory, is there in light? what strength, virtue, sweetness, and joy, is there in life? all these be comprehended in the love of God, all these be comprehended in free grace with an eminency surmounting themselves. The effect is in the cause after a more excellent manner; love is the Fountain of life, and so the Crown of life, every thing that is desirable in light and life, is more desirable in love, as the cause exceeds the effect: thus the loving kindness of God is better than life.

This love signifies a natural love that flows freely and sweetly from its own nature; O how high a love is that of free grace? O how free is this grace and love in all its sweetness, and how Page  6 sweet in all its freedome, flowing from the divine nature, from the God-head? the best of honey is live honey that drops from the Comb without straining; the purest myrhe is that which comes from the tree of its self; this is love at its greatest height, this is the pure honey the grace of God, free grace that flows of its own accord, without any thing moving, from the nature and heart of God himself. As a Fountain is a treasury of water which continually sends out living streams, as the Sun is a body of light which from the beginning of the world to the end sends out millions of beams every moment, yet it remains still full and undeminish'd, such is free grace, or God the Fountain of free grace; our God is a treasury of love, a composure of love and sweetness that freely from himself every moment, from eternity to eternity, sends out millions of millions of streams and of beams of glorious love, yet still remains a Fountain, a Sun of richest love undeminish'd; how pleasant, and pure, and power∣ful, is free grace? how sweet is it to rest in the bosome and lye in the arms of free grace? it is to lye in the bosome and arms of God, as in an unlimited treasury of the highest love and sweet∣ness, where love is springing with millions of springs and com∣munications of its self in all forms of grace, comfort, strength, joy, and glory everlastingly, without any cessation or diminuti∣on. I would not be long, neither would I miss my application, therefore shall leave the other two arguments to set out free grace, in that it is the highest loveliness, and highest joy, as well as the highest love, therefore shall spend the rest of the time in the use.

My first Use is of Admonition; take heed of being strangers, and being enemies to the grace of God, to free grace▪ as a bird wandring from his nest, so is a man from his place; the Jews say place there is the name of God, 'tis free grace that is the rest of every Spirit, of every Soul, here 'tis born, here 'tis hatch'd, fledg'd, cherish'd, and fed, here the heavenly Mother, the eter∣nal spirit spreads his wings; 'tis free grace is the place of every soul, every thing is at rest in its place, and strengthened in its pro∣per place or element; here is thy place O man, here alone is thy rest, here you spring up to spiritual strength and virtue, O then take heed of being strangers and enemies to it; he that is a stran∣ger to it, is as a man wandring from his place, a bird wandring Page  7 from its nest, where shall it be cherish'd and fed? he that di∣sturbs his Family, is like one that beats his own flesh, saith Solo∣mon; be not enemies to grace, this is thy place and nest, if you disorder your own place, and fillest it with enmity, you be as he that consumes his own life and being.

There be three sorts of persons strangers and enemies to free grace, these two fall into one, for free grace hath no enemy to it, but he that is ignorant of it, and 〈◊〉 stranger• to it, for those that know thy name will trust in thee, those that have tasted the sweetness of free grace, what a heavenly Vine this is that cheers both the heart of God and man, these will bow down to it, and cry to all their hopes and expectations, grace, grace. The three sorts of persons that are strangers and enemies to free grace, are first, the Prophane Heathen, 2ly, the Pious Jew, and 3ly, the Vain Christian; O you that here me when I speak of the Hea∣then and Jew, think not that I talk of Jerusalem or the Indies; O that these three strangers were not in the midst of us: the first stranger is the Prophane Heathen, Jesus Christ said to Pilate, John 18.37. For this cause came I into the world, to bear witness to the truth; he that is of the truth hears my voyce: Pilate said, What is truth, and then went out: this is a Pilate spirit, a Hea∣then spirit, one that is fit for interest sake to crucifie Christ: when Christ spake of so great a glory as the end both of his life and death, he asks, What is truth, and turns his back on Christ; but what is this truth that Christ hath such an esteem of, That he came from Heaven to Earth, and died to declare, see it in two or three Scriptures, 'tis that truth of the Gospel which Saint Paul sets out, 2 Cor. 4.6. the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; this is that truth, a light of glory shining in the face of Jesus Christ; what is this glory, see that in another Scripture, Eph. 1.6. to the praise of the glory of his grace; here's the glory, the grace of God, free grace is the glory of God; this is the truth, this is the truth for which Christ lived and dyed, that the light of this glory, the most glo∣rious and sweet light of the free grace of God, might shine from his face on the heart of his brethren. Again, what that truth is for which Jesus Christ lived and dyed, see in those last words of his Prayer to his Father, John 17. ult. I have declared to them thy name, and will declare it; what's that name and that decla∣ration? Page  8 'tis this free grace, that God is love, known by his name of love, so it appears, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them; O unexpressible love!

How infinitely sweet and free is that love; consider three things in it, first, that the love that the Father hath to Jesus Christ, is that very love by which he brings out Jesus Christ as the second person in the Trinity, the only begotten of the Father from eternity to eternity; 'tis that love by which he delights in him, and embraces him, and hath all joy in him, as he lies eter∣nally in the bosome of the Father, the eternal generation of the Lord Jesus, which is the same from eternity to eternity, with which he is the delight, and joy, and glory of the Father; this is the love of the Father with which he loves Jesus Christ, and is not this a free love?

Secondly, This love of the Father with which he loves Jesus Christ, is the same love of the Father which is in the Saints as their root, as that eternal root out of which the Saints spring, and out of which Jesus Christ springs in a Saint, that eternal root out of which Jesus Christ, and a Saint, spring both together as two Spirits marryed, and become one Spirit, how rich and free is this love?

Thirdly, This love of the Father to a Saint is that to which the being of Christ in a Saint is a consequent, how full is this love which is anteceedent to the Union of Jesus Christ, and a Soul out of which all good springs to a Soul, is not this free grace? that glory of God for which Jesus Christ lived and dyed that this truth might shine in the face of all his Saints, this is that love in which the joy of all holy Angels and men is plac'd; who art thou now, when Jesus Christ lived and dyed to publish this joyful sound of free grace, when the Ministers of Christ, when Saints Baptised into the Spirit of Christ, continually shout and cry concerning all good within them, or round about them, grace, grace, free grace, love from eternity, and to eternity? who art thou, that as Pilate negligently cryes, what is this grace, I understand it not, and so goest away turning thy back on this grace, on Jesus Christ, on the glorious Ministry of this grace, on the everlasting Father the Fountain of this grace? this is the Prophane Heathen.

The second stranger and enemy to free grace, is the pious Jew, Page  9 when Jesus Christ by his doctrine discovered his glory, and the people believed on him, the most religious Jews cryed out, we know that God spake to Moses, but whence this man came we know not. Oh how many such Jewish devout spirits be among Chri∣stians? when Jesus Christ in the Ministry of his Gospel shines out with the beams of free grace, breaking out in their simpli∣city, purity, and unmix'd freedome, see it not, and know it not; when Jesus Christ in his glorified face scatters those beams of grace into the bosome of many men, they cry out, this we know, that Moses, that the latter of the Scripture every where calls upon us to be doing, to abound in good works, to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling; but what this doctrine of free grace is, we know not, nor whence it comes, although there be no right doing or abounding in good works, or working out Salvation, but by the operation of this free grace, for it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do; how ignorant are many of the Religious Jews among us of the glory of this King, of the power of his reign, who reigns by a Scepter of righteousness to eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Oh let no more thine own reason, the free will or power of the creature, or all works arising from these in opposition to the free grace of God, 〈◊〉 contend with it for the preheminence or copartnership, to take the Scepter of righteousness out of his hand; no, free grace hath a most glorious Minister by which he will reign to bring out eternal life through righteousness, and that is Jesus Christ: in the place of free will, right reason so called, and all created excellencies, he sets up Jesus Christ; free grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life by Jesus Christ.

The third enemy and stranger to the grace of God, is the Vain Christian, and this is of two kinds; first, he that playes the wan∣ton with the grace of God, Oh that there were not too much of this; when God rained to the Jews the bread of Angels in the wil∣derness, they loathed it, and said, What is this manna, how insipid is this, we find no strength in it; Oh that this were not the temper of many. How is that rellish of free grace, that savour and esteem of free grace, that eager feeding of the soul on free grace, as the de∣licacy of Heaven and Eternity which was among the Saints of old, now almost quite lost? how do we play the wanton with this Page  10 grace of God that reigns so freely? we find no rellish in it to sa∣tisfie our understanding, or to feed and feast our will and affecti∣ons; tak heed I beseech you of thus playing the wanton with free grace, whosoever he be that subordinates the free grace of God to any thing besides its self, or bounds it in any thing be∣sides it self, he that gives it confinement to or dependance on any thing of the creature, or subjects the free grace of God to mans reason, or which is the other wantoness, turns this grace of God into a liberty to sin, and makes this high free love a pre∣tence or cloak to licentiousness, he is a stranger and enemy to the grace of God, as 'tis of God, he that sees not God to be all in all, sees nothing at all of God rightly, so he that sets not up the grace of God in the infiniteness, unlimitedness, independency of its own freedome and sweetness, transcendent over, antecedent to all good in the creature, he makes the grace of God nothing; grace is no grace, unless it be all grace, abate any thing of the freedome of divine grace, and 'tis no more grace at all. I con∣clude this Use with the last of the Revelations 18. For I testifie to every man that heareth the words of the Prophecy of this book; If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this book, and if any man shall take away from the words of this book, God shall take away his part out of the book of life. See the danger of adding to, or taking from the word of God; now to bring this to my purpose, you may see that this word of God is no other than the word of his grace, no word comes from God to his people, but the word of his grace, it hath its beginning, strength, and end in this grace, as appears 20 Acts 32. Now Brethren I commend you to God, and the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified▪ he takes from & adds to the word of God, that takes from and adds to the grace of God. O my beloved, let us all then, as the glory of God is dear to us, as the peace of our souls and bodies is dear to us, lets take heed of taking from, or adding to the grace of God, if we take from the grace of God any thing of its own freedome, of its antecedence to all good in all creatures, God certainly will take from us proportionably of the purity, of the peace, of the power, of his spirit in our spirits, of the comfort and prosperity of our lives, of consolation and joy in death, of our blessedness and glory after death. If we add to the grace of God, any power in the creature, any free will in Page  11 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 Page  12 the law, that keeps the entrance that you cannot tast the sweetness, joy and glory of this grace; the law hath dominion over thee, and sin, death, the de∣vil, and eternal wrath, have dominion over thee according to thy present state; Oh that you would lament this with tears of blood, that your hearts would break with longings, till grace according to its freedome translate from this Kingdome of the law to its own Kingdome and Dominion, a Kingdome of Heaven upon Earth. Alas, while under the law in vain do you strive to break the chains of corruption and lust, guilt and fear; sin reigns powerfully, and will reign to death, to a first death, a dark and melancholly state, to the second death, a long and endless night without any glimps of light or the least refresh∣ment, where you lye in torments unexpressible beyond that of the highest fear, in unquenchable burnings, where evil spirits and devils in this Kingdome of the law and wrath pour continually oyl to the fire, and cry out, where be the pleasures of sin, the riches of the world, where is your pomp, happiness and joy, now in all the things that were seen, and be now vanished, and be as fuel to heighten your flame; O come to the Lord Jesus and be councelled by him: we read when an Army of the Philistines lay between David, and Bethlehem, he cryed out, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the Well of Beth∣lehem which is by the gate, and three mighty men brake through the Host and brought water to David, but he poured it out unto the Lord and said, far be it from me, is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? Hear all you that are under the law, the bosome of the Father is the true Bethle∣hem, the house of bread, Jesus Christ the bread of God is there, in the gate of this Bethlehem is a fountain of grace, O long day and night cry and say, in the ear of the Lord Jesus, who will give to drink of that Fountain in the gate of Bethlehem, in the fountain of grace, then I shall not be parch'd with the burn∣ing heat of lust, of guilt, of grief, of pain, then shall I thirst no more after the poysons of this world, the least drop of that water would be an eternal solace to my soul; Oh hear and see thou that thus longest and faintest to drink, but cryest, alass there be Armies between thee and this fountain, Armies of cor∣ruptions, of guilt, of sin and wrath, Armies of devils, Oh who now shall give me to drink of this fountain? Be not cast down, look up, behold, and see, and rejoyce to see Jesus Christ the mighty Worthy of God hath broke through all these Armies, and in despight of all, he brings of the living water of grace, from the fountain of grace for thee to drink, nay he brings thee to the fountain in the bosome of the Father; Oh now in this moment, thou that hast hitherto been in thy natural estate under the dominion of the law, hear his voyce that by the Ministry brings thee to the fountain of grace, that calls thee to come freely without money and without price, to drink deep of this fountain; this shall spring up to all righteousness, holiness and joy in thee; this shall spring up as streams to make thee flourish like the garden of God; Oh that the Lord Je∣sus would be present with thee now to a new birth, to give thee a new heart, a believing heart, do not as hitherto pour out the precious water of this grace from this fountain on the ground by contempt of it; but say now, Shall I spill the water of this grace, which is the blood of my Jesus, the life of my Jesus, that not only hazarded, but poured out his blood to bring me to this fountain; Oh drink then, the spirit of grace give thee a new nature, a new heart to drink deep, to drink abundantly by day and by night of this free grace which reigns through righteousness by Jesus Christ our Lord.