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29. Take my Yoke upon you, and LEARN of me, " for I am MEEK and LOWLY in Heart; and ye shall "find REST unto your SOULS.

" 30. For my Yoke is EASY, and my Burden is

"LIGHT.

WHO can read some of the Psalms, without feeing clearly that the Royal Prophet often labours under the heavy BURDEN from which our SAVIOUR came to free Mankind: and therefore in the Gospel is contained many rich and precious PROMISES, that by a fixed Reliance upon these, we might be made PARTAKERS of the DIVINE NATURE, and fo escape the Lusts and VICES with which the World is polluted. The FAITH which is fincere, will always animate the Soul to-SEEK that GRACE which descends from above, and is only to be obtained by fervent PRAYER.

WHAT the State of Mankind was by the Entrance of SIN, and what it was to be restored to by the GRACE of the Gospel, is fully described by St. Paul, in the Epistle to the Romans, and other Epistles.

"Rom. v. 15. But not as the OFFENCE, so also is "the free GIFT: for if through the Offence of one " many be dead; much more the GRACE OF GOD, " and the GIFT by GRACE, which is by one Man Je"fus Chrift, hath abounded unto many.

16. And not as it was by one that SINNED, so is "the GIFT, for the JUDGMENT was by one to CON" DEMNATION; but the FREE GIFT is of many Of" fences unto JUSTIFICATION.

17. For if by one Man's Offence, DEATH reign"ed by one, much more they which receive Abun"dance of GRACE, and of the GIFT of RIGHTEOUS"NESS, shall reign in LIFE by one Jesus Chrift.

20. Moreover the Law entered that the OFFENCE " might abound: But where SIN abounded, GRACE "did much more abound.

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21. That as SIN hath reigned unto DEATH, even so might GRACE reign through Righteousness unto " ETER

"ETERNAL LIFE by Jesus Christ our LORD. "Chap. vi. 14. For SIN shall not have Dominion over you : for ye are not under the LAW, but under GRACE. "Chap. viii. 11. But if the SPIRIT of Him that " raised up Jesus from the Dead, dwell in you; he " that RAISED up Christ from the Dead, shall also QUICKEN your mortal Bodies, by his SPIRIT that

"dwelleth in you.

" Gal. ii. 21. I do not frustrate the GRACE OF GOD: " for if RIGHTEOUSNESS come by the Law, then Chrift " is dead in vain.

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" Ephef. ii. 1. And you hath he QUICKNED, who " were dead in TRESPASSES and SINS.

2. Wherein in Time past ye WALKED according " to the Course of this World, according to the PRINCE "of the Power of the AIR, the SPIRIT that now "worketh in the Children of Disobedience.

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3. Among whom also we all had our Conversa" tion in Times past, in the LUSTS of our Flesh, fulfilling the DESIRES of the Flesh, and of the Mind; " and were by Nature the Children of Wrath, even " as others.

4. But GOD, who is rich in MERCY, for his great Love wherewith he loved us,

5. Even when we were dead in SINS, hath QUICKNED us together with Christ, (by GRACE ye are SAVED :)

6. And hath RAISED us up together, and made

" us fit together in heavenly Places in Christ Jesus.

7. That in the Ages to come, he might shew the "exceeding Riches of his GRACE, in his Kindness to"wards us through Christ Jesus.

"8. For by GRACE are ye SAVED, through FAITH ; " and that not of your selves, it is the GIFT of GOD.

9. Not of WORKS, lest any Man should boast.

10. For we are his Workmanship, created in Christ "Jesus unto GOOD WORKS, which GoD hath before " ordained that we should WALK in them.

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"John xv. 5. Without me ye can do nothing. WHAT the DIVINE GRACE, which at such different Times and divers Manners, was by the Holy SPIRIT revealed to the PATRIARCHS and PROPHETS, and more fully made known by our SAVIOUR and the APOSTLES, is reduced, in the Epiftle to the Hebrews, to a Sum Total, contained in the EVANGELICK COVE

NANT.

" Heb. viii. 1. Now of the THINGS which we have "spoken, this is the SUM: We have such an High "PRIEST, who is set on the right Hand of the Throne " of the MAJESTY in the Heavens;

" 2. A MINISTER of the SANCTUARY, and of the TRUE TABERNACLE which the LORD pitched, and "not Man.

"6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent "MINISTRY, by how much also he is the MEDIATOR " of a better COVENANT, which was established upon "better PROMISES.

"

7. For if that first COVENANT had been FAULTLESS, then should no Place have been fought for the " fecond.

"

10. For this is the COVENANT that I will make " with the House of Ifrael, faith the LORD; I will put my Laws into their MIND, and WRITE them " in their HEARTS: and I will be to them a GOD, " and they shall be to me a People.

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11. And they shall not teach every Man his Neighbour, and every Man his Brother, saying, "KNOW the LORD; for all thall know me, from "the least to the greatest.

12. For I will be MERCIFUL to their UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, and their Sins and their INIQUITIES will " I remember no more.

THAT such a COVENANT was to be introduced, is exprefly foretold by Moses, and often mentioned in the Pfalms, and more particularly described by the Prophets Ifaiab, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.

"Deut.

"Deut. xxx. 6. And the LORD thy God will " CIRCUMCISE thine Heart, and the Heart of thy "Seed, to LOVE the LORD thy God with all thine " Heart, and with all thy Sour, that thou mayst LIVE.

" Pfalm 1xxxix. 1. I will fing of the MERCIES of "the LORD for ever: with my Mouth will I make "known thy FAITHFULNESS to all Generations.

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2. For I have said, MERCY shall be built up for ever: thy FAITHFULNESS shalt thou ESTABLISH in "the very Heavens.

" 3. I have made a COVENANT with my Chosen, I " have sworn unto David my Servant.

"4. Thy Seed will I ESTABLISH for ever: and build "up thy Throne to all Generations.

19. Then thou SPAKEST in Vision to the HOLY "ONE, and saidst, I have laid HELP upon One that " is Mighty: I have EXALTED One CHOSEN out of "the People.

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" 28. MY MERCY will I KEEP for him for evermore,

" and my COVENANT shall STAND FAST with him...

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AT the Time when CHRISTIANITY first appeared, there were many Sects of Philosophers, who, according to their various Systems, in vain attempted to REFORM Mankind by their MORAL PRECEPTS. But what these could not do, the Gospel foon effected: For after that the World by WISDOM (Or PHILOSOPHY) knew not GOD, it pleased GOD by the Foolishness of PREACHING, to SAVE them that BELIEVED ; "that no Flesh "should glory in his Presence, but of him are ye in "Christ Jesus, who of GOD is made unto us WisDOM, and RIGHTEOUSNESS, and SANCTIFICATION, " and REDEMPTION.

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IS

HOW foon after the Descent of the HOLY GHOST, did the Gofpel diffuse its DIVINE LIGHT through all the known World; both Jews and Gentiles conforming their Lives, by an absolute Obedience to its holy and excellent Precepts; and were so animated with a DI

VINE

:

VINE FORTITUDE, that Men sunk under the Decays of OLD AGE, delicate Women, tender Youths, and beauteous Virgins TRIUMPHED over all the Rage of their Perfecutors, and in their cruel DEATHS became more than CONQUERORS!

The

th ARTICLE of the Church of England. OF FREE-WILL.

T

THE Condition of Dan after the Fall of Adam, is such, That he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own Natural Strength and Good Works to Faith, and calling upon ODD; wherefore we have no Power to da Sad Works pleasant and acceptable to SDD, without the Grace of DD, by Christ, preventing us, that we may have a Swd Will, and working with us when we have that Good Will.

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THE following PRAYERS out of the PSALMS, were composed in the Time of my great AFFLICTION, when in the Years 1715, 16, and 17, I saw the Family (of which I am the most inconfiderable Part) pursued to DESTRUCTION. And altho' my Person was not under CONFINEMENT, yet was it to undergo a PROSECUTION; which was carried on with the utmost MALICE and INJUSTICE.

IN this Time of my Afflictions, the PRAYERS in the Pfalms were my great SUPPORT; and I found by Experience, that it was not in vain to SEEK the PROTECTION and FAVOUR of the Almighty: for our DELIVERANCE was in such a manner, that we had the highest Reason to say with the Pfalmist, in Pfalm xxxi. "Ver. 19.

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