Paul had thunder
with his lightning, to the shaking of his soul; so had the three
thousand, so had the jailer: they that receive light without
thunder, are subject to turn the grace of God into wantonness; but
they that know the terror of God will persuade men. So then, when he
decrees to give the rain of his grace to a man, he makes a way for
the lightning and thunder; not the one without the other, but the
one following the other.
We have had great lightnings in this land of late years, but little
thunders; and that is one reason why so little grace is found where
light is, and why so many professors run on their heads in such a
day as this is, notwithstanding all they have seen.
The method of God is to kill and make alive, to smite and then heal.
He that hath not seen his lost condition, hath not seen a safe
condition; he that did never see himself in the devil's snare, did
never see himself in Christ's bosom.
Grace proceeds from the throne, from the throne of God and of the
Lamb. Wherefore, sinner, here is laid a necessity upon thee; one of
the two must be thy lot: either thou must accept of God's grace, and
be content to be saved freely thereby, notwithstanding all thy
undeservings and unworthiness, or else thou must be damned for thy
rebellion, and for thy neglecting of this grace.
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