?O Buok ll. ---·;;;;iii.. ry; a-;;-d-hence it is that our fervice is called a re,foll"blc Jervicc. God w Id not fee any fuch dtcerminating Law _over the operations of man, as over o;her creat~t~s that fo h<m•.&bt truly work out of JUdgment, and ftand orflll by bisown elec'lion. ' z. That It man Otould devtate from chts reafonable fervice, and break the Law 1 1· 1 God would give, and which he himfelf 010uld havo an original power to performe ~ :;c 1 then he fhould incurre the difpleafur_e of God; and fuch a curfe, and fuch a P;ilal~at fl10uld be mAtCted. And here comes tn the fall ofman into Gods confiderarion; he ioo!s upon tt as a wilful! tranfgreffi6n ofll19 Law; and by how much the Law was more juft d tlJe obedience more ea!te, by fo mu_ch he judges the tranfgreflion more unreafonable ':~d' the puntOllnent more cerrame and mcolerable. ' " •b.• , 3 , 3. That fit~ lhould not palfe unrevenged; and that for thcfe reafons. r. Becaufe Zach.S.Ij. of Gods tnfinue hatred thereof, hets of purer eyes then to behold evil ; he cannot look__on iniC[Hity ;_ tt provoke~ a naufeoufnefs and abhorrency in him, for, all thefe are things which Jh.,te fatrh the Lord, ---;-they are atrouble ununrJC, I "'' weary to bear them. 2. Becaufe c,n,2.t 7· <>f ills truth, he hath fatd, in the day that tho!< eateft thereof thou ]halt {tmly die ' or thou jiJ.~It dymg d11, dte temporally, and d1e eternally; and furdy God will in no wife abolifl 1 M•tth 5· 8. thiS Law; o1u ;ot or titleJha!l i11 no wife pajfe from the Law till ,,/1 be {~</filled. 3. Becaufe ofhiS terrour and fearful MaJeily , for God w1ll have men alwayes tremble before him ~:~~·.1:~.~·1. an~ by his rerrour eo be perfwaded from finning , /z!!owi11g therefore the tm'OI.r of the Lord Hcb.n.>~,. 9 wr perfrv~dt mm; and fei<r hsm who M able to deftroy both bodyand[01<l i11 hell, IJay untoyou [ r«r hvn: and ltt '"have grace, whereby we may Jerve God acceptably with reverence a11d godlyfr.ar fur God is a c011{uming fire. Upon thefe reafons God is refolved. fin fiJal! not p.11fe unrevcnged, Jell: thereby his ju!lice lhould be fecurely abufed, his hacrld a. g:tirdllin the lef> decbred, his truth queftioned, and his dreadful Majefty by men neg– b 'l:ed . 4· Tl:at evrry man, nocwitbilanding fin , 010uld nor be utterly deftroyed: and chat fo1 rhefc 1eafons; . I. Becaufe of chat infinite delight which the Lord bath in mercy: why tills dr ltght IS u that fo d1fpofeth !urn to pardon abundantly, and to exemfe loving. PLI1o3 8. kmdnef> on the fons of men; who" a God likE umo thee, that p~rdoneft iniquity, and J<r P· '4· p"]Jijf by the trAnjJ:reffion ofthe remnant ofthy 1"7'itage? thou maineft not thy anger forever, bec.,ufe thou J.clightcjt in mercy. And,! am the Lord which exercife loving-kf;ndnefs, j"".ge– mtnt nnd rightcou(nefs in the earth, for in the(e things 1delight,[aith the Lor.d. 2. Becaufe of chat delight which God bath to be actively glorified by his creatures voluntary ferJohn:o.I8. vice and fubjection; herein i< my father glorified, ifye bear muchfruit; and !haven• Ez,k.3;.u. plr,r{i<rein thedeathof the wickfd; b~tt t.hat .he turnef.-omhis way and live. He delighceth mo!l in unbloody conquefts, when by his patience, and goodnefs, aod forbearance he fubdueth the hearts, affections , and confciences ofmen unto bimfelf: he efleemeth him– felf more glorified in the fervices , then in the futferiogs of men , and therefore in this eternity -he refolves not eo deftroy all, men,J~tft there lhould J;>e no Religion upon the earth; when rhe Angels fell, they feil not all, piany were ftill left to glorifie himactiveiy in thEir fervice ofhim; but when Adam fell, all mankind fell il) him, fo char rhere was no tree in all this Paradife left to bring forth any fruit unto God ; and this is mofl cer– tain that God would rather have his trees for fruit, then for fewel; hence he refolves that mankind,notwirhilanding lin ,/hould not be utterly dcftroyed. Hereupon the Trinity calls a Councel ; a11d the queflion is, what is to be done with poor mart? the learned here frame a kindeofconflict in Gods lwly attnbuces, and by a hberty which the holy Gboll: from the language of hoJy Scripture doth allow t?em, they fpeak of God after the manner of men, as if he were reduced unto fome ftrait~anddlffi· culties , by the crofs demands of Ius feveral atcnbuces. 'fujftce calls upon lum for the condemnation ofa finful, and therefore worcluly accurfed creacun:·; wh1ch demand 1s fe– conded by his trmh, to make good that tb(earning, ln the day that thou eateft !hereof tho• Jlaltdieth•death· Mercy on the other fide pleadsforfavour, and compaflton towards 1~an, wofully fecl'uced,andoverthrol"n by-5aran, and this plea is feconded by ~ove and goodnefs, and the like attributes; ar Iall: when the bu!mef•. comes to determmanon: wi{dom finds out a way, which the Angels of heaven gaze on w!tb adnmauon andaftomfl:ment, how eo reconcilethefe different pleas,of.hjs Attributes cogeth~'· A Je(w 1s refohed on, one ofthe fame bleffed Trinity, who by his Fathers ordmanon, Ius own voluntary fuf– ception, and the holy SF-irits fanctificacion !houl~ be firte~f~r the bufinefs. To ti)IS pur– pole this Jefus ll1ould be both a furery and an Head over hnful men ; a furecy ~o pay men' debts umo G()d and an Head to reJ\ore Gods. image unto man ; and thus m htm " ' ' • mercy
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