------- ------------------------------ u..rotmg u.n~o <]cftt5. Book IV. 18; Chap. 2. Sect 4. 2 • It was aMiracle ;[;";;God for our fakes lhould create the world, and after ~ur fall in Adam, that God fi•ould preferve the world, efpwally conlidet:mg that our fin had unpind rhe whole frame of th< Creation \ and that God even then hmng on h1s Throne of Judgment , ready to pafs rhe doom ot cleat!~ for our fir[\ tranfgreffion, fhould un- _ expeC\edly oive a prom1fe of a Savtour, when JUllly he might have giVen us to the de- ,·il, and to h~ll, according tO his own Law, In the day thrlt thOI< eateft thereof thott fl,a[t Gen. •· 17) dyerhe death. . . -. It was a Miracle that Gods Son n,ould take upon lum our nature, and that tn our na:ure he lhould tranfaC\ our peace; that he fhould preach falvation to m :Ul if we would believe. and to the .end that we might b~lieve, that he would work fo many ligns and miracles i~ the prefence of his Difciples, and of a world of men: was not Chrill:s Birth aMiracle? and Chriil:s Life a miracle ? and Chrills Deat)l amiracle? and Chrilts Refurrethon a miracle ? and Chrilts Afcenfion a Miracle ? was' not Ckrilts Minilhy a mirack? and was it not a miracle, that Chrilts Word fi10uld not be credited without a world of miracles to back it, and confirm it to the fons ofmen? Without controverjie 1 Tim: 3,,6~ great iJthe rmracle, as well as myftery of godlmefs: God manifeft m the jle(h, J"Jiified m th• Spirit, feen of Angels, preached ~<nt~ the Gem•les, believed on m the World, recewedup· intoglory. +· Ir was a Miracle that God fhould look upon us in our blood; what a fight was it for God, when thy 1iavel w.u not cut, when thou wajf not faltcd at all, nor fwadled at all, F.zek. , 6, 4, when thou wa.fl caft out in the open field to the loathing of thy per{o11 ? yet that then, even 5 , 6. then the Lord fi10uldpafs by thee, and fee thee polluted in thy own blood, and jhould fay 1<nto thee when thou waft in thy blo,d, live; yea fay 1<nto thee when thol< waft in thy blood, live. 0 miracle of mercies! If creation cannot be without a miracle, furely the new creafure is a miracle indeed. So contrary is our perverfe natures to all poffibilities of falvation, that if falvation had not muched 'o us all the way in a miracle, we lh0uld have perill1ed in the ruines of a fad eternity. Election is a mirade, and Creation is a miracle, and Redemption is a miracle, and Vocation is a miracle; and indeed every man living in the llate of grace, is a perpetual miracle ; in fuch a one his reafon is turned into faith, his foul into fpirit, his body into a Temple~ his earth into heaven, his water into wine , his averfations from Chrilt into intimate union with Chrilt , and adhefions to Chrill:. 0 what a chain of miracles is this? Why Lord if thou wilt , thou canft ma~ me clean ; fay thus, you that are yet in your blood, why Lord if thou wilt thou canft mflk! me clean. 0 Lord I believe , help thol< my unbelief. .After thi&_ there WM a fMft of the [ews, ani [efm went up to Jeruf ..lem: Some would .. have thts feall: to be Penrecoll:; <1nd to fpeak truly, the mol! of our Commentaries John S· r, run that way : others take this for the feall: of the Pafsover, and. the rather becaufe the Evangelill: J~h" ~eckons the time of Chrilts publick Miniltry by the feveral Pafsovers ; now tf tlus feaft were not a Pafsover, we cannot find in the Gofpel fo many Pafsovers as to make up Chrills Minill:ry three years and an half. On this . gr_o~nd ·I joyn with the latter Opinion_; an~ fo here I end the fecond year of Chrifls Mu~tll:ry ,and come to the th~rd,and to hts achngs therein in referel)ce toour fouls fal– vauon. - -· - - - - Cc SECT/
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