in Contriving Man's Redemption. 12~ nancts as if it were not rcprefcntcd but prefent to the Spc{fators? Vlho ever faw a Temple,or ~ Palace' or any rcg.ular Building, fpring fi·om the Jlony Bowels of a Mountain? Yet fome fa. Chap. 5· mous 'Philofophers became thm vain m tlmr lmagmattom, Rom. 1. 21. fancying, that the ~ World prooeeded from the eafual coucourfe of Atoms. And the rei! of them neglelled to know God fo far as they might, and to honour him fo far as they knew. They debafed the Deity by unworthy Conceptions of his Nature, and by performing fuch Ails of Worfhip, as were not fit for a rational Spirit to offer, nor for the pure Majefly of Heaven to receive. Befides, they afcribed his Name, Attributes, and Ho. nour to Creatures: not only the Lights of Heaven, and the fecret Powers which they fnppofed did govern them; not only Kings, and Great Men, _who were, by their Authority, raifed above others, ~ut the mofl defpicable tlungs 111 Nature, Beafls and Birds were the ObjeCts of their Adorat!On. They changed the Glory of the tmcormptt- =~dG:~e)i~; e/,~nJ~af:o;~~~ ~~~ 10A 4 ;;~'%'}~e,,~ab;t aftd b;:r~;~~'rh:~~~,t~:,fo !~i:~: nefs_, and to the rnoft infamous Lulls, ntrtural and unnaturAl. Now fince the mofl: clear and open difcovery of God's Wifdom was ineffeCtual to reclaim the World, He was pleafed ro change his Method. They negleCted Him appearing in his Majefly, and he now comes cloathed with lnjirmittes: And fince by natural Light they would not fee God the Creator, He is imperceptible to the Light of Nature as Redeemer : The difcovery of Him depends on Revelatton. The Wifdom ofGod in making the World is evident to every Eye, but the Gofpel1s Wijdom tn a Myjlery, 1 Cor. 2. 7· The Uetty was confpicuous in the Creation, but co_nceal'd, under a _vp.i_l of Flefh when he. wrought our Re.. demption. He was more cafi ly dtfcover d when mvilible, than when vtfible: He created the World by Po:ver, but reflor'd it by Sujftrings. . 2 • That the Honour of all_might folely redound to him. God hath chofin she foo!ifb t/,ings ofthef11or!d to c()njOun.d the.,vife; and the weak ~Jnngs of the Worl~ to confound the thmg.s that are might); and bafe thmgs of the World, and thsngs w/J,ch .re de!pifid God hath chofen;yea, aNd :~i:t ~t:~: n~t~/'Mfr;~~ ~~~g~et:;f;::~}lfr~;~';=('~~;f;~/;~~~fe~1~~t;:;;e~-c~0~f the Waters, drawn forth from an Ark of Bull-i·ullies, and not employed whilfl he lived in the fplendour of the Court, but when banifh'd as a Criminal, and depriv'd of all Power. And our ll.edeemer took not on him the Nature of Angels, equal to Satan in Power, but took part of Flefb and Blood (f ), the more fignally to triumph over that proud Spirit in (f) N,,; the Human Nature which was inferior to his, and had been vanquifht by him in Paradife. M,~p,, ••· Therefore he dtd not imrnediat~ly exerc_ife Omnip_otent. Power to ?eflroy him, ?ut ma~ ~";,;f,'["~;j:; nag'd our Weaknefs and Infirmtty to f01l the roarmg L10n. He dtd not enter mto the ;on~rrdirns, f!J ~ombat in the_ Glory of his Oeity,but di_fg~1is'd under t~e Humane Nature, which was fub~ "!:~/~;~;~~:· ~~~ ~?~~~~ta~~tas ttl~dw~~cl~. ~=c~~;~~~~:~~c~a~:i,~~t!~~~a~~ ~a~~::~~~1~~~~efe~~ t~~;~:;~~~j;d tarive; fo Believers are viaonous over him as the Tempter and Totmentor by the Con~ f~frm:r, l)au· quell: that Chrifl their Reprefentative obtain'd in the Wildernefs, and on the'Crofs. And '"· as our ruin was effeE!ed by the Subtilt>: of Satan, fo our recovery is wroug;ht by the Wifdom of God; who takes thewife m thetr otvn Craftmeji, 1 Cor. 1. The Devil excited ']ud,u by Avancc, the 'Jews by Mahce, and Pdate from reafon of State, to accomplifh the Death of Chrifl ; and he then feemed to be victorious. N0\1( what was more honourable to the Prince of our Salvation, than the turning tbe Enemies point upon his own Breaft, and . by dym(, to overcome lnm that had the PoJVer of Death ? Heb. >· 14. This was fignified in the firfl Promife of the Gofpel, where the Salvation of Man is inclos'd in the Curfe of the Serpent, that is, the Devil cloathed with that Figure, It fba/1 bruife tlty Head, and thou fbalt bmife his Her!, Gen. l· 1 S· That Is, the Son of God fhould, by fuffering in our Flefh, overcome the Enemy of Mankmd, and refcue mnumerable Captives from his Tyranny : Here the Events are moll contrary ro the probabihty of then- Cau{e. And what is more worthy of God, than w obtain his ends in fuch a manner, as theGlory of all may be in foildum afcribed to Him? 7· The Divine VVifdom appears, in laying the dejign of the Gofpel in fuch a manner, as to provide for the Comfort, and promote the Ho!me(s of Man. This is God's Si•n•· ture upon all ~eavenly Doctrines, which difiinguillies them from Carnal Inventi~1s ~ ~:lat~~~ \~~;~\,;~~~;~c(~~~~~~i~~t~/J~f~~~r,;.ifr~fs ~~fte~t ~~n;:tr~fc~~~leR~~~nt~ Man by fecuring his Honour, fo to reconcile Man to God by encouraging his Hope. T1ll tlus be effected, ~e can nevet_' be happy m Comrnumon With God: tor that is no. ~~~n~e~~~f~~t d~r;;'~;::t,!'~~r~f~u~ft~~I~a~~:.:~~t ?,fsdi~~~n~:fo~0~~ Pa~~:~ n~tiift~ there arc apprehenfions of inexorable Severity, there will be hard Tho~1ghts bw·ning in · the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=