in Contriving ·Man's Redemption. on the account of the ObjeErs it difcovers. But fuch a .perverfe judgment is. in men, that ~ the)' ncgleE1: thofe things wluch deferve the h1ghe!t adm1rat1on , and fpend thm wonderon ~ meaner things. Art IS more adtmr'd rh~n.Naturc: A counrcrfe1 ~ eye of Cryjftd, \~h1ch hach neither light ror motion, than the.hvmg Ere, the Sun of the little World, that dll'eE1:s the whole Man. And the effects of Nature are more admir'd, than the fubl!me and fupel·- nawr<~ l worl<s of Grace. Yet thefe infinitely exceed the orher. The World is the work of Gods hand , but rhe Gofpel i• his Plot, and the chiefe!t ofall his ways. What a combination of Wonders is there in the great Myltery ofGodhnefs! That he who fills Heaven and Earth , fhould beconf1n'd to the Virgin's Womb ; that Life fhould die, and being dead revi ve! that Mercy fl10uld triur:nph wi.rhout any difparag~ment tO Juftice! Thefe are Miracles that tranfcend all that ts done m Nature. And tlus appears by the Judgment of God himfelf who belt knows the excellency of his own works. For whereas upon the fi nifhiog the' firll Creation, he ordain'd the S~venth pay, rlmr .reafonabl~ Cre~tures m~ghr more folemnly afcrihe to him the Glory of Ius Attnbutes, whtch are vtfibl~ 111 the thmgs that are made; he hath upon the compleatin& our Redemption , by the r~1ling of Chri!t Ji·om the Dead, made the firji Day facred for Ius Serv1ce and Pra~fe, there bemg the cleare!t Il lultration of hts Pcrfe£bons 111 that bleffed Work. God ts more pleafed 111 the contemplation of the New World, than of the Old. The latter by its extraordinary Magnificence hath leffen'd the dignity of the former, as the greater L1ght obfcures the lefs. Therefore the Sttbb~~th is .changed mro the Lord's-Day: An_d wh~t a JUll reproach •s.tt to Man that he fhould be inobfervant and unaffeEted Wtth tlus glonous Mercy, wherem he may always find new caufe of Admiration? 0 ~ord, how gre4t are tby f!Vorfs_! and thy ThorJghts hoiV derp: A bruitifo Man kn~wetk not, netth_er doth a !ool rmderjl~nd thu; Pfal. 92. 5, 6. The admiring of any other dung m companfon ofthts Myltery,JS the effeCl oflnconfideration, , or InAdelity. o. It produces the moll fincere and la!ting Pleafure. As the Ta!te is to Meat, to allure ;~ ~;ef~~1t~~\t~h~:~~pi~~~a~C:~~a~~i~~~ t~:~:~ ~:'~::~~~l;~~~~~!~;,~~~~~~·;P~nr.i~~ things. The Pleafure is more in the acquilition, than in the poffeffionof it. For Ehe Mind is d1verted 111 the fearch, but havmg atta111ed tO that Knowledge whrch cannot hll the rational Appetite, 'tis difgu!ted with the Fruits of its Travel, and feeks fome other ObjeE1: to relieve its Languor. From hence it is, that Variety is the fpring of Delight, and P!eafure is the produE1: of Novelty. We find the pleafureof the firlt talte in learning fome· thing new, is always mo!t fenlib!e. The mo!t elegant Compofltions, and excellent Difcomfes, which ravt(h'd at the firlt reading, yet repeated often, are naufeous and irkfome. The exercife of the Mind on an ObjeCl fully known, is unprofitable, •nd therefore tedious, Whereas by turning the Thoughts on fomething elfe, it may accjuire new knowledg. But ~: ~!J"~ .. ~~:~g :'~oi~1~ ~Yli~~(ry0~h~~; !~~~:~~~~~n~~b~~~;~~:~'e 7/~;ru;;[:!,~:ft~ RJChes of Grace ttre laed up tn tt. 1 here is infimte variety, and perpetual matter for the inquiry of the mo(l excellent Underfianding: No (reared Rcafon is able to reach its hei_ght, o~· found its dcp~hs: By the continual ftudy,and inCl·eafe in the knowledge of it the Mtnd enJoys a perfevertng Pleafure,that f~r exceeds the fbortvchemence offenfual Delights. 3· Jt excels other Sc~cnces in the certamty of its· Principle, which is Divi ne Revelation. Human Scictices are bmlt upon uncertain Maximes, which _being admitted with Precipitation , and not confinn'<_l ~y fuffi.cient Experiments? the Mmd is fatisfierl with ~ppearan~ ces, infiead of real ce1 tam~y. An? from hence 't1s, that upon fevere inquiry m to matters o_f Fact, thofe DoEhmes. whtch w~rc received in_ one Age, are difcover'd to be falfe 111 another. Modern Philofophy d1fcards the Anc1ent. But the DoCtrine of Salvation is the J!f1ord of Truth, that came from Heaven, and bears the CharaCters and Marks of its Divine ~:~cent. 'Tis confirn~cd by the Demonflration of tbe Spirit, and. of p,,er,. 1 Cor: 2. 4· I rs always the fame, unchangeable as God the Author, and Chri!t theObjcE1: of lt, who ·ts the fame yeflerday,to day, and for ever, Heb. 13- And the know· ledg wh_!Ch the finccre and enllghte~~ Mmd hathof_it . is not uncertain Opinion, but a .clear, folrd and firm Appr~henlion. Tis a Contemplatwn of the Glory of God ovith open face, 2 CoL l· 18. T lus appears by the EffeEts 1t pwduces m thofe that have received the true linEture .of it in their Souls, they delpife all things which Carnal Men admire in .<;omp:rifon of thts »teltimable Trcafure. · ' ~· l l1c DoEtnne.of the Gofpel exceeds all praCtick Sciepces in the excellency of its end, tm~ ( /.1§ efficacy of the means to obtam .'t 'i'h~fA<l of Jt is! the fupreme Happmefs of Man: The re!toring him to the Innocence :aJi!~ "~ccllency .of )llS /irll ilacc. And the mcans' are appomred by infmte Wifdom, fo.tl t;t~ ! hi' moll )nf.uperaple Obi!M/es are remove.d: And tlwl~ 0 r.e the Jufhco of God that S z ·· _fopdemn~
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